What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Is anybody in America bothered about saving the planet?
Having just returned from America after visiting the west coast and Hawaii I report on the following: The main street garages do not sell diesel. I saw or heard no diesel cars. The Nissan Micra K13 is about equivalent to £5000 but no one buys it. So far last year Fiat's sales drive bombed with only about six hundred 500s sold. They haven’t sold one 500 on Hawaii. Everything still has big engines and the airport bus shuttles don’t even turn the engines off when loading or unloading.
Petrol (‘gas’) is around 2.90 dollars a US gallon. A lot of cars are sold in outlets in shopping malls. We thought having a Ford dealer opposite a Tiffany’s shop was funny. TV ads show the car and finance deal and then a HWY (highway) mpg pops up. Best was an Acura at 36mpg (and that’s smaller US gallons). Overall, I got the impression that even in San Francisco no one was interested in saving the planet. In Las Vegas every other car was a Cadillac Escalade or Dodge Ram truck and everyone was just wasting resources. Sometime I wonder why we bother.
Petrol (‘gas’) is around 2.90 dollars a US gallon. A lot of cars are sold in outlets in shopping malls. We thought having a Ford dealer opposite a Tiffany’s shop was funny. TV ads show the car and finance deal and then a HWY (highway) mpg pops up. Best was an Acura at 36mpg (and that’s smaller US gallons). Overall, I got the impression that even in San Francisco no one was interested in saving the planet. In Las Vegas every other car was a Cadillac Escalade or Dodge Ram truck and everyone was just wasting resources. Sometime I wonder why we bother.
Asked on 4 July 2012 by MU, Newbury Park, Essex
Answered by
Honest John
That's interesting. Next stop, what is China doing to save the planet, apart from lending money to Europe for the crackpots over here to spend on environmental measures we can't afford?
Similar questions
I notice that Shell V-Power unleaded at 99 RON octane is now sold at a 9p per litre premium at my local garage, compared to standard Shell unleaded 95 RON octane. Tesco's momentum 99 RON is at 5p per litre...
I agree with you that government economy figures for new cars are often deceiving, as they are here in the US. But surely anyone with a modicum of sense must realise that a fuel economy is relative to...
My Volkswagen Golf 1.6 Bluemotion estate, two months old, has done 2,500 miles. This car should do 54/67/78 to the gallon. It does 40mpg round town and maybe 50mpg on a run (A-roads at 60mph). Volkswagen...
Related models
Low emissions and fuel consumption from 1.2-litre engine. Roomy and seats five. Decent value for money. Bluetooth as standard.