"Doug Kanter" wrote in
:

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...

Now, here's a way for the government to get involved only slightly,
and the
car makers to make MORE money on SUVs. The government should find an
incentive (bludgeoning, in other words) to get the car makers to
offer the same SUVs, but with power trains which more closely
approach "normal". "Not
like a truck", in other words. The power train design is the PRIMARY
reason
these vehicles get such bad mileage.

Utter nonsense. The bad mileage is due to the boxy shape and high
weight. Put
a smaller, weaker engine in one, and it might get *worse* mileage -
or it might not move at all.

I said nothing about reducing engine size. I'm talking about the
100-200 lbs of extra parts that a 4WD vehicle needs to turn, even when
4WD is not engaged. Take a Ford Explorer, for instance.
***BASICALLY*** the same V-8 as a Crown Victoria. The sedan gets (in
real world terms) about 25% better gas mileage.

In addition, the automatic transmission in an SUV or pickup is
programmed to shift MUCH differently than in a roughly equivalent
sedan. It takes about a week of driving one to notice this. It's set
up with the assumption that you're hauling lots of weight, so it tends
to upshift later, and especially, to downshift sooner when you need
only a small amount of acceleration. Good for towing, or hauling a ton
of bricks, but just plain stupid for the majority of drivers who are
carrying the kids to baseball.

By the way, if the absence or presence of 4WD is as insignificant as
you say, then explain this example:
Toyota Tundra, Regular cab, 4.7 liter V-8 with 2 wheel drive: 18/22
mpg Same truck with 4wd: 15/18 mpg.

Bigger ash trays in the 4x4?



The car
makers can reduce the price a little, but probably make more, since
most customers have no real idea how much cheaper it is to make a 2wd
vehicle. And, offer 4wd versions for people who explicitly ask for
them. I don't think many will.

Even more impractical.

Are you saying that offering a selection is impractical? Dealers do it
all the time with pickup trucks, or they'd be out of the truck
business insofar as tradespeople (who use trucks for work) are
concerned.

Why do you think something that is already happening is impractical?




Next you will be calling for a return to the 55mph National Motor Speed
Limit,from 1973.(which worked SO well)[not!]

Then maybe speed limiters.
Vehicles will be no faster than 60 mph,in all conditions.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net