Intimidating Drivers

   / Intimidating Drivers #22  
Good example is our 2000 Impala. It gets an honest 29mpg average on the highway while driving highway speeds over distances greater than a hundred miles or more. In town, its lucky to get 18 average in summer. In winter, its closer to 14 because I let it warm up for 5-10 minutes when its below 20. 10 minute warm-up + 10 minute five mile drive = really bad gas mileage when averaged stricktly on "how many miles I drove divided by how much gas I put in the tank". A better method to me is "how much gas did I use to drive X miles" and how much gas did I waste warming up, side trips, stuck in traffic, etc...

I don't have it broken down as in your last sentence, but I do have the mileage for each individual tank of gas and the overall average milage. Even such things as topping off the tank, or not, can affect individual tank mileage. Four months after we got our 2002 Ford Crown Vic in 2009 with 41k miles on it, we went to West Virginia in it; 1100 miles each way, but a little running around while we were there. Individual fill-ups ranged from a low of 24.756 mpg to 28.232 mpg but a lot of my wife's driving around here to the mall, grocery store, etc. make a big difference, so our overall average for 33k miles we've put on the car is 20.385 mpg. But the individual tanks have ranged this year from less than 17 mpg to more than 22 mpg. It's always a little better when that car goes to our younger daughter's house some 31 miles away via the Interstate highway.:laughing:
 
   / Intimidating Drivers #23  
I have a one ton F-350 crewcab, 6.0 diesel,4x4, didn't buy it for the mileage,, got it to pull stock trailers and equipment trailers with.. 40 gallon tank,, if it gets low I fill it up.. I have 93k miles on it and it ten years old.. so put 9k miles a year on it more or less.. if I get 20 mpg,, and I have 40 gallon tank.. then I fill it up once a month.. but it more like every three weeks cause I fill it at 3/4 tank.. that sound about right to me.. For as tailgating,, I don't tailgate,, if someone tailgates me then I slow down and let them pass.. I am in no hurry,, I drive mostly the same roads all the time.. if it more than five hundreds mile one way trip then I take a plane and read a car.. My wife drives a jeep because it sets up high and it's easy for her to get in and out,, she has one leg,, the jeep being short she can get to the back end and get her wheelchair out,, ,mileage on it is very low.. maybe 15 at the most.. when it gets low on gas I take it and fill it up.. she will be 65 next month,, I wanted to buy her a new car.. but she said I like this one.. its a 2007 hard top so I will buy her a gun instead,, she like killing things.:laughing:. Lou
 
   / Intimidating Drivers #24  
To own one vehicle that was total electric, recharged from solar panels at home, would be good for me, and I suspect many others. Forget about gas stations and mileage.

The Prius and similar technologies are a stepping stone to that solution. I think that is their value in the big picture/long game. In that sense, I agree with Dennis on the game-changing nature of the Prius.

As far as intimidation, I get the same differential in other drivers' behaviors if I am driving our Honda Civic 2-door, or I am out in the 1-ton with an 8x12 bed. People actually pay attention to the lines in the middle of the road when I'm driving the truck. Go figure. :)
 
   / Intimidating Drivers #26  
It's interesting, when I drive the wife's Prius, I noticed that some folks who are driving in much larger vehicles, usually with over-sized tires, tend to tailgate me, pass unsafely and generally try to intimidate, using the size of their vehicle as a weapon. I don't get this behavior much when I drive my truck. Now, I'm going to generalize here, I'm aware: Sometimes, after something like this happens, the other driver and I will happen be headed to the same destination and when we each get out of our vehicles I can't help but notice that the other driver tends to be on the small side, physically. Rarely does this happen with big people in big trucks. I think perhaps they don't have self-image problems nearly as much, or at least don't use their vehicles to make up for their small size. I'm guessing they buy those big trucks to actually haul something big. I'm 6'2" at 220 lbs. and I sense that the other driver is sometimes a little surprised that the person they just tried to intimidate is not the person they envisioned driving a smaller car so they avoid eye contact at all costs. I'm not the type of person who intimidates others, the opposite in fact, but sometimes I would like to pick them up by the collar and say, "Hey, do you feel like intimidating me now, Punk?" :laughing:
Thats funny... I tend to fend the speeders and tailgaters are driving Prius's..
 
   / Intimidating Drivers #27  
I never notice people tailgating me because I tend to drive faster in my Prius than my Dodge 4X4.
Large vehicles around here are driven by women just as often as men.
 
   / Intimidating Drivers #28  


You sir need to do some research on your own instead of reading articles like the above. Almost every point they made is questionable. I am on my second prius the first had 200,000 miles (4 years) on it when we sold it to the kids. Now approaching 250,000 still getting 47 mpg and very little maintenance. We put about 50,000 mile per year on the Prius. I couldn't afford to do that with a Hummer, much less the purchase price and insurance for the Hummer. You might want to read the comments below the article also. Go drive one before you express a opinion.
Taxi companys are buying Prius because the can get minimum 350,000 miles easily. The battery is guaranteed for 180,000 miles and the two dealers I have dealt with have only changed a few under warrantee because of manufacturing problems. None because of failure after 200,000 miles.
 
   / Intimidating Drivers #29  
You sir need to do some research on your own instead of reading articles like the above. Almost every point they made is questionable. I am on my second prius the first had 200,000 miles (4 years) on it when we sold it to the kids. Now approaching 250,000 still getting 47 mpg and very little maintenance. We put about 50,000 mile per year on the Prius. I couldn't afford to do that with a Hummer, much less the purchase price and insurance for the Hummer. You might want to read the comments below the article also. Go drive one before you express a opinion.
Taxi companys are buying Prius because the can get minimum 350,000 miles easily. The battery is guaranteed for 180,000 miles and the two dealers I have dealt with have only changed a few under warrantee because of manufacturing problems. None because of failure after 200,000 miles.

I've done my research, thank you very much. Glad you like yours. I bet you are against exporting coal to China too..
 
   / Intimidating Drivers #30  
http://cf.cdn.vid.ly/y0r5c2/mp4.mp4


Sometimes people just think they are buying high tech. Prius is marketing success. I average 38 in mixed driving and can exceed 42 if i can find the will power to stay down below 62mph. Remember now this car has 425 foot pounds of torque, (think F250 with power stroke diesel) and will go to 60 in 5.3 (think mustang GT). If up at speed think Porsche 911gts. This is where all the gas technology is flowing from, the high pressure diesels, been around for about 15 years now, just getting into American gas cars.

HS

What they should have done is drive from Los Angeles to New York through Denver. Half on the Interstate and half off. That's a test.
Either way the purchase price and upkeep is half that of any model you mentioned. Insurance for a midsize 4 door is also less than any of those vehicles.
 
 
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