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kimbo305 posted:All I'm saying is to reduce confusion if it all possible. On a shopping car, there's that placard that shows how you place your kid in the fold out "seat," along with 3 ways not to do it. On a shift knob, a pattern marks where the gates are located. These are all just little visual aids. It makes sense to me that, when my low fuel light comes on as a fuel pump, that maybe it's oriented that way for a reason. Should they also label the Gas pedals and Brake pedals for you? actually put a worded label on everything in the car, just in case.
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Apr 21, 2011 04:27
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Apr 21, 2011 04:57
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kimbo305 posted:All I'm saying is to reduce confusion if it all possible. On a shopping car, there's that placard that shows how you place your kid in the fold out "seat," along with 3 ways not to do it. On a shift knob, a pattern marks where the gates are located. These are all just little visual aids. It makes sense to me that, when my low fuel light comes on as a fuel pump, that maybe it's oriented that way for a reason. I'm not trying to disrespect you but really I think you are the only person who gets confused by this. Also English is not everybody's language...cars can be designed for the world market.
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Apr 21, 2011 06:16
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kimbo305 posted:Here, this is the perfect design -- insistent redundancy: You're making an assumption that the pump is orientated that way by design rather than co-incidence. Every car I've had had the pump symbol around that way regardless of what side the door is on:
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Apr 21, 2011 07:02
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Who cares, after the first week of owning the car you know what side it's on. People always looking for solutions to problems that don't exist.
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Apr 21, 2011 07:59
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I liked having a car where it was under the bonnet. Got me a good share of confused looks.
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Apr 21, 2011 09:00
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After seven years of cars with it on the left, I still sometimes forget that it's on the right on the Saab, and we've had it almost a year.
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Apr 21, 2011 09:21
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Faerunner posted:After seven years of cars with it on the left, I still sometimes forget that it's on the right on the Saab, and we've had it almost a year. Its less embarrassing than what happens if you switch between cars with the indicator stalk on the left and cars with it on the right. I still end up hitting the wipers by accident every time I switch even after a decade.
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Apr 21, 2011 10:03
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I love how the universe has come full circle with the "mpg gauge." I knew someone with a 1984 caprice with the exact same thing. It seemed really pointless because basically all it did was scale linearly with gas pedal position. Maybe they've come up with something more meaningful in the 30 years since then. I doubt it. I know someone with a 2011 RX350 and it has an "eco light" that lights up to indicate you're getting good mileage, and basically if you think about touching the gas pedal it goes off.
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Apr 21, 2011 12:46
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lazer_chicken posted:I love how the universe has come full circle with the "mpg gauge." I knew someone with a 1984 caprice with the exact same thing. It seemed really pointless because basically all it did was scale linearly with gas pedal position. Maybe they've come up with something more meaningful in the 30 years since then. My Mustang has both instantaneous and averaged milage display. Obviously, pedal position does have a great deal to do with it, but it does more complicated calculations too, which I know because, if I drive through my parking garage in 1st gear and reset the averaged milage, I end up getting a crazy figure like 26 L/100KM until I get on the road.
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Apr 21, 2011 13:00
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Faerunner posted:After seven years of cars with it on the left, I still sometimes forget that it's on the right on the Saab, and we've had it almost a year. I thought they started putting them on the passenger side of all cars for safety reasons (so you aren't standing in traffic to use a gas can) but apparently not. dissss posted:Its less embarrassing than what happens if you switch between cars with the indicator stalk on the left and cars with it on the right. I still end up hitting the wipers by accident every time I switch even after a decade. What kind of moon-car has the stalk on the right? Or are you switching between left hand drive and right hand drive?
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Apr 21, 2011 17:12
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I had a MPG meter on my old Benz that I think was just a boost gauge (on an NA car). I think with OBDII the new ones at least measure at the injectors.
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Apr 21, 2011 17:28
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I used to deliver in an old (mid 60s I think) Chevy box van of some description that had an eco guage, which I'm pretty sure was just measuring the amount of vacuum being drawn on the carbs. I really like the look of that new FT86, I just hope that it won't do as poorly in sales as other recent sports coupes. Anyone still buying Genesis coupes?
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Apr 21, 2011 18:01
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heat posted:I thought they started putting them on the passenger side of all cars for safety reasons (so you aren't standing in traffic to use a gas can) but apparently not. In RHD cars sometimes they bother to switch the stalks and sometimes they don't. And yeah, sometimes those MPG gauges are just calibrated manifold pressure gauges.
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Apr 21, 2011 18:12
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I think the most elegant solution to the fuel door problem is the Miata, where you pull in to whichever pump is empty and drag the hose across the trunk.
