Ford Fusion Hybrid tops Camry, Prius

In that case, that's very impressive. The 520i even does 0-60mph in close to the same time as the Fusion Hybrid as well. It looks like it's down to the low weight. I don't know any German apart from a few words that were repeated many times on Das Boot, but I think it says the car weighs 1535kg which is 3384lbs.
 
Remember that driving style is a major factor in fuel economy. Most people over here brake and accelerate too much, which means the MPG figures drop. American roads tend to have more elevation changes as well, which also hurt fuel economy.

Even thrifty cars over here struggle to get good MPG.
 
If this came in a five-door option, I'd be buying it this spring. I'm in the market for a five-door that gets over 35ish mpg, and I'd love to support Ford in their endeavor to not suck.
 
If this came in a five-door option, I'd be buying it this spring. I'm in the market for a five-door that gets over 35ish mpg, and I'd love to support Ford in their endeavor to not suck.

Fiesta?
 
In that case, that's very impressive. The 520i even does 0-60mph in close to the same time as the Fusion Hybrid as well. It looks like it's down to the low weight. I don't know any German apart from a few words that were repeated many times on Das Boot, but I think it says the car weighs 1535kg which is 3384lbs.
That is correct.

Remember that driving style is a major factor in fuel economy. Most people over here brake and accelerate too much, which means the MPG figures drop. American roads tend to have more elevation changes as well, which also hurt fuel economy.

Even thrifty cars over here struggle to get good MPG.
I live by the alps, there are plenty of elevation changes here as well.

I can't tell you how much fuel you are gonna consume in real life, cause I have never driven a 520i. But I can tell you how American EPA fuel consumptions relate to the EU standard.

Let's take a look at the 335i, which is sold commonly both in EU and USA.

BMW USA claims that it gets 17 MPG(US) in the city, and 26 MPG(US) on the highway.
BMW Germany claims that it uses 13.2 l/100km in the city, and 6.7 l/100km out of the city, and a combined cycle of 9.1 l/100km. That equates to 18MPG(US) in the city, and 36MPG(US) outside the city. The combined cycle is 26MPG(US).

So, if you want to translate the EU/Germany specs into US specs, combined cycle = highway mileage, and city = city mileage.

Bear in mind there is also UK/Imperial gallons, of whose existence I am aware of, however am completely ignoring in this post, all figures and calculations are in US gallons.
 
And, of course, both the Euros forget WHY these cars are heavier and less fuel efficient - BECAUSE GOVERNMENTS KEEP TACKING ON MANDATORY SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT ADDS WEIGHT!!!!!! Adding airbags to a car design? That adds 500lbs. Side impact beams? 50-100lbs per door. Tire pressure monitoring? 10lbs. Pretensioning seatbelts? 20lbs. You get the idea.

The "brick wall" front end mandated by the Euros doesn't help either.


The 1983 Accord had no side intrusion beams, no airbags, no rollover hoop, no tire pressure monitoring system, and it was about a thousand pounds lighter than the current car. You guys forget that it's not just the creature comforts pigging out the weight. Power windows weigh less than manual windows, for example.

The new MX-5 weighs only 500lbs more than the last one, and it has all mandatory safety features, Euro and US. Yes, I understand that safety adds weight, but safety= 500lbs-1 ton. Most of the rest IS creature comforts.
 
Yeah, but remember that if those figures were in US gallons they'd be higher.
 
The new MX-5 weighs only 500lbs more than the last one, and it has all mandatory safety features, Euro and US. Yes, I understand that safety adds weight, but safety= 500lbs-1 ton. Most of the rest IS creature comforts.

If you strip out all the mandated stuff in a modern Civic hatchback, it goes down to about the weight of its early 1980s incarnation. The last Miata had almost all of the modern safety features.
 
If you strip out all the mandated stuff in a modern Civic hatchback, it goes down to about the weight of its early 1980s incarnation. The last Miata had almost all of the modern safety features.

Alright, let's go back to Miata mk1- ie, mine. I installed only one airbag, driver side, when I restored it. It weighs about the same as when it was originally new (1 ton). The 2008 Miata weighs only 300lbs more, with all modern safety features.

Where do the other 1.6 or so "necessary" tonnes go?
 
I hope the people who buy this car won't be smug assholes like those that drive the prius.
 
Alright, let's go back to Miata mk1- ie, mine. I installed only one airbag, driver side, when I restored it. It weighs about the same as when it was originally new (1 ton). The 2008 Miata weighs only 300lbs more, with all modern safety features.

Where do the other 1.6 or so "necessary" tonnes go?

Well, a sedan is going to be heavier than a two door convertible for starters.

