Green cars - All Comments

re: England vs. Japan

Reikro — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:28:50 GMT

Ahh the old Cherry. They were also quite popular in the TS races in Japan during the 70's. During the last few years I have really gotten interested in Japanese cars old and new, especially if the car in question is unmistakably Japanese. Take the new Toyota Crown for example, it doesn't look as though they are trying to copy European style, it looks therefore like a Japanese car and not a Japanese car trying to look like a BMW, and I like that. Even though my Japanese is very limited I even started to buy XaCAR and Car Graphic magazines on a monthly basis and would love to visit Japan someday. Peter Nunn, I envy you.

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

Paddler Ed — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:22:26 GMT

My 7 year old, 196,000 mile petrol V70 has just driven 4000 in 2 weeks, with 1 or 2 kayaks on the roof and returned between an indicated 32 and 35mpg... careful driving and use of the cruise control made that happen.

Given that the cost of petrol is 10-15p per litre less than diesel I reckon that cost me about the same as - or less than- it would have done in a diesel. Let's stop getting hung up on mpg and look at the cost per mile, then it levels the playing field for petrol and diesel.

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

James Ruppert — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:47:58 GMT

It does not take a genius to realise that big petrol cars have had it, no one wants them, although personally a great big V8 that you don't use much is very tempting, especially if you could one up for just a few a quid. Who wouldn't want a Bentley for a couple of thousand. In the short term I may be going LPG on my Land Rover and losing another car from the fleet. Anyone want a Saab 9000 CSE auto?

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

binners — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:40:12 GMT

Its a good tip - I have a 1993 BMW 540i and I have to think carefully about whether i can finance any trips in it! Averages 22 MPG (10 around town). My friends are unwilling to share the costs of big trips so we use smaller cars and save petrol. Genius

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

chrisso — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:50:54 GMT

All about choice I know, but suprised at how many makers are still announcing new models with large, thirsty petrol engines. I'm not especially green or anything, but what will happen to used values?

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

James Ruppert — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:13:37 GMT

Autodepressed I couldn't possibly go there, yes the idea was to be a bit Viz top tips about all this as really petrol prices are never ever going to go down are they?

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

Beowolf — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:15:49 GMT

Ha, like the humour. May as well laugh in the face of absurdity i.e. fuel prices.

Here's another: get a job where you're in a car all day: then you'll never want to sit in a car and drive anywhere unless it's absolutely necessary.

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

David Harrington-Wright — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:33:02 GMT

My new shape mondeo TDCI showed (on the trip computer) a range of 850 miles the other day...if only things were that realistic!!

Usually get 44mpg, compared to over 50 out of previous generation Mondeo - progress eh?

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

James Ruppert — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:41:33 GMT

I spoke to a garageman the other day who says he always looks at the BMW six cylinders computers and rarely are they below 30mpg. Without wanting to mention it yet again, my 5 series that goes this weekend always delivered way over 400 miles a tank, which is brilliant going...

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

A R Chen — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:30:48 GMT

I would not have put the Rangie and the 535i in the same category.

BMW's and Mercs always seem to get much better gas mileage in normal driving than their spec would suggest. The Rangie on the other hand ..............

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

James Ruppert — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:31:03 GMT

Can't disagree with that one at all, or any SsangYangTong any more top tips?

re: Save the planet - buy a V8

phenergn — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:13:38 GMT

If you don’t fancy a big V8, buy yourself a Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible and weld the roof down. You’ll be so unwilling to be seen behind the wheel that you’ll only drive when absolutely unavoidable.

re: Subaru's electric avenue

danny77 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:37:47 GMT

Whatever happened to the R1e? That looked like a fantastic Subaru EV, promised to be available year on year. I'd heard they were testing one in London over Christmas, but since then - nothing!

re: The return of the 200SX?

enyce — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:31:55 GMT

Not exactly a 'green' car but a four-cylinder model in the mould of the Urge concept would definitely be a step in the right direction. In these increasingly environmentally aware times, one needs to make the realization that power isn't what a real sports car is all about - it's about lightweight and chuckability in my book. V6 and V8 - who can afford petrol prices any more? [link to story] ...

re: Missing the CO2 point

kerrecoe — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:20:52 GMT

I guess the point IS that EV's don't really solve the 'problem', they just shift it somewhere else. That's part of the problem that I have with this whole CO2 issue. If we really had a major problem, the solution wouldn't be EV's. I'm very sorry Niall but I don't know what the solution should be and you are obviously much more knowledgeable about this topic than the rest of us.

What I can say with confidence, is that, for me at least, the problem isn't CO2, it's our oil dependency (which compromises us significantly in global power terms) and the fact that western governments have discovered a new way to steal the clothes off our backs by taxing that dependency in the name of 'environmentalism' (SIC). I guess that EV's are a partial solution to that problem because we would become less oil dependent and, in UK at least, more coal dependent (or nuclear, ultimately) which does make sense.

Personally, I think there are better technologies around the proverbial corner that make everything we have done so far obselete- I have that much faith in the scientific progress we are making right now. What I don't have faith in is that auto manufacturers really care what they sell us so long as we buy it, and to a greater extent, I have no faith that our governments will allow such technologies to progress and develop as they might because to do so would be to lose a vast tax source. That did sound a bit 'conspiracy theorist' but I mean that it is not in the interests of our governments to encourage (at least) new technology that would truly solve this 'problem'.