84 mpg three wheel $7000 car made in USA due in 2015

Is that you ?

 

Looks like a death trap!!

Why did my mom then I have a 91 george metro that got 50+ MPG 20+ years ago and was 25% or so larger than the smart car is today that gets the same mpg???? EPA!

 

the laws of physics dictate that in a crash between mismatched vehicles, the lighter one takes the brunt of the impact
mass isn't everything though and accidents rarely happen as in simple crash tests. There are too many other variables.
Get complacent driving around in a "safer" SUV with no seat belt and when you roll over a dozen times and get ejected you might wish you were in a nice lightweight tiny car with a seatbelt on keeping you in a (everything is relative) safe confined space.
that metro probably wouldn't get "50mph" with the current corn oil gas
might have a little more pep though

 

1. I am not saying a metro is not a death trap. I an saying where are the advances made? Smart care gets same mpg . It may have better crash results but I am sure the standard are tougher today. And an economy car is only going to be engineered to meet standards of the time not over engineered.

 

If that 91 metro was made today it would be 500-600 lbs heavier ( crumple safety zones and airbags and comforts don't get a free ride ) hurting mileage and have a peppier quicker 0-60 time hurting mpg engine. Its tail pipe emissions would probably be better too.
Dial back creature comfort weight, all the bells and whistles and high performance engines and you'd have your 91 metro - not enough people would buy it though unfortunately.

 

Thats what I wish, that you could still get safe but bare bones trucks and cars.

 

I see both sides. I believe that when all is said and done, when it's your time to go, it's your time to go.

I could be in a F450 and get slammed into by a runaway Brinks truck, or I could be driving my 5 star crash rated car across a bridge when it gives away from underneath me. Everything in life is a risk, and not everything can be planned for.

Myself personally? I wouldn't drive one of those cars. It's not for fear of safety, it's for want of comfort. My opinion might change someday if/when I see one in person, but when I picture myself in that car, I also picture a sardine in a can.

 

Different style, but my Geo Prism (93) was a good car in snow, and delivered 35 mpg. with 200K on the odometer, at high elevation. (still going strong, my buddy owns it now).
If the Elio can handle snow, I'll be looking real hard at it for a commuter vehicle. Studded snows will be mandatory. If not..
It would look like a lobster trying to claw it's way through a snow bank.

 

Imagine yourself sitting in an Elio with a one ton truck sliding sideways towards your hood at 50 mph... Feel safe??

Imagine an Elio sliding towards you while sitting in a one ton truck... You might spill your coffee but you'll probably ride home in your truck and not to the hospital in ambulance.


I'd rather be a vegetarian then give up my truck.

 

C'mon Mike, either scenario involves me spilling my beer. It's a no-win.

 

I'm not giving up my Expedition when I get an Elio. I still need the Expedition. I don't think I can tow my 16x6 dual wheel trailer with the Elio. Neither can I make my new 100 mile daily commute in the Expedition on less than 1.2 gallons of gas. I'll be able to in the Elio if I decide to buy one as a second vehicle. And that second vehicle with a new car warranty will be a heckuva lot cheaper and more economical to operate than the majority of decent used cars available around here.

 

This weekend I have to drive to Cleveland for a conference. It's 200 miles each way, 400 miles round trip.

My Expedition gets 18mpg highway. At the current $3.69 per gallon this trip will cost me $82 in gas.

The Elio is projected to get 84mpg. At the current rate of $3.69 per gallon the Elio would cost $18 for this trip, for a savings of $64.

My new job is going to entail at least 400 miles of driving each week. If I saved $64 per week for a year, that's about $3330 per year. I would save in gas in two years what the car cost. And I'd still have my Expedition for really bad weather and towing my firewood trailer and my pop up camper.

I just can't see the downside to this equation. Plus I think the Elio is going to be a real hoot to drive, especially while it's still new and novel.

 

BrianK, don't forget the turbo. Factor in the degradation in economy with that addition. You know you'll want it.
So, 84 mpg. might drop to 60 mpg.
My '06 Cobalt does 35 mpg. with almost 200K on the clock. I might be better off with a D/T rebuild in my case, when the time comes.
Outside of terrible seats, the Cobalt has been a great vehicle. I should just rebuild it when the time comes. So..?
Why do I like this Elio so much?

 

Actually I'm waiting on the second generation diesel hybrid AWD version with its anticipated 132mpg and 0-60 in 5.8 seconds in all electric boost sport mode.

(Uh. Yeah. I just made that up.)

 

Volkswagen Brings A 256 MPG Diesel Hybrid To Los Angeles
Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/11/14...iesel-hybrid-los-angeles/#Xh0q9P7lEhLsKB7P.99

 

Second gen. diesel hybrid, with AWD on a trike. I know you were kidding, but you had me at "Actually.."
Ugh, all that money wasted on Viagra when all I had to do was read a few random post's on FHC.