Honda Car Forum

Josh S wrote:
> In article <qRhXj.35$GV3.25@newsfe08.phx>,
> "Elle" <honda.lioness@spamnocox.net> wrote:
>
>
>>Wiki does indeed report fuel efficiency was a considered
>>factor for Volkswagen's, starting as early as the 1930s, and
>>possibly under orders from Hitler.
>
>
> I had three VW Beetles, two 1.1L and one 1.3L; '55, '56, '61.
> I've keep very accurate mileage records.
>
> My '95 3.3L Concorde of twice the weight gets the approx. the same
> city/hwy MPG as I got with the VWs and of course at a much more
> consistent and higher speed, particularly up hills and against the wind.
>
> The VW Beetle had a top speed of about 65mph, it took some time to get
> there, couldn't maintain 60mph into a medium head wind, but with a
> strong tail wind it could maintain 75-80mph.


The point wasn't that anybody (except VW) claimed that the Beetle
got great gas mileage; it was that VW used fuel economy as a selling
point. As I noted earlier, the Beetle was pretty unimpressive in the
fuel economy department. It was better than the big American cars, but
no better than many faster, larger imports. I'm sure it was worse than
some of them...

"Josh S" <Josh@clean.spam> wrote in message
> IMO the new diesels, developed in Germany will be the next fuel saving
> hot vehicle. Over 50% of people in Europe are now buying them.
> The 2L VW diesel performs very well in the small mid size cars.

I would have agreed with you in the past, but diesel is selling for $1 a
gallon more than regular right now. At current prices, a gas engine at 40
mpg costs the same in fuel per mile as a diesel at 50 mpg. I don't know if
it has changed in Europe, but gas and diesel were just pennies apart per
liter last year, diesel was 1.16 Euro gas was 1.22 per liter.

Fuel oil cost was exactly the same as diesel too. In milder climates it is
not uncommon for homeowners to buy 5 or 10 gallons at a time at the filling
station as needed.

"Josh S" <Josh@clean.spam> wrote
> I had three VW Beetles, two 1.1L and one 1.3L; '55, '56,
> '61.
> I've keep very accurate mileage records.
>
> My '95 3.3L Concorde of twice the weight gets the approx.
> the same
> city/hwy MPG as I got with the VWs and of course at a much
> more
> consistent and higher speed, particularly up hills and
> against the wind.

Thanks for the report. :-)

> The VW Beetle had a top speed of about 65mph, it took
> some time to get
> there, couldn't maintain 60mph into a medium head wind,
> but with a
> strong tail wind it could maintain 75-80mph.

Ha!

In article <i%SZj.5301$nW2.2868@nlpi064.nbdc.sbc.com>,
"Edwin Pawlowski" <esp@snet.net> wrote:

> "Josh S" <Josh@clean.spam> wrote in message
> > IMO the new diesels, developed in Germany will be the next fuel saving
> > hot vehicle. Over 50% of people in Europe are now buying them.
> > The 2L VW diesel performs very well in the small mid size cars.
>
> I would have agreed with you in the past, but diesel is selling for $1 a
> gallon more than regular right now. At current prices, a gas engine at 40
> mpg costs the same in fuel per mile as a diesel at 50 mpg. I don't know if
> it has changed in Europe, but gas and diesel were just pennies apart per
> liter last year, diesel was 1.16 Euro gas was 1.22 per liter.
>
> Fuel oil cost was exactly the same as diesel too. In milder climates it is
> not uncommon for homeowners to buy 5 or 10 gallons at a time at the filling
> station as needed.

I agree with you that if diesel is selling for too high premium, using
diesel doesn't make sense.
Here in Canada diesel has recently crept a bit higher than regular
gasoline, but I believe it's more of a supply situation as diesel use is
increasing. In the USA you seem to be facing more variability in fuel
pricing than here in Canada.

For urban driving a properly sized diesel gets about 30% more MPG than
an equivalent performance gasoline engine.
The Jeep Cherokee 2 wd EPA figures are:
Gas 3.7L- 15/20
Gas 5.7L- 13/19
Diesel 3L- 18/23 Performance is close to the gas 5.7L.