Wanted: fuel efficient, normal looking sedan, reliable, semi-luxury

[Jumpem]

god i hate the trend of optioning an entry-level 4cyl car into a 30k 'luxury sedan.'

i would not believe people were paying 28-30k for focuses if i wasn't seeing it every day.

It will become more and more commonplace as CAFE requirements keep getting higher. Even BMW and Mercedes are bringing four cylinder models to the US.

 

[SparkyJJO]

It will become more and more commonplace as CAFE requirements keep getting higher and more ridiculous. Even BMW and Mercedes are bringing four cylinder models to the US.

Edited for greater accuracy.

 

[EightySix Four]

Edited for greater accuracy.

Why is it ridiculous? MPGs are going up and so is power, I don't understand why everyone bitches about it. Right now we are in the midst of the greatest HP wars in history. 400hp Mustangs, 400hp Camaros, 300hp V6 sedans, 550hp $65k sedans...

 

[Jumpem]

Why is it ridiculous? MPGs are going up and so is power, I don't understand why everyone bitches about it. Right now we are in the midst of the greatest HP wars in history. 400hp Mustangs, 400hp Camaros, 300hp V6 sedans, 550hp $65k sedans...

Because by 2025 they are supposed to be averaging 62mpg.

 

[EightySix Four]

Because by 2025 they are supposed to be averaging 62mpg.

So? That is 14 years away. We have no idea what the next few years will bring and with the ratings on electric cars (100+ MPGe) manufacturers should be able to pull it off. I have not once seen the CAFE standards negatively affect car enthusiasts.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Why is it ridiculous? MPGs are going up and so is power, I don't understand why everyone bitches about it. Right now we are in the midst of the greatest HP wars in history. 400hp Mustangs, 400hp Camaros, 300hp V6 sedans, 550hp $65k sedans...

I don't have a problem with increased mpg, increased power, etc. All good.

What I DO have a problem with is the government mandating stupid stuff (and practically trying to legislate physics while they are at it). Let the market decide. If people want little fuel-efficient cars, manufacturers will make them. If they want powerful cars, they'll make those. They want trucks? They'll make those. And since there is a wide variety of what people want, they make a wide variety of vehicles, which is great. Throwing mandated mpg requirements in there will result in stifling the market in the long haul. And all for what? Making a couple people feel better about themselves?

Government trying to force and manipulate markets and technology rarely ends well.

 

[desy]

For what?
To try to prevent the destruction of the US economy by exporting over 1.2 billion $ a day in trade imbalances. Most GDP growth has been due to increased effciency in energy utilization, having huge energy costs stiffles economic growth

 

[PhoKingGuy]

I don't have a problem with increased mpg, increased power, etc. All good.

What I DO have a problem with is the government mandating stupid stuff (and practically trying to legislate physics while they are at it). Let the market decide. If people want little fuel-efficient cars, manufacturers will make them. If they want powerful cars, they'll make those. They want trucks? They'll make those. And since there is a wide variety of what people want, they make a wide variety of vehicles, which is great. Throwing mandated mpg requirements in there will result in stifling the market in the long haul. And all for what? Making a couple people feel better about themselves?

Government trying to force and manipulate markets and technology rarely ends well.

Or you could see it in a good way, 412HP mustang gt that gets 28 mpg? Holy fuck I'm sold.

 

[SparkyJJO]

For what?
To try to prevent the destruction of the US economy by exporting over 1.2 billion $ a day in trade imbalances. Most GDP growth has been due to increased effciency in energy utilization, having huge energy costs stiffles economic growth

Maybe if we tapped into our own resources we wouldn't have as much of a problem

Avoiding our own resources and then mandating crap to avoid it further is retarded. But then, washington has been in full idiot mode for a few years anyway.

But, that pushes way too close to P&N, so I'll stop there.

 

[dullard]

god i hate the trend of optioning an entry-level 4cyl car into a 30k 'luxury sedan.'

Different people have different needs. For me, I'm on the highway at least 5 hours (often more) a week. It is 4 lanes or 6 lanes and nearly no traffic to pass. I could have 2 cylinders and 50 horsepower or 16 cylinders and 2000 horsepower and I wouldn't know the difference. Either way I'd still be travelling at 70 mph under cruise control. Might as well be comfortable and not spending a fortune on gas.

 

[dullard]

Maybe if we tapped into our own resources we wouldn't have as much of a problem

Avoiding our own resources and then mandating crap to avoid it further is retarded. But then, washington has been in full idiot mode for a few years anyway.

