[Graeme]

New-Car Window Stickers Vastly Overstate Vehicle Fuel Economy Ratings
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')ew-car fuel economy tests conducted by Consumer Reports show that government figures posted on new-car window stickers can have shortfalls of up to 50 percent. In a study of 303 cars and trucks, model-years 2000 to 2006, Consumer Reports found that shortfalls in miles per gallon (mpg) occurred in 90 percent of the vehicles tested. The largest discrepancies involved city driving, with some models falling short of claimed mpg by 35 to 50 percent (see table).

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Graeme', '[')b]New-Car Window Stickers Vastly Overstate Vehicle Fuel Economy Ratings
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')ew-car fuel economy tests conducted by Consumer Reports show that government figures posted on new-car window stickers can have shortfalls of up to 50 percent. In a study of 303 cars and trucks, model-years 2000 to 2006, Consumer Reports found that shortfalls in miles per gallon (mpg) occurred in 90 percent of the vehicles tested. The largest discrepancies involved city driving, with some models falling short of claimed mpg by 35 to 50 percent (see table).

[some_guy282]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', ' ')Fallacious numbers from the same government that praises the economy for 'little' inflationary pressures, when any rational person can see otherwise? Say it ain't so.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('some_guy282', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', ' ')Fallacious numbers from the same government that praises the economy for 'little' inflationary pressures, when any rational person can see otherwise? Say it ain't so.

[rogerhb]

I've heard that with the inflation index you have the CPI and the core-rate.
For example, with CPI they use substitution, if beef gets too expensive then they substitute chicken.
So do they keep on doing the substitution, say beef then becomes chicken, then for the next quarter, chicken has now become the new beef and then substitute that for chicken again. Or have done beef to chicken, then chicken to sausages, then sausages to lard, then lard to cardboard.
So currently everybody is now eating tissue paper and drinking toilet water?

[some_guy282]

Pretty much.
Jim Puplava did an article called The Core Rate about a month ago. He argued that the real rate of inflation is about 6 or 7%.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('some_guy282', 'P')retty much.
Jim Puplava did an article called The Core Rate about a month ago. He argued that the real rate of inflation is about 6 or 7%.

[FoxV]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', ' ')How does housing figure into inflation costs?

[some_guy282]

Here's a link to Puplava's article.

[eastbay]

On the contrary, some are getting better mileage than that posted on the sticker. My '05 Honda Civic LX 5 speed 2 door should get 32/38 according to the EPA. But I've charted every fill-up since I bought the car a year ago and it ranges from 39 to 46 with an average of 43.5. The last two fill-ups have been 46.6 mpg (with the 13.7 gallon tank lasting me over 600 miles each time) which is very similar to the hybrid which claims 48 highway but in real-life gets about the same as mine.

I tell people to not waste the extra $6,000 to 8,000 on a hybrid, just buy the gas model and drive carefully because you will never recoup the cost of the hybrid.

[glug_glug]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'I') tell people to not waste the extra $6,000 to 8,000 on a hybrid, just buy the gas model and drive carefully because you will never recoup the cost of the hybrid.

[NEOPO]

wow - this thread really stings my open PO wound
Yes - Driving style is something almost everyone is overlooking.
How do you drive Eastbay?
I believe that results will probably fall in line with driving habits, terrain and proper vehicle maintenence.
My wife is a "gas until its time to break" type driver
From my experiences on some of americas busiest interstates and highways - she is not alone.

[JeeBoomba]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NEOPO', 'M')y wife is a "gas until its time to break" type driver
From my experiences on some of americas busiest interstates and highways - she is not alone.

[eastbay]

Yes - Driving style is something almost everyone is overlooking.
How do you drive Eastbay?
[I][B]
I drive at a steady 55 in the slow lane all the time in the Civic.
I'm the granny in the slow lane for sure...lol. My computer crashed a week ago and I lost all my stored data incl the chart I had for my Civic.
On my motorcycle I go around 60 to 65 generally unless I decide to momentarily jack it up really fast for a few seconds on my 3am ride home... it's unsafe IMO to ride a motorcycle at 55 on urban freeways due to generally much faster cars passing and approaching.
The Civic is really fantastic on gas if you drive really carefully. I coast on downhills and never gas up to a red light, always coast up.
The BMW gets 50 mpg at a steady 60 to 65 mph btw, but it drops to low 40's or worse if one rides fast according to the BMW website.

[sol]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NEOPO', 'M')y wife is a "gas until its time to break" type driver Crying or Very sad
From my experiences on some of americas busiest interstates and highways - she is not alone.

[glug_glug]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('tinosorb', 'I')'ve always gotten better mpgs than sticker. It's the way I drive (very light foot, never over 55 mph, coasting as much as possible in the city) and also what I chose to drive. IMO the Japanese manual transmissions have the greatest potential for beating the EPA estimates.

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('sol', ' ')
It's becuase you do'nt wo'nt the gap between you and the car in front to get to big lest another car jumps in front
Last time I was in the city I used to take great delight 2nd gear putting along between those pathetic stop lights that are sperated by 2-300 meter before the next stop, used to blow me away watching people (everday types) drag race to the next still red stop light
Then when I'd choof of the start line on the way to the next still red light, they'd either be right on your arse, on the horn like they were trying to alert the rest of the pack there was a undersirable amongst them or overtake and brake hard before you both got to the next red light
Then to realy piss them off you turn off insted of stopping ROFL
Some people got no idea

[JeeBoomba]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('glug_glug', 'I')n my experience, Japanese automatic transmissions aren't much worse than the manual ones. That's important for people who aren't really keen on "stickshifting" since they may end up making up the efficiency difference with clutch/transmission replacements.

[Roy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he clutch is the only consumable item in a manual transmission and, provided you actually know how to drive one properly, it should last a very long time. My last car still had the factory clutch at 170K miles with no signs of slipping and it was by no means a freak occurence--my father, for instance, has 180K miles on the clutch of his Tacoma.
Granted, when you do replace a clutch, it might cost $500 - $600 (or just the cost of parts if you do it yourself), but if anything at all goes wrong with an automatic, you're instantly looking at a much larger repair bill, and, since an auto tranny is about 5x times as complex as the engine itself, even experienced home mechanics probably can't/won't attempt to do it themselves.
I agree with you, though, that for most people an automatic is a better choice. I just wanted to point out that, driven properly, a manual can be pretty much zero maintenance, whereas an auto never can.