Survey: Get Out and Pump Up What?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.07
We are not certain what kind of vehicle Savannah Walters is in front of, but it caused some discussion in Kenny's post about tire inflation. . Clearly some people like the little Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris; Others need something big, and still others might listen to Brenton and follow Pareto's Principle.


















Its a 3/4 or 1 ton Chevy/GMC Truck or SUV, 88-98 body style. The lines coming from the fender across the door and the plastic bump strip on the door match the Chevy/GM body style from that time. Then the 2 or 3 for the 2500/3500 on the door bump strip and 8 lug nuts on the wheels make it a 3/4 or 1 ton as the half tons all have 5 or 6 lug nuts and 1500 on the door strip.
I have a 2004 Chevy truck, now before someone jumps on me and says I shouldn't be driving a gas guzzeler in 2004 it was the most fuel efficient full size truck at 20mpg for 4x4, even the new 2007 Toyota full size is only rated at 21mpg. I didn't need 4x4 except for on my parents farm I needed the low range which you can only get with a trasfer case based 4x4, AWD doesn't have that option. We try to spend a lot of time on the farm in the summer and are going to be purchasing a small camping trailer so I needed something to pull it with and I needed to have enough cab room for 5 people and the small trucks can only fit 4 people with a quad cab and those all had a v6 and all were rated at 20mpg or less so a full size truck with extended cab became the best compromise between what we needed and gas mileage.
I'm thinking of building a trailer so I can make it match the truck closer, make it the same width so its not sticking out wider. I'm thinking about the teardrop trailers but flipping the shape back to front and stretching it a little taller that way its somewhat streamlined in the front where it sticks up taller than the truck.
600cc sportbike. 40-55mpg, I can split lanes so no idling in traffic (I live in California so it's legal) and it'll do the quarter mile as fast as a Ferrari! Best of all worlds!
Don't forget two-wheelers! I drive a 2002 Honda Metropoitain Scooter, which gets around 80 mpg.
LA: I did forget two wheelers. My apologies.
Ah, I was just thinking there needed to be a survey on here about this.
I ride my bike and walk - I'm a college student. it's just easier this way. But I do keep a car for the occasional trip home. What I want - and I think it should have been on the survey - is a scooter.
Also of note - some places in the US have smart cars. I pass several dealerships on my way home in Loveland Colorado.
Eugene : Kudos for getting the best mileage you could on something that big. There are times and places to own huge cars (er...trucks) and farms are one of them. is it possible for standard sedans to pull trailers?
The poll omits an important category - Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs). Put me down for a NEV. Get's me just about anywhere I need to go on a week(work)day.
Where is the vote for "making your own biodiesel" or "driving an alternative fuel vehicle"? I want to vote too!
Where's the line for wagons? I feel left out. I bike or walk for 90% of my trips, but living 3 hours away from home at college means I do make an occasional trip home and need a four wheeled conveyance. I also am the transporter for out-of-town trips, so my car does get used. I'm waiting for the Zap-X to come out though before I replace my old 95 Outback. I can usually get ~30 mpg on the highway without too much work.
@Andrew Crocker: Anything can pull a trailer, it just depends on how safe you want it to be. One of the things you need in length, the longer the two vehicle the better. You also need even weight distribution something that with most sedans being fron wheel drive don't have. I've seen even small popup trailers doing the tail wagging the dog deal being pulled behind even a large front wheel drive car or minivan, then you get into hilly curvy roads and its even worse.
Motorcycle wasn't on there. I have a 2005 Honda Shadow 750cc. If I drive aggressively I get 50 miles per gallon. I have been experimenting with fuel economy recently. I can get 73 miles per gallon if I take it easy!