The Bizarness of Fuel Economy and Ford vehicles in Different Countries.

[Endless Night]

As some of you may know I just got back from an Almost 3 month stay in Europe.  I basically rented a car for this entire Time.   I was extremely lucky to get a Free Upgrade to a nicer than reserved as they didnt have the one I reserved (and they ran out of other automatics). They upgraded me to a brand new 2010 Ford MPV  (multiple people vehicle). It had 0.5miles on the clock.

Very nice little (by us standards) but spacious.  http://www.ford.co.uk/Cars/S-MAX/Overview
Now I did almost 5k milage on this thing and it averaged 44-55mpg  (its not a hybrid but was Deisel)

The point of this message and my question is why is ford not selling this or comparible models to this in the US .. the only 7 seater suv type vehicle for sells in the states get 14-20mpg   !!!! thats a massvie difference  http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/explorer/

Interesting the prices are almost idential for the 2 vehicles  20k pounds sterling is approx 30k USD.

This is not the first time i have observed this my Mothers 10year old ford in the UK averages 45mpg .. they actually sell a model of hers in the states that gets average 18mpg when she purchased hers.  the latest models in the states get24-35.. and latest in the uk upto 75mpg  (no hybrids)


It is really bizare... the only explanation i can come up with is that in the UK gassoline costs about $7 a gallon so people are more insistent on feul economy and the US car industry gets kick backs from the gassoline bisness by some means.


What do you think ?

[TrailMyx]

Now you know why I bought my Jetta diesel.    

Problem with diesels is because of the strict emissions requirements for some of the states.  Since the car can't be sold in all 50 states, it can't be sold in any of the states. So blame that on california; our emissions standards killed diesel sales for many years, and now they have the impression they are "dirty".  Well they are not.

So it takes getting your eyes opened like mine and yours and not listening to the powers that diss a particular technology.

Btw, I'm quite enjoying nearly 600 miles per tank.    Thank you VW for taking the time to make your great diesel cars work over here in the land of regulation and government.

[SolidSnake]

I am at the almost end of a 4 year trek. I bought a nice Mercedes as my very last gas /deisel powered car a couple years back and have been very patiently waiting for the Volt to be released. I already have tickets and will be flying to Texas to get one the instant they hit the ground. Rail it up to Idaho and kiss the sand fleas goodbye, they can see how far drinking their *bleep* oil gets them.

[NObama]

That's a sentiment I can get behind.

[onlyindreams]

I could be wrong, but I think Europe has higher standards and regulations. The US is behind on those requirements.

[TrailMyx]

I could be wrong, but I think Europe has higher standards and regulations. The US is behind on those requirements.

Nope, they're strict, but not Cali strict.

In fact, VW was able to sell their diesels in the US until 2003.  After that, they had to re-engineer to be able to re-introduce them into the US under the 50-state capable banner.

[NObama]

I loathe Californian legislation.  I'm digging the long growing season and wine country, but seriously...these people are nut jobs.

[Toptwo]

I loathe Californian legislation.  I'm digging the long growing season and wine country, but seriously...these people are nut jobs.

  You got that! And the worst part is, all these damn cali's can't be content to just ruin california. As they retire, or sell their houses for huge amounts, the leave stinking cali, and branch out to other "less expensive" to live states, and they bring their stinking "values" and stinking "opinions" with them and try to change whatever state, city, county, town that they move to to be exactly like california. I wonder if most of them have any clue that they are lothed in most places they go!

[Endless Night]

Well one interesting fact i just came across is that apparently the US Gallon is smaller than the English Imperial Gallon.   That is obviously going to have an affect on the published miles per gallon. Its probably safest to view it view the European standard of liters per 100km.

1 US gallon = 3.78541178 litres
1 Imperial gallon = 4.54609188 liters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallon

I read up on the Volt and its a nice step in the right direction... espeacilly if you only ever use it for short trips (ie no gas) ..  it would be nice for people who live in the sunshire states to have a solar recharge option thow.. one step at a time i guess.

[Cerveza]

My car runs on banana peels and miller cans.

[NObama]

I ban Cerveza for the 80s movie reference.

Whoops...wrong thread...