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Apr 21, 2011 18:26
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Simkin posted:I used to deliver in an old (mid 60s I think) Chevy box van of some description that had an eco guage, which I'm pretty sure was just measuring the amount of vacuum being drawn on the carbs. It really depends entirely on how much it costs and how much it weighs. Let's imagine that it will be similar in price to the Genesis Coupe - between 20-25k. If it really is 2300 lbs like they promised, then it's significantly different. The Genesis coupe weighs 3300 lbs and is a moderately larger car. But, knowing Toyota, its probably at least 2800 lbs (possibly more). In terms of looks, I personally think that it's a wash. Scion has slightly more mainstream brand cachet, though. The problem here is that volume buyers might be more likely to go for the Genesis Coupe since it is a larger, more comfortable car with bigger numbers attached for a similar amount of money. And both are competing for a relatively smaller market since at least some customers who like the retro look will be looking at the Mustang/Camaro, which also hits a similar price point as the Genesis. If it is sub-20k priced, then the Hyundai it's really competing with is the new Veloster, which has similar power, is fwd, and kind of ugly but does weigh like 2600 pounds and has a projected 17k msrp. My best guess? Price $19-26k, weight 2800 lbs, engine output of like 155 hp in US tune. If it's actually priced at $25k+ like has been rumored, then it's probably dead in the water since then it's directly competing with the larger, more powerful Genesis Coupe and US pony cars. Maybe that's fine for the enthusiast market, but the mass market is likely to disagree. Also, branding as Scion instead of Toyota may reduce the brand loyalist draw for enthusiasts, to boot. OXBALLS DOT COM fucked around with this message at 19:55 on Apr 21, 2011 |
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Apr 21, 2011 19:50
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Since the new Impreza is under 3,000 lbs and the FT-86II is going to be based on a shortened version of that platform without AWD, I do have high hopes for the weight of the thing. Under 2800lbs is a completely doable goal, even if it's only a little bit under.
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Apr 21, 2011 20:00
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PT6A posted:My Mustang has both instantaneous and averaged milage display. Obviously, pedal position does have a great deal to do with it, but it does more complicated calculations too, which I know because, if I drive through my parking garage in 1st gear and reset the averaged milage, I end up getting a crazy figure like 26 L/100KM until I get on the road. (Fuel used)/(distance driven) is a complicated calculation? Averaged mpg is meaningless over short distances. Accelerating to 5mph you might be getting 2-3mpg. Coasting to a stop you'll be getting several hundred mpg.
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Apr 21, 2011 20:14
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oxbrain posted:(Fuel used)/(distance driven) is a complicated calculation? Oh, duh. I guess I was thinking in the context of the previous discussion and thought that it was somehow integrating over instantaneous readings; talk about overthinking it.
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Apr 21, 2011 20:24
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Faerunner posted:After seven years of cars with it on the left, I still sometimes forget that it's on the right on the Saab, and we've had it almost a year. Luckily, it seems most places have long enough piping nowadays that you can rear both sides, so it's rapidly becoming a moot point.
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Apr 21, 2011 23:04
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heat posted:I thought they started putting them on the passenger side of all cars for safety reasons (so you aren't standing in traffic to use a gas can) but apparently not. They're not going to have a different car body depending on which country the car is sold in. quote:What kind of moon-car has the stalk on the right? Or are you switching between left hand drive and right hand drive? My 71 BMW 2002 has it on the right. But I don't get confused. The only thing that does ever confuse me is getting on a bike with GP shifting.
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Apr 21, 2011 23:38
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aventari posted:They're not going to have a different car body depending on which country the car is sold in. True, but there are some cars sold only in LHD markets (mine, for example) with the fuel door on the driver's side.
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Apr 22, 2011 00:19
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CharlesM posted:In RHD cars sometimes they bother to switch the stalks and sometimes they don't. Yes its this. In a RHD country Japanese and Australian cars typically have the indicators on the right, but European cars usually leave them hanging out on the left. So my Japanese Nissans and my parents Suzuki Swift are one way around, whereas their Ford Fiesta is the other. The right side makes marginal more sense in a RHD country as the gear lever is to the left but either way would be fine if standardised.
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Apr 22, 2011 00:22
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dissss posted:Yes its this. In a RHD country Japanese and Australian cars typically have the indicators on the right, but European cars usually leave them hanging out on the left. So my Japanese Nissans and my parents Suzuki Swift are one way around, whereas their Ford Fiesta is the other. The right side makes marginal more sense in a RHD country as the gear lever is to the left but either way would be fine if standardised. Everyone should just drive on the right hand side of the road like civilized people.