But, that pushes way too close to P&N, so I'll stop there.

The biggest contributer to our fuel is our own resources. Your whole premise is false from the beginning.

 

[Jumpem]

Different people have different needs. For me, I'm on the highway at least 5 hours (often more) a week. It is 4 lanes or 6 lanes and nearly no traffic to pass. I could have 2 cylinders and 50 horsepower or 16 cylinders and 2000 horsepower and I wouldn't know the difference. Either way I'd still be travelling at 70 mph under cruise control. Might as well be comfortable and not spending a fortune on gas.

Same. I would rather have an adequately powered and comfortable vehicle.

 

[Engineer]

I haven't looked at domestics yet. It took too long just looking at the Japanese ones. Thanks, I'll look into that one.

Fusion is domestic in name only, not manufacturing location. :whiste:

 

[Doppel]

The majority of our fuel is from our own resources. Your whole premise is false from the beginning.

? Less than 1/3rd of US oil use is domestically produced. Now if you're saying the oil is imported and then the gasoline is made domestically as opposed to imported I don't see how that is very relevant.

 

[wirednuts]

Fusion Hybrid? Good mileage and should be a bit more luxury than a Civic.

ZV

this is what i want. ive been a truck guy my whole life, but of course theyre just not practical for everyday driving now that cars are getting 40+mpg.

the fusions look great, and they are still basic cars which to me is GOOD- makes them easy to work on. which makes them cheap to fix.

ill be buying one when i can find it around 10K used...

 

[dullard]

? Less than 1/3rd of US oil use is domestically produced. Now if you're saying the oil is imported and then the gasoline is made domestically as opposed to imported I don't see how that is very relevant.

Let me clarify.

US oil production: 5.5 million barrels per day.
US oil imports (in decending order of quantity):
2.1 million Canada
1.1 million Mexico
1.1 million Saudi Arabia
1.0 million Venezula
0.8 million Nigeria
0.4 million Iraq
It drops off a cliff after that.

Now, our own production is more than than our four biggest import countries combined. Compare that to the quote I was commenting on:

Maybe if we tapped into our own resources we wouldn't have as much of a problem.

My point is we are tapping our own resources. Quite a bit. We produce far, far more than the amount of oil we import from any country. Tapping our resources isn't our problem. Using too much fuel is. Plus, I'd like to be the country left with oil once the others have run dry. Saving oil for the future will make us VERY powerful when that day comes. Or, we could use it up now just to save a couple of bucks and bend over backwards for the remaining countries that do have oil once ours is dry.

I edited my post above to clarify though.

 

[dullard]

Fusion is domestic in name only, not manufacturing location. :whiste:

I still haven't looked yet (but will when I have time). The location of manufacture isn't what matters, what matters is the amount of time that I have had so far to research. Otherwise, I'd have to go to Ford, look at some cars made in some locations, leave, go to other car lots. look at those cars, then come back to Ford to see more cars made in different locations. Why bother with all the switching? I just live a couple blocks from the Japanese dealers (and work not too far from other Japanese dealers) and found it easiest to start looking there.

Whistle away.

 

[Turin39789]

Buick

 

[Doppel]

Or, we could use it up now just to save a couple of bucks and bend over backwards for the remaining countries that do have oil once ours is dry.

Pretty obvious this path the country is going down. This is a people who are literally eating themselves to death. We'll use all our oil up.

 

[desy]

http://brynnevans.com/blog/2008/08/04/useful-graphics-on-oil-consumptionproduction/

The US imports 12 million produces 5 million, rough # of $100 per barrel hence the 1.2 billion $ leaving the economy every day. Only drastic reduction is going to improve that figure.. Even if you managed to add 50% to US production 'no easy task' you'd still be importing 10 million a day or exporting 1 Billion $ a day out of the economy thats if the ever dwindling supply doesn't go to $200 a barrel, don't be surprised its 10X what it was a decade ago at $10 a barrel. Many countries 'China India esp" haven't got their fair share yet. . .

So CAFE needs to make the fleet avg 2X as effcient soon or there are greater repercussions than worrying about 10 second 0-60 times. So, cars will become smaller but people still want nice, hence the Focus Titanium

 

[ElFenix]

It will become more and more commonplace as CAFE requirements keep getting higher. Even BMW and Mercedes are bringing four cylinder models to the US.

bmw had a 4 cylinder model back in the 90s (and of course has been selling minis for about a decade now)
merc never stopped selling 4 cylinder models