Ford Focus Hated. Who did not see this coming?

[LD1]

Bingo and Bingo:thumbsup:

 

[ultrarunner]

Bingo and Bingo:thumbsup:

I know Mom's 2001 Corolla consistently get over 40mpg on trips... hard to improve on that when you compare the acquisition cost of something with better mpg... and her's was built less than 25 miles from where she lives...

 

[powerpace]

Bingo and Bingo:thumbsup:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oaktree*
OK, we get it...you're a Prius fanboi. You're welcome to it. Your comments only underscore the common opinion that 'most everyone who buys one does so to make a statement "look how green I am". Even if it was the reincarnation of the Yugo I'm not sure the bragging would diminish one bit.




My BIL had one a few years ago, had a chance to drive it a couple times. Didn't care for it in the least. Between the anemic acceleration, weird-feeling brakes, poor visibility and poor ergonomics (whose bright idea was it to put the instrument cluster in the middle of the dash instead of in front of the driver where it belongs?) it was not pleasant to drive.




Comparing fuel economy to a full sized pickup is apples and oranges....compare it to a similar sized car like a Civic or Corrola and most of the "savings" evaporate.

Oaktree
Prius fanboi. Name calling. tsk.

If you read all of my posts you would see that I have saved enough fuel in 4 years of driving that I could almost have bought any of the lower priced cars around. The problem is they would have been relegated to the junkyard by now with the mileage I drive. I plan to put 250,000 before this Prius is retired. Prius Taxi's have already been driven over 250,000 mile and no problems. Every time fuel prices go up makes my point even stronger.
In mine the instrument cluster is in front just like any other car. The only thing that is in the middle is the radio/cd player, the fuel and regenerative data, climate control and navigation screen. It's only one screen. That's pretty much like every other newer vehicle I've been in. Acceleration comparison is better that the last Civic I drove and quieter.
I am not a person to buy a car to make a statement. My other vehicle is a 1997 Dodge 1500 4X4 with 250,000 miles on it. I don't buy a car every three years just to have a new car. Vanity is not me. I buy a vehicle after much research and drive most of the models as a comparison.

I find that driving a Prius is much easier driving most cars of similar class. Each person has their own preferences in driveability and performance. The point I am making is you drive your car for your reasons and I drive mine for my reasons.
Oaktree I don't think you drove a Prius.

 

[houstonscott]

I think the Prius is fake. It doesn't get the mileage they say and there is class action lawsuit to the effect. It falls way short of advertised mileage. The only one venue it excels at mileage wise is stop and go short trips. It's a over grown golf car that looses to a dog in an accident. That's it. Beyond that it's a 1400cc four banger hauling hundreds of pounds of batteries and a heavy electric motor. Not impressed. My diesel BMW will accelerate to 60 in under 6 seconds, stop in 100ft from 60, out accelerate any car on the road from 60-100, and gets a real 42+ mpg on the freeway. When raced against a Prius the 335d not only crushed the Prius but get better milage than the Prius. I'm talking real word mileage, typically hybrids get about 30% less than what's on sticker, and diesels typically get 10-20 more. Hence the lawsuit. You got ripped and it's not green. Even a BMW 535d went from London to Munch with a Prius and got better mileage. The new MB 350 diesel gets better mileage than a Prius and its a 5000lb car. Don't come on here bleeding how great the Prius is, it's a marketing success and your one of the lemmings that bought the story and it cost you 14K. Check out a real cutting edge car. Toyota Prius is a joke. LOL

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-tG4gCXT5Y[/ame]

HS

HS

 

[IslandTractor]

You evidently refuse to acknowledge the simple comparison between your falsehoods and Obama's.

How dim does one need to be to fail to appreciate the difference between a technical discussion and pure politics?

 

[aczlan]

Americans for Fuel Efficient Cars
I can't think of any modern cars that don't have that protection. The larger vehicles Pickup, SUV's are more dependent on mass and limited crumple zones.

Note that the info at that link is from "High and Mighty: SUVs: The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and how They Got That Way, by Keith Bradsher"
Edit2: Also, the BS about multi valve engines is very much out of date. Ford's modular engines (for trucks) have had 3 valves since 2004 per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Modular_engine#5.4.C2.A0L

Read the link and find out why more deaths and injury's result in SUV and pickup crashes. Midsize cars actually have less fatality's even though there are many more on the road.
SUV's and pickups that rollover are only 3% of accidents but they cause 30% of fatality's each year.

Might want to look at: Latest Data Showing SUVs Safer Than Cars
Edit: And http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/09/autos/suv_rollover/index.htm

Personally, I drive a '97 Volvo V90 (RWD station wagon with a straight 6). Gets me going down the road very comfortably and safely.
In the winter (with snowtires on it), if I cant make it down the road, I shouldn't be out on the road. Best of all, I only have ~$5500 invested in it and it is RUST FREE.
I drove a '97 Dodge 1500 4x4 pickup for a few months recently and much prefer my Volvo (quieter, more agile, easier to park, more comfortable, probbaly safer, etc), but I have no issues if someone wants to drive one.

