gasoline prices

[mora]

Actually it's a bit more than two thirds, more like 80-85% in my experience.

Based on taxes and lower production cost it should be around two thirds here, but it isn't due to couging. Also there's the annual fuel tax which is around 300€ per year for a passenger car of an average total mass and 80€ for a typical van.

[beet1e]

Originally posted by mora
Actually it's a bit more than two thirds, more like 80-85% in my experience.  

Yes, I meant to say that the price of diesel in places like France/Netherlands/Austria is two thirds of the petrol price in the UK.

[lazs2]

skuzzy.. I think you know that if there was a tax that was supposed to go toward finding new energy sources.... it would really go toward finding new ways to power bigger government... all free enterprise research would halt and everyone would try to get in on the graft.  

There is indeed hope from the industry and free enterprise... solar panel price per watt had dropped a hundredfold in the last few decades... many new energy sources are being explored by private industry..

I believe industry sees the handwriting on the wall and is looking to be the first with the new sources...  conserving and government intervention will only make the problem worse.  

Gm spent billions on electric cars but the batteries just aren't up to it... in the meantime... every manufacturer is on the hybrid bandwagon and progress is being made.   It will come in it's own time... when it is really needed..

screaming for government to do something is wrong and counter productive in my opinion...  look at the other countries with high fuel prices... is the government giving back any of that money to solve the problem?  and if they are... is their effort equal to the cost or any better than private industry?

lazs

[FuBaR]

prices where I am 2.69-2.79 a gal.

[storch]

Originally posted by FuBaR
prices where I am 2.69-2.79 a gal.

geez that's pretty low for the PRC.

[beet1e]

Lazs, you're sounding like a kid who's just filled his pants. Relax! I can't believe you could get so bent out of shape about the proposal to steer people away from gas guzzling cars. $540 on the sticker price of certain designated cars would do it.

I don't like taxation and government interference any more than the next man, and cod knows we have both of them in spades with the Blair govt. But what I like even less is to see the shameless, profligate wastage of finite, natural resources.

[beet1e]

J_A_B - I took delivery of my Audi tin can today. Seems OK - I've had it up to 95mph, but I've not been out for a proper drive yet.

A few pics, taken outside my hovel

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by beet1e
J_A_B - I took delivery of my Audi tin can today. Seems OK - I've had it up to 95mph, but I've not been out for a proper drive yet.

A few pics, taken outside my hovel
 

Such poor craftsmanship so bad that they screwed up and put the steering wheel on the wrong side of the damned car! Unbelievable!:( (Can they sqeeze those houses any closer together?  )

[J_A_B]

"Can they sqeeze those houses any closer together?"

It doesn't look any different than most pre-war communities here in the US look.  I'd say the close houses are more sensible for cities and towns than the "suburban sprawl" pattern more common in newer developments.


Thanks for posting the pictures, Beet1e.   From what I can tell, your sky looks like it's about the same shade of "dull gray" as the sky here in Ohio is.  

Is that vehicle sold as an "Estate" in the UK, or do they use some other term for it?   As with most Audi models (and Euro cars in general), it has an interesting blend of performance and practical features.  The manual gearbox and dead pedal really stick out to my American eyes.


J_A_B

[beet1e]

J_A_B - yes, the weather is pretty naff right now, and set to get naffer as the week goes by.

The body style of my Audi A3 is known as the "hatchback" - that's where the luggage area is separate from the car normally, but by folding the rear seats can be enlarged and become part of the interior car space. The Audi A4 is the estate car, known in the US as station wagon - the luggage area is part of the interior, however the seats are arranged.

Yes, manual gears - a 6-speed box. I also test drove another A3 with the DSG box - a two pedal system which can be driven in fully automatic mode, or the gears can be made to shift by means of paddles on the steering column or by nudges to the floor mounted lever. I was pretty impressed with it, but unfortunately it is not available with the 4WD "quattro" models, and as I really wanted the 4WD I chose the 6-spd manual box.

Apparently, the engine management system spends the first 1000 miles getting used to me and the way I drive the car! So far so good...

[J_A_B]

Since it's modern and I'm in a generous mood, maybe we can upgrade it to "Aluminum can"  

I'll give you this--it has a balanced appearance and looks like it would hold the road very well even standing still.  My Buick, on the other hand, has all the subtle grace of a beached whale.


J_A_B

[storch]

nice looking car beet1e

[Dowding]

I like the A3, but having driven its rival, the BMW 1-Series, I prefer that. Both have nice 2.0 L diesel engines.

Unfortunately, the beemer's styling leaves alot to be desired.

Once you've tried 6 manual gears, you can never go back to 5. Since driving my motor, my girlfriend is always reaching for 6th on the motorway in her 5 gear Rover (innuendo not intended).

[eagl]

Where are the cup holders? (just kidding, I know you can get a ticket for drinking/eating while driving so they don't give you cup holders)

Also, are you going to be one of the 99% of audi drivers who drive 10 mph faster than everyone else, or are you going to drive, like... you know, normal like everyone else?

At least on the A14 North from Cambridge...  I drive around 75 most of the time and for every one audi I pass, at least 15 blow past me like I'm driving a lorry.  No other car type does that so it makes me wonder if their speedometers are set 10-15 low from the factory, or if that many audi drivers are really that arrogant and convinced that their quattro system makes a difference in braking performance.

I hope you'll be one of the 1% because the worst 2 accidents I've seen on the A14 were both audis, one which was going so fast it was obliterated when the driver rammed a lorry from behind, and another that flipped after clipping the rear end of another car, again obliterating the audi due to grossly excessive speed.  It shed parts for nearly 1500 ft and from the amount of blood on the car and ground, I doubt the driver lived.

Don't be that guy please.

[Dowding]

All British Audi drivers are dangerous speed-freaks.

 - From your own correspondant.