----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Millen" <J.Millen-99 at student.lboro.ac.uk> To: <dragaera at dragaera.info> Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 2:26 PM Subject: RE: Petrol Prices > <SNIP> > > However - what the hell is the deal with your car engine sizes? I'm > pretty sure your speed limits aren't much higher than over here (70mph > max), yet the smallest engine Ford seem to make is a 2 litre. This > would be considered a pretty big engine for a car over here, and people > seem quite happy with general performance. > > Making generalisations about a nation of - umm.. 290 million, is it? - > isn't going to be at all conclusive, I know, and I'm sure there are some > people over there who do drive smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. But > it's hard to escape the conclusion that the US could significantly cut > its fuel demands if there were fewer 3 or 4 litre cars on the roads. > > I mean, do people find the idea of having to spend less money to go the > same distance unattractive, or something? > > -- Don't I wish. I would kill for a BMW 5 series with a diesel engine, but the US perception of diesel was almost single-handedly destroyed by GM in the late 70's/early 80's. VW can not keep the Jetta diesel in stock. There are a few companies that produce low displacement engines, but with the relatively low price of fuel, lack of taxation on displacement, and American fixation with power, we have 8 liter engined, gasoline powered trucks averaging 8 mpg. I try to combine the best of both worlds, the 2.4 liter engine in my compact car produces over 240hp, and gets 30mpg on the highway. Jeff