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Watcha Drivin'?

cheshireguy

By cheshireguy
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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allbusiness Whistle-Stop

allbusiness

Posted
Posted

I do my 60-mile round trip commute in a 1986 BMW 325es. 29.5 MPG highway, 21.5 city (25.8 combined). If the Germans could do it 23 years ago....

From November thru April it's a 2000 Nissan Xterra. MPG? Don't ask.

Although, I am attempting to work from home one day a week...

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smilesgr Unincorporated Area

smilesgr

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I did a TON of research and bought a brand new, very efficient, high resale value, and very safe Honda CRV. That thing is my pride and joy. For being a cross-over SUV, I get a ton of safety features for a car that gets 25 mpg average in the city :w00t: . It was one of the highest ranked and I love every minute of it. Giggidy, Giggidy!

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Landscape1 Unincorporated Area

Landscape1

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Well, with 5 kids and regularly pulling a horse trailer and such, I drive a Ford Excursion Diesel. I usually get about 17/18 mpg just driving around and about 22 mpg on the highway. I was surprised in talking to friends that this is better milage than either of their Honda mini-vans. I do wish the price of diesel would average back down below gas again!

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OliverMadison Unincorporated Area

OliverMadison

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I drive a 2000 VW Jetta GLS (equipped with the weakest 4-cyl in the world). I purchased the car 4 months ago off craigslist when the '06 Saab 9-3 came off lease as i was tired of having a payment and figured I could pay this off within 1 year and then be car-payment free. The car gets around 25 mpg combined, my commute is from downtown to Caledonia. Car is great except the 0-60 ratio of what feels like 20 min. when its floored and the air is off :dontknow:

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suydam Hamlet

suydam

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When I can:

2005 Bianchi Eros road bike (steel frame... ahh the comfort)

2003 Klein Attitude mountain bike

When I cannot:

2008 Ford Fusion Sedan (I average 25mpg city and 30mpg highway)... since my commute is 3 miles, I've gone weeks without a fillup. It's a joy.

2009 Subaru Outback (my wife's new car, 4-banger, AWD for haulin' our 2 kids across the state in the winter... couldn't tell you how the gas mileage is yet, but our test drive showed it to be about 28mpg highway, which made it the most fuel-efficient AWD/4WD vehicle we could find).

If I could, I would bike everywhere... my head is clearer when I'm on 2 wheels.

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twoshort Town

twoshort

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When my wife and I had our explorer along with our Rav we put 30k in 12 months on the Rav because we NEVER drove the explorer anywhere due to gas prices. It was only back and forth to work. In one tank the explorer go like 10mpg.

Speaking of cars, has anyone seen the silver CLS550 at diamond and wealthy (there most days). That is an awesome looking car.

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wingbert Burg

wingbert

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As it should. The big three have had their heads so far up their arses they can't see daylight anymore. They should be taking plenty of lessons from Honda and Toyota. Toyota has already committed to 100% hybrid fleet by 2020. How close are any of the big three to saying that?

Don't get me wrong I wish the US automakers were kicking tail in this realm. We used to be innovators, sadly we're now sucking wind being blown to us by big oil.

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MrsB918 Unincorporated Area

MrsB918

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I come from a Honda family. Like other posters, I recently purchased a 2008 Honda CR-V. On a recent trip to Chicago, I got over 27 mpg. Not bad for a bigger vehicle. And, it's a great car - comfortable, tons of storage space and fun to drive! My husband drives our 2000 Honda Civic - we couldn't find a better car. We got over 37 mpg on a trip to Indy and it has never had a major problem. It may not be the quickest car, but it is very reliable.

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Veloise City

Veloise

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--red folding Montague ATB

--purple Specialized "Hard Rock" ATB (City auction, $35)

--red & yellow Burley trailer (estate sale via League of Michigan Bicyclists)

(among others)

My four-wheeled choices have been large for the last decade; I routinely had to load up with a complete PA system, hoopskirt and other costume accoutrements, drive a substantial distance, sometimes take a nap on the way back. The decade before that, I was a traveling vendor at special events, with dozens of large plastic bins loaded with product. Campaigned a couple of full-size Econoline vans, then went to a Caravan. Everything purchased used.

When the most recent ride ('96 Plymouth Voyager) developed a transmission leak, I followd the Car Guys' suggestion: a large flat piece of cardboard and a quart of fluid every few weeks. But that couldn't last.

Recent research brought me to the "crossover" category. I wanted a PT Cruiser from the first times I saw them, but had heard that they weren't great on gas or maintnenance or in snow. So I was loooking at Vibes and Explorers and other things with wacky names and odd Transformer shapes.

At the zoo I ran into a buddy with a purple PTC, and I rode her back to her car and saw its interior hatch area. Hey, no stupid lip to lift stuff over (some of my equipment is big and heavy, and a lot of hatchbacks are designed by turkeys). Searching turned up an upgrade to the '06 models, and mpg around 29 hwy.

So I tracked down one in my favorite color, and have spent the last couple months getting used to, and enjoying, this tiny (to me!) ride. It holds everything I'd bring along for a camping & music trip. If I pull the seats it'll hold a tandem. One of the first long trips netted as high as 35 mpg (downhill with a tail wind). The original driver (lessee) kept the floor mats, spare keys, and the passenger seat cargo drawer. (Transponder keys are a pain, and pricey.)

But it's cool. I found matching bath rugs at Uncle Fred, added some matching foam handlebar tape to the steering wheel, created a visor holder out of a fabric pencil case and Velcro. It fits in my 1890s one-by garage. And, similar to the Beetle brigade, fellow PTC drivers honk and wave.

That's not me parking on East Fulton near the bakery, jewelry, and Palace of India, but she's heard how much I like her car.

An on-line vehicle donation place came and collected the leaking tranny van. I'm still waiting to hear from WGVU as to the tens of dollars realized from its auction.

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chgrnative Unincorporated Area

chgrnative

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Wife uses a 2004 Chevy Venture (3 kids) & I drive a 99 Blazer. A smaller vehicle will not work for us. We make bi-annual trips to Iowa to see the in-laws and I would not be willing to make that trip with 3 kids crammed into a Prius. We need the Blazer at this time to pull the camper. Luckily I only live 5 miles from work so I don't put too many miles on it. The only change I could forsee is trading in the Van for an Envoy or Trailblazer (which we could pull the camper with) and then I could sell the blazer and get something smaller. I don't care how expensive gas gets, quality family time we spend camping is more important to me. We need something to pull the camper.

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MuskeMI Whistle-Stop

MuskeMI

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Wife uses a 2004 Chevy Venture (3 kids) & I drive a 99 Blazer. A smaller vehicle will not work for us. We make bi-annual trips to Iowa to see the in-laws and I would not be willing to make that trip with 3 kids crammed into a Prius. We need the Blazer at this time to pull the camper. Luckily I only live 5 miles from work so I don't put too many miles on it. The only change I could forsee is trading in the Van for an Envoy or Trailblazer (which we could pull the camper with) and then I could sell the blazer and get something smaller. I don't care how expensive gas gets, quality family time we spend camping is more important to me. We need something to pull the camper.
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