How Many MPG Does YOUR TP Get?

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bhtooefr · #1 Post by **bhtooefr** » Sun May 21, 2006 10:57 pm

Yeah, but everyone remembers the 3-cyl Geo Metro. And they remember the old Volkswagen diesels, which while being 4-cyl, are in the same power range.

(The modern ones, when considering the torque, are in the same power range as the modern gassers. The modern 1.9L 4-cyl TDI diesel is probably more drivable than the 2.5L 5-cyl that they're sticking in base model Jettas now.)

Engine specs for the various 3-cyl cars available back then...

Geo Metro 1.0L FI naturally aspirated (non-XFi):

55 hp @ 5700 RPM
58 ft-lbs tq @ 3300 RPM

Subaru Justy 1.2L FI naturally aspirated:

73 hp @ 5600 RPM
70.5 ft-lbs tq @ 2800

(sorry, that's all I can think of)

Now, for comparison... my car.

Volkswagen Jetta 1.6L Diesel Indirect Injection Naturally Aspirated:

52 hp @ 4500 RPM
71.5 ft-lbs tq @ 2000 RPM

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Mon May 22, 2006 12:54 am

EDIT: Guilty as charged.

#3 Post by **BillMorrow** » Mon May 22, 2006 2:45 am

is this what they call "thread drift"..?

christopher_wolf · #4 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Mon May 22, 2006 3:35 am

BillMorrow wrote:is this what they call "thread drift"..?

LOL; yeah, I guess so...

bhtooefr · #5 Post by **bhtooefr** » Mon May 22, 2006 4:09 am

Does this forum support splitting threads?

christopher_wolf · #6 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Mon May 22, 2006 4:18 am

bhtooefr wrote:Does this forum support splitting threads?

Yeah, but the question is, "Where to split it off to?"

Last time I checked, we didn't have a "3 Cylinder IBM Cars" forum

Although Off-Topic should do just fine for now...

#7 Post by **underclocker** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:20 am

We need one! I bet those 1.0 and 1.2 litre engines got 50 mpg on the highway. Maybe they're coming back?

The VW diesels were great, too, especially the Rabbit Pickup! Now that's old school!

This will probably get this thread locked, but let's not forget about the inline 4 cylinder Yugo! 1.1 litre with 52hp.

It got even better mpg because you had to push!

We need a thread for cars with less horsepower than your laptop!

bhtooefr · #8 Post by **bhtooefr** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:36 am

Puppy wrote:Too bad it has "Acer-like" keyboard layout

Well, it's to make people buy ThinkPads instead...

underclocker: I think phpBB supports splitting threads...

Anyway, the 1.2L Subarus got like 35-40 hwy, IIRC. But, the 1.0L Geos got 45 MPG, and a 49hp detuned version got 58 MPG.

Those engines aren't coming back. Instead, we're getting 1.4-1.6Ls with 100hp that get 35-40 MPG.

And, of course, 1.9 and 2.0L diesels with 100-150hp and oodles of torque that get 50 MPG pushing much larger cars around.

christopher_wolf · #9 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Mon May 22, 2006 5:58 pm

I think I will still stick with my 300ZX for now....

Then, when I get enough money to buy a new car, I will probably spring for a Porsche. My Dad used to call Porsches over-powered VWs, but that isn't right at all.

Porsche, there is *no* substitute.

bhtooefr · #10 Post by **bhtooefr** » Mon May 22, 2006 6:14 pm

christopher_wolf: Well, he's right.

The 911 is merely an updated 356.

The 356 is merely a sport-tuned and lengthened VW Type 1.

christopher_wolf · #11 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Mon May 22, 2006 6:25 pm

bhtooefr wrote:christopher_wolf: Well, he's right.

The 911 is merely an updated 356.

The 356 is merely a sport-tuned and lengthened VW Type 1.

Yeah I know how it all started, I have actually seen quite a few mint condition 356 roadsters around here. They went from 356 A, then the 356 B, then a 2000cc version and finally the 911; pretty hefty modification.

Then came the 914 after awhile.

But as far as I can see, all the similarities stopped there and Porsche diverged from VW. By the time they got to the '78 911 Turbo and then later to the 928...You wouldn't have known how they started.

But, hey...as long as any of those cars grips the road on a nice curve in the mountains going at a good clip, I'm not one to complain.

bhtooefr · #12 Post by **bhtooefr** » Mon May 22, 2006 7:23 pm

Yeah, but the 911 still directly traces back to the 356, no?

And, the 914 is rather irrelevant to this discussion - it was the budget model. Yes, the successor to the 912, which was a 911 with a 356 engine. But, it was a different model path that wasn't followed past the 914.

That said, from what I hear, they're nice overpriced VWs. I'll just stick with my front-engined, transverse mount, four cylinder, watercooled, diesel powered VWs, though.

christopher_wolf · #13 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Mon May 22, 2006 7:40 pm

Yeah, but I don't think that a 2006 911 can be fairly compared to a 2006 VW. They started from essentially the same things, but ended up in two very different places after awhile.

I would also like to be able to go over 90MPH if the occasion calls for it.

(My Dad's joke, he owned a beetle in the 60's, which isn't fair either since that Beetle went through Hell twice and still worked)

And here is one of my favorite VWs....

http://www.avonhill.com/thumbnails/conv ... Ghia1.jpeg

The Karmann Ghia; eye-catching looks and some pretty good performance from what I have seen.

bhtooefr · #14 Post by **bhtooefr** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:03 pm

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=125814

#15 Post by **underclocker** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:48 pm

History is one thing, but right now a Porsche is definitely a Porsche. I doubt even one bolt is shared with a 60's or 70's 911.

Porsche revised it's thinking around the time of the release of the 944. The old 924 was a Porsche/VW/Audi and didn't sell very well. The redesigned 944/968 kicked [censored] for a decade.

I've got to say, I love German car feel, but I prefer the design and free-revving engines of the Japanese (Acura NSX) and Italian (Ferrari) makers.

How did this thread go from 3 cylinder engines to exotic cars?!

#16 Post by **underclocker** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:51 pm

By the way, my wife's Scion xB automatic gets high twenties in the city and mid thirties on the highway.

christopher_wolf · #17 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:37 pm

I think that 3-cyl cars *are* classed as rare, certainly a part of being exotic.

Lexus has some really well designed models that have *very* smooth rides and some pretty sporty abilities.

I think, however, that I am too addicted to the likes of Porsche, Benz, and BMW to easily aim for something else. Except for a Ferrari or a Lamborghini.

JHEM · #18 Post by **JHEM** » Mon May 22, 2006 11:02 pm

christopher_wolf wrote:I think that 3-cyl cars *are* classed as rare, certainly a part of being exotic.

The only three cylinder car I ever owned can certainly be considered exotic, but it's not one to lumped in with the usual putt-putts one will normally think of when discussing three cylinder puddle jumpers.

I had a '66 55HP Monte Carlo 850, and with a little tuning like extractor exhausts, inlet tuning, etc. it would go like a raped ape. Little wonder the 93/96 in its various rally variants (750, GT750, Sport, 850 and Monte Carlo) was one of the winningest RAC rally cars ever. I gleefully terrorized the streets and Gymkhanas of Nurnberg at the wheel of mine.

They certainly opened the eyes and minds of folks who equated two-cycle engines to chainsaws and lawn mowers, especially for those who were fortunate to have seen Erik "On the Roof" Carlsson in full cry behind the wheel of one of his specials.

Regards,

James

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