Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Jeff" <kidsdoc2000@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>> In almost every case, similar cars with bigger engines use more fuel.
>
> Most cases. Take the basic 3800 GM engine that has been around many
years.
> They've increased both power and fuel mileage over the years. Go back
even
> more. The mid-50's Chevy had a 232 cu in straight six. With changes in
> technology, that same 232 cubic inches performs so much better and uses
fuel
> much more efficiently.
Yet, in the same model year, the less powerful engine almost always gets
better fuel economy.
>> Key word: "want."
>>
>> If you want to use the word "need" in a sentence, one is "We need to
>> conserve fuel to decrease our output of CO2 and to preserve fuel, which
is
>> a limited resource."
>>
>
> Questionable.
Not according to the best science available today.
>>> My 234 hp car out performs my former 185 hp car and gets better
mileage.
>>> I have not, however, had the op****tunity to see if the rated top speed
of
>>> 137 is attainable easily. I've not been past 110 yet.
>> And if the new car had an option for a similar engine as your 234 HP
>> engine using similar technology and only got 185 HP, you would also use
>> less fuel.
>
> There is a 4 cylinder with 162 hp that gets 2 mpg more. Not much of a
> trade-off for me. In a year of my typical driving (25000 miles, the
> difference is 60 gallons. Most people drive half of that, a difference
of 30
> gallons. Sure, times 50 million cars it makes a difference but I'd
rather
> conserve more in other areas and enjoy driving.
In my car, a Ford Contour, the 4 cyl 2.0 litre engine gets about 34/24
mpg and V6 2.5 litre engine gets about 30/20 mpg. That's about 10%. In a
year, I would save about 70 gallons of fuel. Over the life of my car, I
would have saved around 800 gallons of fuel and paid less for the car. I
would have saved some in car insurance, but, the savings would probably
be about the same as the cost of the timing belt replacements. And, for
the more powerful engine, I didn't really gain anything.
I don't need the extra power. And, I still would have enjoyed driving.
Jeff
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