Comments on: Mother Jones: This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/01/13/mother-jones-this-guy-can-get-59-mpg-in-a-plain-old-accord/ Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:34:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kyle http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/01/13/mother-jones-this-guy-can-get-59-mpg-in-a-plain-old-accord/comment-page-1/#comment-3136 Kyle Sun, 14 Jan 2007 05:42:19 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/01/13/mother-jones-this-guy-can-get-59-mpg-in-a-plain-old-accord/#comment-3136 There is something admirable, but undeniably retarded about those practices. Stop and restarting the engine at every stop sign and red light, shifting into and out of neutral at the top and bottom of every hill? Talk about penny smart and dollar dumb. Those practices will wear out then engine, transmission, alternator, battery, and the entire electrical system in the car. Who cares if you saved 12 dollars on gas this month. You've got to replace 500 dollars worth of parts twice a year. It's not even good for the environment when you consider the energy it takes to pull the raw material from the ground, melt, pour, form, mill, inspect, and install it. This doesn't even touch the issue of safety. D-FAS? Intentionally tailgating an 18-wheeler? Why not just personally kill everyone in your car an eliminate the middleman? Not to mention that tailgating is illegal. I'm all for conservation, but this is just the enviro-nut equivalent of buying a hummer to compensate for other areas that might be lacking. There is something admirable, but undeniably retarded about those practices. Stop and restarting the engine at every stop sign and red light, shifting into and out of neutral at the top and bottom of every hill?

Talk about penny smart and dollar dumb. Those practices will wear out then engine, transmission, alternator, battery, and the entire electrical system in the car. Who cares if you saved 12 dollars on gas this month. You’ve got to replace 500 dollars worth of parts twice a year.

It’s not even good for the environment when you consider the energy it takes to pull the raw material from the ground, melt, pour, form, mill, inspect, and install it.

This doesn’t even touch the issue of safety. D-FAS? Intentionally tailgating an 18-wheeler? Why not just personally kill everyone in your car an eliminate the middleman? Not to mention that tailgating is illegal.

I’m all for conservation, but this is just the enviro-nut equivalent of buying a hummer to compensate for other areas that might be lacking.

]]> By: Andy http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/01/13/mother-jones-this-guy-can-get-59-mpg-in-a-plain-old-accord/comment-page-1/#comment-3135 Andy Sun, 14 Jan 2007 05:13:15 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/01/13/mother-jones-this-guy-can-get-59-mpg-in-a-plain-old-accord/#comment-3135 Aren't a lot of emissions produced when you start your engine? Aren’t a lot of emissions produced when you start your engine?

]]> By: Phil http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/01/13/mother-jones-this-guy-can-get-59-mpg-in-a-plain-old-accord/comment-page-1/#comment-3132 Phil Sun, 14 Jan 2007 01:06:00 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/01/13/mother-jones-this-guy-can-get-59-mpg-in-a-plain-old-accord/#comment-3132 I've been doing some of these things the hypermilers advocate for a couple of years now. Mostly I try to drive in such a way as to minimize using the brakes. When you see the light turn red up ahead, take your foot off the gas and coast to it - that's really the main thing. Lots of people race up to a red light and slam on the brakes which is very wasteful both of gas and brakes. Try to preserve your momentum as much as possible - I call it "driving with physics in mind". However, I think a lot of their practices are either dangerous or counterproductive. For example, constantly turning the engine off and on is likely to cause your started to die early. I’ve been doing some of these things the hypermilers advocate for a couple of years now. Mostly I try to drive in such a way as to minimize using the brakes. When you see the light turn red up ahead, take your foot off the gas and coast to it – that’s really the main thing. Lots of people race up to a red light and slam on the brakes which is very wasteful both of gas and brakes. Try to preserve your momentum as much as possible – I call it “driving with physics in mind”.

However, I think a lot of their practices are either dangerous or counterproductive. For example, constantly turning the engine off and on is likely to cause your started to die early.

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