Let's see, assuming the car is made of steel of adequate thickness amd carbon content -
Two rear doors, seats, seatbelt hardpoints, chassis supports for the above - 700lbs.
Hardtop roof for sedan plus mandatory side curtain airbags - 350lbs
Stronger springs to support greater weight of car - 40lbs.
Longer wiring harness - 20-40lbs, depending on system.



An interesting comparison - my 1987 Series III tips the scales at 4400lbs. The new XJ8 Vanden Plas, despite being made largely out of aluminum, lots of weight saving measures, and only a few additional "amenities" weighs 3900lbs. Despite the fact that the engine weighs less than half as much as mine, the transmission is also lighter, etc.,etc. They spent a lot of time and money to make the thing lighter, but the government mandated idiocy still makes it only about 500lbs lighter, which is pretty sad considering that if you stripped it of the reinforcements and airbags you'd be looking at a 2900lb sedan (someone's already done this with a flood car).

The first generation Miata is 2100lbs. They managed to hold the weight down on successive generations by spending more money on more exotic materials... and the price of the Miata sure shows it.
 
Well, a sedan is going to be heavier than a two door convertible for starters.

Let's see, assuming the car is made of steel of adequate thickness amd carbon content -
Two rear doors, seats, seatbelt hardpoints, chassis supports for the above - 700lbs.
Hardtop roof for sedan plus mandatory side curtain airbags - 350lbs
Stronger springs to support greater weight of car - 40lbs.
Longer wiring harness - 20-40lbs, depending on system.



An interesting comparison - my 1987 Series III tips the scales at 4400lbs. The new XJ8 Vanden Plas, despite being made largely out of aluminum, lots of weight saving measures, and only a few additional "amenities" weighs 3900lbs. Despite the fact that the engine weighs less than half as much as mine, the transmission is also lighter, etc.,etc. They spent a lot of time and money to make the thing lighter, but the government mandated idiocy still makes it only about 500lbs lighter, which is pretty sad considering that if you stripped it of the reinforcements and airbags you'd be looking at a 2900lb sedan (someone's already done this with a flood car).

The first generation Miata is 2100lbs. They managed to hold the weight down on successive generations by spending more money on more exotic materials... and the price of the Miata sure shows it.

That's why I bought an mk1...
 
Well, a sedan is going to be heavier than a two door convertible for starters.

Let's see, assuming the car is made of steel of adequate thickness amd carbon content -
Two rear doors, seats, seatbelt hardpoints, chassis supports for the above - 700lbs.
Hardtop roof for sedan plus mandatory side curtain airbags - 350lbs
Stronger springs to support greater weight of car - 40lbs.
Longer wiring harness - 20-40lbs, depending on system.



An interesting comparison - my 1987 Series III tips the scales at 4400lbs. The new XJ8 Vanden Plas, despite being made largely out of aluminum, lots of weight saving measures, and only a few additional "amenities" weighs 3900lbs. Despite the fact that the engine weighs less than half as much as mine, the transmission is also lighter, etc.,etc. They spent a lot of time and money to make the thing lighter, but the government mandated idiocy still makes it only about 500lbs lighter, which is pretty sad considering that if you stripped it of the reinforcements and airbags you'd be looking at a 2900lb sedan (someone's already done this with a flood car).

The first generation Miata is 2100lbs. They managed to hold the weight down on successive generations by spending more money on more exotic materials... and the price of the Miata sure shows it.

The Miata is still good value compared to the Solstice/Sky, which is its only competitor in the US. The price of the base Miata is $3K-$4K less, the interior layout is better, the roof mechanism is miles better and I think the Miata even has a little more trunk space. Plus it weighs several hundred pounds less than the Solstice/Sky.
 
The Miata is still good value compared to the Solstice/Sky, which is its only competitor in the US. The price of the base Miata is $3K-$4K less, the interior layout is better, the roof mechanism is miles better and I think the Miata even has a little more trunk space. Plus it weighs several hundred pounds less than the Solstice/Sky.

Correct, and in Euro markets its only competitors are old and unreliable or Italian (need I say unreliable?:D).
 
Yeah, but remember that if those figures were in US gallons they'd be higher.

What are you ragging on about man? If figures were in US gallons they would be lower. also, I was talking about US gallons, hence the large capital (US) in parenthesis every 10 words... should I have made them in 24 point type, bold and green?
 
What are you ragging on about man? If figures were in US gallons they would be lower. also, I was talking about US gallons, hence the large capital (US) in parenthesis every 10 words... should I have made them in 24 point type, bold and green?

Well you would have to convert the font and color to American 24 point type and American green, otherwise the argument would be invalid.
 
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