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What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

8564 messages,  Last post on Oct 23, 2009 at 10:37 AM

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What is this discussion about? Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, smart fortwo, MINI Cooper


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#7829 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [thegraduate] by lemmer
Jun 27, 2008 (7:11 am)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 27, 2008 6:47 am)

Highway driving in the urban sprawl around here usually equals lower speeds with stop and go traffic, which kind of negates the highway gain in MPG.
#7830 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [lemmer] by thegraduate
Jun 27, 2008 (7:20 am)
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Replying to: lemmer (Jun 27, 2008 7:11 am)

I think that's true for many places. Here though (Birmingham, AL), it constitutes 75-80 mph driving, bumper-to-bumper, with no way to safely go much slower.
#7831 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [thegraduate] by lemmer
Jun 27, 2008 (7:37 am)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 27, 2008 7:20 am)

Hey! I'm in Birmingham. I was thinking more of HWY 280 or 31, or even coming up I65 into town. Your description sounds like I459.
#7832 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [lemmer] by thegraduate
Jun 27, 2008 (7:56 am)
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Replying to: lemmer (Jun 27, 2008 7:37 am)

It's a small world...
 
and I commute on I-59. I work in Homewood or at Valleydale, depending on whether or not I am at my internship, go to school at UAB, and live near Bessemer. I-59 is typically a fast mover at 5:00pm. Crowded, yes, but FAST! I avoid 65 and 280 like the plague.
 
In my head highway = interstate, no traffic lights.
 
I've found a couple of other subcompact people here in Birmingham as well; one is a regular in the Fit forum.
#7833 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [thegraduate] by nippononly
Jun 27, 2008 (8:07 am)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 27, 2008 6:47 am)

Yes, point taken on the urban sprawl thing, but that's not the only factor: if ALL your driving is on the freeway at 75 mph, but your commute is 40 miles round trip, then that's about 7-9 cold starts you are doing for every tank of gas. If your commute is shorter than 40 RT, then that number of cold starts per tank goes up quickly. THAT'S where your city number comes in.
 
Now if your daily commute is 200 miles RT, and it's all on the freeway at 70 mph, well THEN you might do just as well in the Civic as in the Fit. But ask yourself if every trip you make is that commute....every cold start is bringing your fuel economy down.
#7834 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [nippononly] by thegreatoz
Jun 27, 2008 (9:02 am)
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Replying to: nippononly (Jun 27, 2008 8:07 am)

What is "urban sprawl"? Is it a bad thing?
#7835 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [thegreatoz] by thegraduate
Jun 27, 2008 (9:10 am)
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Replying to: thegreatoz (Jun 27, 2008 9:02 am)

Nippon is absolutely right about adding cold starts into the mix, although the Civic should still do at least as well if not better than the Fit in that kind of commuting, especially when speeds are 70 plus mph.
 
Urban sprawl
–(noun) the uncontrolled spread of urban development into neighboring regions.
from Dictionary.com
 
What is "urban sprawl"? Is it a bad thing?
 
It's bad in that it makes distances between one place and another further, increasing the amount of driving one must do. Los Angeles, California and Atlanta, Georgia, are two offenders that fall readily to mind, with home-to-work commutes that can routinely run in the 60-90 minute range.
#7836 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [thegreatoz] by nippononly
Jun 27, 2008 (9:12 am)
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Replying to: thegreatoz (Jun 27, 2008 9:02 am)

Urban sprawl is the process of a city expanding outward from its center with low density housing, rather than remaining compact in size and more densely populated.
 
And yes, in the context of super-high gas prices, it IS a bad thing, because it causes people to have to drive a lot more than they would otherwise need to, and we all know how much extra that is costing us these days....
#7837 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [thegraduate] by nippononly
Jun 27, 2008 (9:15 am)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 27, 2008 9:10 am)

"Nippon is absolutely right about adding cold starts into the mix, although the Civic should still do at least as well if not better than the Fit in that kind of commuting, especially when speeds are 70 plus mph."
 
I also would suggest that most people do NOT have an all-freeway, zero-traffic commute. Obviously, only the individual can judge as to the nature of their own commute, but most people will do several miles per day at least of surface street driving with stoplights, and hardly anyone in the major metro areas is running at full speed on the freeway during commute hours....
#7838 of 8564
Re: Fits are UP [nippononly] by thegraduate
Jun 27, 2008 (9:33 am)
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Replying to: nippononly (Jun 27, 2008 9:15 am)

I also would suggest that most people do NOT have an all-freeway, zero-traffic commute. Obviously, only the individual can judge as to the nature of their own commute, but most people will do several miles per day at least of surface street driving with stoplights, and hardly anyone in the major metro areas is running at full speed on the freeway during commute hours....
 
Of course.
 
The difference in highway mileage and city mileage is 2-3 mpg either direction; City in favor of the Fit, with Hwy in favor of the Civic; all I'm suggesting is that it would be a wash in that kind of driving, possibly in the Civic's favor if you have more interstate than urban traffic. Regarding your last statement, I must say that when I travel on Birmingham's I-59, it usually moves at the limit +15 unless you are in the city center, in which it typically slows to 20-30mph at rush hour, that's only for about a 2 mile stretch though, in my particular commute.
 
I do the same type of driving you mentioned (11 traffic lights in 4 miles of city) and 10 miles of 70 mph interstate between me and my office) in my 2006 Accord (listed at 24/34 then, now says 21/31) and I average 30 mpg.

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