Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion - 71.2 mpg

[AutobahnSHO]

You should never stop on an onramp.

+15

In Germany or the US.
And I've driven for Years in both, thank you very much.

[nickdrinkwater]

I think American cars have larger engines because fuel is cheap, and also because in the US, bigger is better.

Simple as that.  I don't think you need a larger engine in the US.  For a start speed limits are slower in the US than in Europe, in my limited experience.  And I when I have visited the US, people seem to drive less agressively than in the UK and Spain, for example.

But if you can have a larger engine affordably, why not?  We don't drive around in 1.6 Focus diesels because they're fun.  It's because they cost less to run, and our fuel prices are high.

And of course, not all people in the UK drive Polo 1.4s.  We are a nation of brand snobs and also car enthusiasts.  Despite the taxation and immense cost of running a larger-engined car, more people do it here than in the States, judging by the posts in the spotted today thread.  In the UK, a day rarely goes by without seeing a Bentley or Aston, yet in America an M3 seems to be a notable spot.

Not criticising, just saying.  We all have different attitudes towards cars.

[Raza]

I think American cars have larger engines because fuel is cheap, and also because in the US, bigger is better.

Simple as that.  I don't think you need a larger engine in the US.  For a start speed limits are slower in the US than in Europe, in my limited experience.  And I when I have visited the US, people seem to drive less agressively than in the UK and Spain, for example.

But if you can have a larger engine affordably, why not?  We don't drive around in 1.6 Focus diesels because they're fun.  It's because they cost less to run, and our fuel prices are high.

And of course, not all people in the UK drive Polo 1.4s.  We are a nation of brand snobs and also car enthusiasts.  Despite the taxation and immense cost of running a larger-engined car, more people do it here than in the States, judging by the posts in the spotted today thread.  In the UK, a day rarely goes by without seeing a Bentley or Aston, yet in America an M3 seems to be a notable spot.

Not criticising, just saying.  We all have different attitudes towards cars.

I've read a lot of stuff from people who move to the UK and say that UK drivers are less aggressive than other countries (especially on the highways) due to speed camera coverage.  Zoltan Scrivener had a long column on the trepidation on UK highways. 

As far as what's a notable spot and not, that comes down to demographics and density.  Someone living in NYC will see a Bentley or five everyday, whereas someone living where I live will see a Bentley or Aston every couple of days, and someone living in, say, Easley, South Carolina, may not see one for months. 

[nickdrinkwater]

I've read a lot of stuff from people who move to the UK and say that UK drivers are less aggressive than other countries (especially on the highways) due to speed camera coverage.  Zoltan Scrivener had a long column on the trepidation on UK highways. 

As far as what's a notable spot and not, that comes down to demographics and density.  Someone living in NYC will see a Bentley or five everyday, whereas someone living where I live will see a Bentley or Aston every couple of days, and someone living in, say, Easley, South Carolina, may not see one for months. 

Of course, the US is a diverse country.  I shoulda acknowledged that in my post.

I'm not sure about the UK being less aggressive.  Yes we do have cameras but people tend to just slow down for them and then speed up.  And thankfully, with one exception the only cameras we have on Motorways (freeways?) are for construction work.  I'm sure it's only a matter of time before that changes though

[Cookie Monster]

They all have them, from what I've seen.  Stopping should always be a last resort when merging however.  I mean, you should never make a full stop on the highway, but that happens too.  Sometimes you can't get around it, but I've seen far too many people stop in light traffic (not gridlock or even heavy traffic) and look around frantically trying to figure out when they have enough room to merge.  Of course, the speed disparity is roughly -70 at that point, meaning you need a shitload more room to merge. 

My merge technique is simple.  Hammer down until you are alongside the highway, spot your slot, and then adjust speed accordingly.  That's how it should be done.  Everyone gingerly comes up to it doing 20-30mph slower than the speed of traffic, and then wonder why it's so hard to merge. 

EDIT:  Actually, there is one merge near me that has an actual stop sign, because there's no run up into the lane, as the merge is right on to a two lane bridge (each way).  Once you get sight of traffic, you're already out of room, making a stop there mostly necessary.  But other than that, you're better off being faster than traffic and then slowing down to get in.

You should be doing at least 60-65 mph by the time you're at the end of the ramp (if there is light traffic). I hate it when I'm behind someone who is going 35-40 at the end of the onramp.

Although there is one "onramp" near my house that is so small, plus has a sharp bump in the middle that you can't really do over 45 mph on it, which makes merging pretty hard.

[Northlands]

If you want performance, get a VW Polo GTI.

A entry-level Polo has no problems going up a hill by the way. That's a myth that probably originated in the 1970s when economy cars were drastically underpowered. These days economy cars have enough performance to be fuel efficient and offer a relatively spirited driving experience. Nobody buys a Polo Bluemotion for performance, they will buy it for fuel economy reasons.

Why does everything in America have to reach 60 in 5 seconds flat? I really don't get it.  

Freeways.

However I live in a backwards minded city with no freeways. A car like this would work for me. So long as I keep another car around for long distance trips that has <evil voice> more power </evil voice>.  

[cawimmer430]

Freeways.

However I live in a backwards minded city with no freeways. A car like this would work for me. So long as I keep another car around for long distance trips that has <evil voice> more power </evil voice>. 

You can always find a V8 and shoehorn it under the hood.