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Apr 22, 2011 01:36
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It sometimes means you get weird situations - all NZ New and Japanese import Subarus have the indicator stalk on the right, except for when they started bringing in diesel Legacys, which are European spec, so have the stalk on the left. 
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Apr 22, 2011 02:27
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my personal experience not owning a car to get used to but driving many different makes in the course of rental/work/borrowing/car clubs is some bright spark in the ergonomics department thinks his idea is the best idea and that's how the car gets built regardless of what makes sense (because if you come from a clean slate, any combination of left/right push up to signal/twist to clean rear window makes sense). It doesn't matter if you're Ford, Toyota, VW, BWW, anyone, it's always hosed up when you get in something different, you just have to learn to live with it.
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Apr 22, 2011 02:47
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The obvious solution to the fuel pump / indicator stalk debate:  Well, at least on a work truck...
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Apr 22, 2011 04:36
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A 210hp Corsa with an LSD? Yes please. http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/22/opel-channels-the-nurburgring-for-its-hottest-ever-corsa/  Why Holden persists in bringing in lovely Korean hatches instead of the Corsa is a mystery to me.
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Apr 23, 2011 05:03
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Saw a road test of the Renault Twizy in the paper today, and it actually looks quite funky - I could see myself using one of these for 90% of my driving, especially given the free road tax and supposed £7k starting price. It's a tandem-style two seater, rear-drive with a 20bhp motor. Spiritual successor to the Messerschmitt bubble car, I'd say.  Treat it as what it is (a road-going quad with a roof, airbags and electric drive), and I can see it being bloody useful. I also think it implies "cool and modern" rather than the "driver disabled, probably not just physically" vibe that the G-Wiz gives off.
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Apr 23, 2011 13:29
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Effectively $10,000 for THAT?! Good god in the US you can get a basic commpact car for $10k.
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Apr 23, 2011 14:10
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InitialDave posted:Saw a road test of the Renault Twizy in the paper today, and it actually looks quite funky - I could see myself using one of these for 90% of my driving, especially given the free road tax and supposed £7k starting price. It's a tandem-style two seater, rear-drive with a 20bhp motor. Spiritual successor to the Messerschmitt bubble car, I'd say. I saw these at the Geneva auto show. They're surprisingly nice, all things considered. I think that's where many small electric city cars fall apart, "body by the engineering department" and cheap and nasty everywhere else. The Renault actually has a car-quality finish (albeit commuter car, not luxury car).
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Apr 23, 2011 14:54
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angryhampster posted:Effectively $10,000 for THAT?! Good god in the US you can get a basic commpact car for $10k. Hell, the Nissan Leaf is £30k list here. Who cares if the Renault's a two-seater if I can buy three of them, and still have change, even when you can get a subsidy from the government on the Nissan? As Linedance says, it looks like it could have a quality feel to it, which is important. Yes, you're limited to short city hops, but if that's what you need to do, it makes a hell of a lot of sense.
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Apr 23, 2011 18:05
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They'd be aces for living and commuting in London (well, provided the windows go up). Funny how we laugh and say "it'll never happen" when we see all those fairy fart powered space-age commuter pod concepts at auto shows, and yet here we have a genuine fairy fart powered space-age commuter pod, and it doesn't cost mega moon credits either. About drat time!
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Apr 23, 2011 18:35
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InitialDave posted:As Linedance says, it looks like it could have a quality feel to it, which is important. It looks alright, but it also looks like a dressed up golf cart.
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Apr 23, 2011 23:30
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kimbo305 posted:It looks alright, but it also looks like a dressed up golf cart. 
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Apr 23, 2011 23:43
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So the 2012 Grand Cherokee SRT8 is out.   They've addressed all the concerns that people had with the previous model - power, handling, fuel economy and tow capacity. The engine is upped to 6.4ls and 465hp,there's ~IRS~ with adjustable Bilstein dampers, MDS improves fuel economy by 13% (so that would be what, 14mpg?) and the exhausts are on the side to make room for the tow hitch. Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Apr 23, 2011 |
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Apr 23, 2011 23:53
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just look at those fuckin wheels
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Apr 24, 2011 07:29
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Anyone know why the SFE package is ONLY available on the Focus SE Sedan and not the hatch or luxury models? Aren't modern Kamm back hatches more aerodynamically efficient to begin with?
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Apr 24, 2011 17:51
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It might be a weight thing. I'm pretty sure the hatches are heavier than the sedans.
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Apr 26, 2011 01:06
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The SFE package is available with the hatch and sedan on the Fiesta, so I think there might be more to it than that. Though to be fair, in the Fiesta it's only a ~50lb weight difference (the sedan is heavier).
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Apr 26, 2011 01:29
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