I recently saw a blog about MPG http://ergosphere.blogspot.com/2005/10/immediate-responses-revive-pngv.html
With all due respect.....big deal
look at this!!!!!!!!! http://adventurebooks.newsvine.com/_news/2008/05/03/1467619-in-1969-subaru-was-getting-66-miles-per-gallon
Well, I know this is old news to a lot of us OLD FOLKS, but some of the younger crowd don't know that Subaru made a 70 MPG car in 1980. Not a test model, but the fourth in a series called the FE model (Fuel Economy), introduced by Subaru in 1977. I bought a 1979 FE right off the show room floor (5-seat, 5-speed, 1600 cc 2 door coupe under $7000). It only averaged 56-58 mpg, but that was ok for me at the time. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1979&dat=19781103&id=jZYiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DqoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4760,1627661
The regular DL model got 40+MPG http://store.valueweb.com/servlet/vintagepaperads/-strse-8208/1979-Subaru-2-dsh-door-Sedan/Detail
also look at this list!!! http://www.mpgomatic.com/2007/10/08/super-cheap-high-mpg-cars-1978-1981/
The 70 MPG 1980 Subaru FE model was refused admission to the USA (go figure They sold like gain-busters in Austrailia!) because of a fuel system problem (oh REALLY?), in fact the previous FE models were recalled for fuel system problems (imagine that?)
look at this: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 79V032000........ Story about that to follow!
Keep in mind that I drove MY FE from northern Utah to California four times on vacation without a "fuel system fire". I had only owned the car for 2 months and got a recall letter. I drove to the dealer in Ogden Utah. I was met at the entrance by a stranger in a yellow FE. He flagged me down and asked if MY car was an FE. When I told him YES, he asked if I was there because of the recall. Yes, again I said. He told me to turn around, "RUN" and not let anyone near my FE, "especially the dealer".
I was informed that this stranger too had responded to the recall. Since I lived over 54 miles from the dealer it took me longer to reply....this was a blessing in disguise. He informed me he went from 54 MPG to 34 MPG after the "fuel system repair" by the dealer. The stranger also said the dealer insisted the FE only got 34 MPG to begin with. I talked to the dealer and he did indeed insist the FE only got 34 MPG. I grabbed a pamphlet from the rack for the FE and showed him the rating of 54 MPG printed right in the pamphlet. I told him the story about the person in the yellow FE and the recall and I told him I would not be having my car worked on EVER. The dealer collected the FE pamphlets (even the one I was holding) and told me to leave. I saw him go to the guy in the yellow FE and order him to leave as well.
The Suzuki Sprint got 50 MPG and the Geo Metro 55 when first introduced and the MPG decreased rapidly with the next year. I also owned a 1985 Toyota SR5 Wagon that got 43 MPG, but it was a WAGON, it was a bit bigger. I bought a 1994 metro for my wife to drive to work. It got a horrible 41 MPG. Dealer claimed NO car EVER got over 44 MPG???!!!!!!
The hype over hybrids is a bunch of lies, smoke and mirrors for the Gen-x and yuppie Generations. The old---- OLD salts know about the original Sprint, Metro, FE and others. The 50-60 MPG the HYbrids supposedly get (HY = high priced for what you get) is a joke considering Ford had a setup that got 52 MPG from a V6 in 1954 and Olds had not only a V12 but an experimental V17 that could move an OLDS along @ 40 MPG in the late 50's.
Not to mention the NETWORK news reports in the late 70's about two guys from Florida that had a 74 MPG diesel car that they SWORE they would NOT let the Auto Industry or Government stop them from producing and they SWORE the would NOT sell the patents.
So where is this 74 MPG car now? It was about the size of a Chevy Lumina, not a SMART CAR! Speaking of the Lumina, my dad has a '93 and gets 28 MPG. He didn’t until he disconnected the "smog pump", which is a worthless induction fan that forces outside air into the exhaust pipe to dilute the exhaust gasses to pass emissions tests....it doesn’t reduce emissions at all!!!!!! He got a 3-4 MPG increase disconnecting this trash fan.
Why not drive the FE still????....mule deer 1994, ouch! I picked up a 95 neon in 97 and drove it until it died last year (401,000 miles total) the neon would still run, but I couldn’t get it to start without pushing it. No secret to the high mileage... the second O2 senser died and made the car run lean. so I just never used anything but 20-50 oil in the neon. It got 38-41 MPG (38 winter- 41 summer...go figure ha ha)
So why does the auto industry suggest 5-30 or 10-30? You decide.
Why don’t we have a 100 MPG car? Well...You tell me why Subaru wasn’t allowed to market the 1980 FE?
Final thing.....all the above mentioned cars that obtained SUPREME MPG had ONE thing in common..... a carburetor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The 94 geo and neon have EFI of course. So why does a car equipped with a device developed in the 1800's out perform EFI?????? Because it just does????????