Aaron Z

 

[powerpace]

The city's total area is 468.9 square miles, five counties. Most people think of NYC as Manhattan or other densely populated sections. Public transportation, although available, does not work for everyone. When I was in high school I walked a little over a half mile to the bus stop, then two buses to get to school. If I were to take public transportation to work it would have been two hour commute each way, nine miles distance. It took me just over twelve minutes by car, albeit at four thirty AM, I started work at five.

My commute would have been perfect for an electric vehicle. If I was still working there I would consider leasing one, not sure I want to own one for too long after the warranty expires. All that computer power will be costly to repair not to mention replacing the batteries and dealer only support.

http://consumerist.com/2009/01/the-10-most-reliable-car-brands-vs-your-preconceived-notions.html
I've been to the New York City area several times. Washington D.C. the same You could not get me to live within 200 miles of either location. Yes there is a reason most people don't own a car there. It's too crowded. Can't find a place to park unless you rent by the month at home and at work. Public transportation works for several million in that local. Thousands live two hours by train from their work. The train works for them. An EV or hybrid is not the answer for everyone and never will be.

The dealer support is not any different than any other car under warranty. Battery's new are expensive but can be had for $500 to 600 dollars. My dealer has not had to replace any battery due to high usage. If I want I can replace the battery in 5 minutes. It slides in a slot under the rear seat in a protected enclosure and is not much bigger than a RV or Marine deep cycle battery.
As far as computers, research the problems in comparison with any modern vehicle.
I don't believe any of the hip shooting posters have done any research on anything they talk about when it comes to what the rest of the world has accepted as fact. Oil is not the total answer for power. It wouldn't matter if there was an unlimited oil supply forever. Of the millions of vehicles that have alternative fuels or electric power the U.S. builds very few of them. The narrow minded views on the future I see posted here are not accepted as truth by the worlds major manufacturers and governments. I read in these posts that some people believe the U.S. is going backward. In my opinion it is shortsighted and one sided thinking that I read in some posts placing us in the back of the pack.
Having said that I am finished with this topic.

 

[sparc]

Don't know if anyone else noticed this, but in the photo with the article it appears to me that there is nothing to stop anyone from unplugging the charge cord after you walk away.

So you pull in the parking slot and swipe your credit card in the charging meter; grab the cord and unwind it; and plug it in to your cars' charging port. Now you head off to the mall or work or where ever thinking your car is getting juiced up while you are off having fun or working. Only to come back and find that kids playing around have unplugged the cord and left it out so you did not get a charge or worse yet someone pulls in to the slot next to you; takes the cord out of your car; and plugs it into their car. From the looks of the length of cord on that charging station in the photo there would be enough to reach to the adjacent parking slot, not good.

I think these vehicles need a way to secure the cord in the receptacle while charging (lock it in place) AND at the same time, there needs to be an immobilizing interlock between the plug inserted in the charge port and operating the vehicle such that someone could not drive away with the cord in the charge port. Maybe they have this feature I don't know, but my first impression looking at the photo does not give me that impression.

 

[aczlan]

AND at the same time, there needs to be an immobilizing interlock between the plug inserted in the charge port and operating the vehicle such that someone could not drive away with the cord in the charge port. Maybe they have this feature I don't know, but my first impression looking at the photo does not give me that impression.

Golf carts have such an interlock, so I would assume that they have it in one of these cars.

Aaron Z

 

[rsewill]

I think the Prius is fake. It doesn't get the mileage they say and there is class action lawsuit to the effect. It falls way short of advertised mileage. The only one venue it excels at mileage wise is stop and go short trips. It's a over grown golf car that looses to a dog in an accident. That's it. Beyond that it's a 1400cc four banger hauling hundreds of pounds of batteries and a heavy electric motor. Not impressed. My diesel BMW will accelerate to 60 in under 6 seconds, stop in 100ft from 60, out accelerate any car on the road from 60-100, and gets a real 42+ mpg on the freeway. When raced against a Prius the 335d not only crushed the Prius but get better milage than the Prius. I'm talking real word mileage, typically hybrids get about 30% less than what's on sticker, and diesels typically get 10-20 more. Hence the lawsuit. You got ripped and it's not green. Even a BMW 535d went from London to Munch with a Prius and got better mileage. The new MB 350 diesel gets better mileage than a Prius and its a 5000lb car. Don't come on here bleeding how great the Prius is, it's a marketing success and your one of the lemmings that bought the story and it cost you 14K. Check out a real cutting edge car. Toyota Prius is a joke. LOL

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-tG4gCXT5Y

HS

HS

Congratulations on your BMW. My Diesels are VW's. Different bucks for different folks. And for Prius owners, all three (BMW, VW, Toyota) of us are deficient. The BMW and VW aren't hybrids and the Toyota doesn't have a Diesel. My next car will be all electric but the one after that will be a plug-in Diesel hybrid. The best of all worlds. Every time I go to my VW dealer I ask the manager when they are coming out with a Diesel hybrid. No joy. At least not in the USA in spite of the demand. Diesel VW's of the era of mine ('03, '04) are selling for over twice the gasser versions.