Polar opposites. Can you beat this?

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Thu 29 May 2008 14:54
Polar opposites. Can you beat this? - legacylad
Just back from a month in sunny California after helping friends build a large wooden fence around their new property.
When I was there in February I requested a small 4WD (Rav4 sized) from Placerville Enterprise to get me around ski resorts in the Tahoe area as big storms were forecast. When I went to collect, they only had a Dodge Ram BigHorn 5.7litre V8 monster. Brilliant in the ensuing storms, but only 11mpg at best.
This time, after job completion, I wanted a small compact for a 5 day road trip down to Yosemite, across to Monterey and Highway 1, then back north via SF. They offered me, for the same price, a spanking new Prius which I gratefully accepted.
Percy, as I named him, was brilliant. 900 odd miles in total comfort. Great air con (outside temps in the mini heatwave reaching 100f)decent stereo and such fun watching the wheels go round on the on-screen display. And averaged 49mpg which included spirited driving on Freeways, and up/down mountains! If only they were as cheap in the UK as the US I might even consider one. Even my CA friends, who drive a 4.7litre V8 Toyota Tundra and 2.5 Legacy Outback were impressed.
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Thu 29 May 2008 15:19
Polar opposites. Can you beat this? - skorpio
I wonder how much longer the planets oil reserves would last if all Americans drove one and stopped using their V8's?

Whats the cost of a gallon in the US by the way? Are they being fleeced on taxes like we are?
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Thu 29 May 2008 15:52
Polar opposites. Can you beat this? - legacylad
skorpio, I have just looked at my nationwide card receipts. In February '08 I was filling up with 87 octane @ $3.27/US gallon average. Last Friday I paid $4.13, an increase of over 25% in 3 months. Diesel was $4.98, almost 25% more expensive than petrol! This is in central California.
The Prius is now the third best selling car in the US (so my friends tell me)and Toyota hope to sell one million in 2010. Thankfully big truck sales are in sharp decline and their are regular articles in the media about how driving habits are altering radically.
You can buy a new poverty spec Prius OTR for $19,700 at the moment. For one with metallic ( I like the dark grey) large 'moonroof' and all options, it would cost $25,200.
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Thu 29 May 2008 16:17
Polar opposites. Can you beat this? - MVP
I wonder how much longer the planets oil reserves would last if all Americans drove
one and stopped using their V8's?


This is a very interesting presentation on the FT website - the US consumes 24% of the worlds oil !!!!

The Chinese with over 4 x the population uses only 9%

We need to sort out the USA, not the middle east

tinyurl.com/4u7azj


MVP
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