21 replies to this topic

[delldude]

In a lot of areas the green thing isn't quite what it was advertised as.....

Quote

Lea also makes note of a 2011 BBC report that states in periods of intense cold, when coal- and gas-fired power stations are relied upon the most, analysis of the weather has shown little to no wind available to generate power.

My link

[SparrowHawk]

777 fixer, on 10 January 2012 - 09:14 PM, said:

Put aside the issues about nickel mining the added cost of a hybrid is not really worth it unless gas prices were to double from what they are now. If you have issues with the batteries like some people are with some Honda's then I guess all that extra money is not worth it. I'm not sure what the warranty is with the batteries but even if they replace them you have to deal with the hassle of taking it to the shop.

Ignoring the Nickel mining would be like focusing on the trains in Italy running on time while ignoring Mussolini.

I did a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) new Jetta TDI Vs the Toyota Prius and the jetta is cheaper over a five year period by a significant margin. I can't find the darn spreadsheet or I'd post actuals. I also went so far as to use the local VW and Toyota Dealers Flat Rate Hour when calculating repair and maintenance cost.

Europe may not have everythig right but they have a boatload of Diesels compared to hybrids

[777 fixer]

Just like ignoring drilling for oil and the refining process wouldn't you say?

Only problem with VW is that it's a VW. Sure they look great, have a nice fit and finish and handle well but they also consistently rank poor in terms of reliability. My brother-in-law bought a Passat and a month latter it was in the shop. Friends of ours have a Jetta and they are getting rid of it. To much time OTS.

[SparrowHawk]

777 fixer, on 11 January 2012 - 07:59 AM, said:

Just like ignoring drilling for oil and the refining process wouldn't you say?

Only problem with VW is that it's a VW. Sure they look great, have a nice fit and finish and handle well but they also consistently rank poor in terms of reliability. My brother-in-law bought a Passat and a month latter it was in the shop. Friends of ours have a Jetta and they are getting rid of it. To much time OTS.

Yes to the first sentence, We should be drilling and building refineries as if well our lifestyle depended upon it and we should be researching alternatives. Just good business not to have all your eggs in one basket.

As to the Jetta, I had a TDI for 5 years with nearly 160,000 and was to the dealer 5 times, one of which was unscheduled maintenance covered under a recall. I have heard but never experienced the horror stories so I can't refute your contention.

My point I think does remain valid in that Hybrid Vehicles are NOT the whole answer and that in a true free market economy may not fare so well head to head against other fuel efficient alternatives.

[delldude]

SparrowHawk, on 11 January 2012 - 08:13 AM, said:

Yes to the first sentence, We should be drilling and building refineries as if well our lifestyle depended upon it and we should be researching alternatives. Just good business not to have all your eggs in one basket.

As to the Jetta, I had a TDI for 5 years with nearly 160,000 and was to the dealer 5 times, one of which was unscheduled maintenance covered under a recall. I have heard but never experienced the horror stories so I can't refute your contention.

My point I think does remain valid in that Hybrid Vehicles are NOT the whole answer and that in a true free market economy may not fare so well head to head against other fuel efficient alternatives.

Not to worry, we have good solid friends over there in the ME......

Last time I crapped my pants, er, I mean checked on Toyota hourly labor rates it was $95.00

[777 fixer]

SparrowHawk, on 11 January 2012 - 08:13 AM, said:

As to the Jetta, I had a TDI for 5 years with nearly 160,000 and was to the dealer 5 times, one of which was unscheduled maintenance covered under a recall. I have heard but never experienced the horror stories so I can't refute your contention.

My point I think does remain valid in that Hybrid Vehicles are NOT the whole answer and that in a true free market economy may not fare so well head to head against other fuel efficient alternatives.

Here's the problem with the Jetta TDI, it's about $6000 more than a gasoline powered Jetta. That's just the base price TDI with a manual. You would be better off either buying a base model Jetta or something else like a Yaris, Fit, Sonic, Mazda 3 or some other economical 4cyl.

[Ms Tree]

Looks like she won in small claims. I am sure Honda will appeal so that they can use their lawyers to bury the plaintiff in paperwork. It could still back fire on them. If everyone sues Honda they would have to appeal each case. That could cost them some bucks.

Small Claims

The Southern California owner of a Honda hybrid car won her unusual small-claims court lawsuit against the automaker over the vehicle's failure to deliver its stated fuel economy.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan awarded Heather Peters $9,867 on Wednesday, saying Honda did mislead her about the expected mileage.

"At a bare minimum Honda was aware ... that by the time Peters bought her car there were problems with its living up to its advertised mileage," he wrote in the judgment.

[SparrowHawk]

Ms Tree, on 01 February 2012 - 09:20 PM, said:

Looks like she won in small claims. I am sure Honda will appeal so that they can use their lawyers to bury the plaintiff in paperwork. It could still back fire on them. If everyone sues Honda they would have to appeal each case. That could cost them some bucks.

Small Claims

The Southern California owner of a Honda hybrid car won her unusual small-claims court lawsuit against the automaker over the vehicle's failure to deliver its stated fuel economy.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan awarded Heather Peters $9,867 on Wednesday, saying Honda did mislead her about the expected mileage.

"At a bare minimum Honda was aware ... that by the time Peters bought her car there were problems with its living up to its advertised mileage," he wrote in the judgment.

She will need to move on Honda's assets before an appeal is heard. Now that she has won she has quite a few tools at her disposal including having the Sheriff's Department padlock Honda's real property. She also has the right to demand payment in cash as Honda would stop payment on any check as part of their maneuvering.

Also, depending upon how much publicity this gets, Honda may just pay her and walk away. Dragging a major corporation into Small Claims is an excellent way to "help" that corporation be more attentive and responsive to customers. If you ever go after a giant company make sure your complaint is sent to every media outlet you can think of.