Ovaltine Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 (edited) From today's Freep..... http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../710210609/1008 Lots of coffee, music fuel grueling commutes 74,000 Michiganders part of trend http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bil...mp;Profile=1008 October 21, 2007 BY ZLATI MEYER FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Every weekday morning before 5:15, Neil Bunting pulls his gold 2006 Kia Spectra out of his driveway in Bay City and heads to work. Awake since 4 a.m., the 55-year-old project manager is armed with coffee, blues CDs and, sometimes, an audiobook. For the next 1 1/2 to 2 hours -- and again in the evening when he retraces his route. <snip> All his daily driving doesn't dissuade him from road trips on his off days. He drives to Chicago or to see his daughter in North Carolina. And like Grabarczyk, he opted for a car with 37 miles per gallon that would be kinder to him at the pump. "I get gas every day, so I pay whatever the price," he said. "When you're using that much, there's no skipping days for the low days." -Ovaltine Edited October 22, 2007 by Ovaltine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Only a fucking idiot would commute 4 hours a day. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Kia and its owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovaltine Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 Only a fucking idiot would commute 4 hours a day. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Kia and its owners. I tend to agree with you on your opinion about 4 hour commutes, but it looks like the car must handling the wear and tear pretty well. One thing's for sure, Kia won't have to worry too much about the 5 year bumper-to-bumper and 10 year powertrain warranty on this car. He'll blow past the 100k mark in less than 2 years! And now that I'm thinking about it, he may be an f'n idiot, but at least he's working for a living and not trying to milk the system via unemployment, welfare, etc. Maybe he's got some personal family reasons for needing to stay in Bay City, coupled with a vocation that isn't probably needed in the economic wonderland of Bay City. My take on this is that he KNEW he was going to destroy a car in a very short amount of time, so why not pick the best warrantied, comfortable, and affordable car he could find... a Spectra? In some ways, the "idiot" commuter made what appears to be a smart decision I'd say. And if he's an idiot, then he's got a lot of company according to the article: Bunting is one of an estimated 3.1 million Americans -- including about 74,000 Michiganders -- whom researchers call extreme commuters, people who travel more than 90 minutes to work each way, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. An additional 164,000 people in the state travel 60-89 minutes each way, with Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties reporting an increase over the 2000 figures. Judge not, lest thou be judged. -Ovaltine 1ZVHT82H365130150.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 He's not getting 37 MPG. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/21974.shtml http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0d0476/0 Even the EPA only gave it 34 MPG. A smart buyer would have read the sticker. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2006/kia/sp.../specifications Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 My take on this is that he KNEW he was going to destroy a car in a very short amount of time, so why not pick the best warrantied, comfortable, and affordable car he could find... a Spectra? In some ways, the "idiot" commuter made what appears to be a smart decision I'd say. My take is he bought the cheapest thing he could because he knew he was going to throw it away when he was done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 My take is he bought the cheapest thing he could because he knew he was going to throw it away when he was done. Sounds like my oldest brother. He bought a Hyundai Elantra when he started grad school. He wanted something cheap as crap to drive around while he was broke studying. I'm sure that car will be the first thing to go when he gets his PhD in a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armadamaster Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Pfft...my uncle commutes 3 hours or more a day, for the last ten years. After being a former car dealer some years back, he's driven a sampling of everything under the sun. He's on B-body number six in that span of time enjoying 26.5 MPG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furious1Auto Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I don't know if you guys know what a project manager is but I'm sure the sight he is working at is a temporary gig. Project managers make $80,000 to start with the proper certification, and as much $300,000 depending on their employer but there is allot of traveling involved. After the project he is working on is completed he will go on to another sight. I can't believe that he drives a KIA all of the project managers that work for Petros Homes (a housing developer) drive Z-71 Chevy Tahoe's and Suburbans!! Sh-t I wish I could afford to live like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 He's not getting 37 MPG. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/21974.shtml http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0d0476/0 Even the EPA only gave it 34 MPG. A smart buyer would have read the sticker. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2006/kia/sp.../specifications Not to defend that person's choice of buying a Korean-made vehicle, but: The EPA says I am supposed to get around 24mpg on my Fusion, but I'm getting 30 mpg. Real world conditions can easily differ from what the government says is "right" for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovaltine Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 (edited) Not to defend that person's choice of buying a Korean-made vehicle, but:The EPA says I am supposed to get around 24mpg on my Fusion, but I'm getting 30 mpg. Real world conditions can easily differ from what the government says is "right" for you. I've hit 35 mpg numerous times with all highway driving AND when I'm *not* hammering at 80 mph 'cause I've got to be somewhere in a hurry. Not using the A/C also helps hit that number more consistently. The 37 mpg stated in the article probably *is* the reporter taking a little literary license, but I wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest if it had stated the driver was getting 35 mpg. I will say this though, the "city" or mixed driving numbers for my Spectra are okay (24-26 mpg), but I'm really impressed with my co-worker's I4 stick shift Fusion's numbers. If his numbers are correct, his larger car's mpg does beat mine around town. From the "tactile" side of things though, I'd still take my car. I've ridden in my boss's I4 Fusion with an automatic, and it's pretty noisy considering the "action" or acceleration you get in return. The Spectra has Hyundai's Beta 2.0 with variable valve timing in it, and it really does have the good low end grunt that the magazine's often mention. If I nail it after turning onto an open stretch of road, the speedometer climbs pretty quickly and steadily until I have to leave off the pedal in fear getting a ticket (usually around 70 mph). On the highway it will cruise at 80-85 mph all day like most new cars these days will. -Ovaltine Edited October 22, 2007 by Ovaltine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one2gamble Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 there is no way I could do that, and even if I did...dare I say it.....I would probably do it in a panther just so everyone else would get the hell out of the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
focus05 Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I've hit 35 mpg numerous times with all highway driving AND when I'm *not* hammering at 80 mph 'cause I've got to be somewhere in a hurry. Not using the A/C also helps hit that number more consistently. The 37 mpg stated in the article probably *is* the reporter taking a little literary license, but I wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest if it had stated the driver was getting 35 mpg. I will say this though, the "city" or mixed driving numbers for my Spectra are okay (24-26 mpg), but I'm really impressed with my co-worker's I4 stick shift Fusion's numbers. If his numbers are correct, his larger car's mpg does beat mine around town. From the "tactile" side of things though, I'd still take my car. I've ridden in my boss's I4 Fusion with an automatic, and it's pretty noisy considering the "action" or acceleration you get in return. The Spectra has Hyundai's Beta 2.0 with variable valve timing in it, and it really does have the good low end grunt that the magazine's often mention. If I nail it after turning onto an open stretch of road, the speedometer climbs pretty quickly and steadily until I have to leave off the pedal in fear getting a ticket (usually around 70 mph). On the highway it will cruise at 80-85 mph all day like most new cars these days will. -Ovaltine I can confirm that the manual Fusion gets great mileage. It beats my Focus slightly. My parents' Fusion gave me 28 going around town while my Focus normally gets me 25-26 in the burbs (22-23 in cities). However, my Focus beats it on the highway: 32 to 31. The I-4 Fusion gets really good mileage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconman13 Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 My commute is about an hour each way, I drive an I4 /manual Fusion. Just passed 16K (had it for 6 months) and I am averaging just shy of 32MPG. This is commuting on secondary roads mostly with the last 5 miles or so being in the city. I was getting about 29 to 30 up until about 12K miles or so, then it has steadily improved little by little. I guess it takes a while to break in. For comparison my 05 Focus ZX5 was averaging slightly better than 32 on the same commute. So I would have to agree that the epa numbers aren't always representative of what is reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I've never even really cared about fuel economy. Nor should anybody else really. Sure, look at the EPA ratings and go off that, but seriously -- if you buy a car, you're going to keep it for awhile, regardless of a couple of miles per gallon here and there. I've gauged the fuel economy on my Mazda6 once...since then I haven't paid any bit of attention to it. I like the car. I fill the tank when it's almost empty. What difference does it make if it's getting 24 mpg or 26 mpg? To me, absolutely nothing. I'm going to fill the fuel tank when it's close to empty regardless. I've never once bothered to calculate the exact fuel economy on my Cobra in the 10+ years I've owned it. I can estimate that it "sucks", and that's about all that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydro Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I tend to agree with you on your opinion about 4 hour commutes, but it looks like the car must handling the wear and tear pretty well. -Ovaltine Yeah, but freeway miles are the easiest on a vehicle. No banging gears, slamming brakes, etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShockFX Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Yeah, but freeway miles are the easiest on a vehicle. No banging gears, slamming brakes, etc.. I-275 at 5:00pm on a weekday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bored of Pisteon Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 My take is he bought the cheapest thing he could because he knew he was going to throw it away when he was done. That what those cars are anyway... DISPOSABLE PILES OF JUNK! It would be nice to see the Kia be hit by a train or tossed around in a demolition derby though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bored of Pisteon Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 (edited) there is no way I could do that, and even if I did...dare I say it.....I would probably do it in a panther just so everyone else would get the hell out of the way. Hell yeah! :beerchug: :happy feet: Edited October 22, 2007 by Bored of Pisteon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bored of Pisteon Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I-275 at 5:00pm on a weekday. Any freeway around Metro Detroit... Are you kidding? Some people like the commute and when I worked at Sterling. I had a 1 hour commute as well for a few years. I enjoyed it because it was relaxing... Who in the hell would spend an 1 hour sitting in traffic and stop and go traffic to go 10 miles when you can drive 50 miles mostly non-stop (depending on what time of day and route or routes you take) in the same amount of that one hour time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShockFX Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Any freeway around Metro Detroit... Are you kidding? Some people like the commute and when I worked at Sterling. I had a 1 hour commute as well for a few years. I enjoyed it because it was relaxing... Who in the hell would spend an 1 hour sitting in traffic and stop and go traffic to go 10 miles when you can drive 50 miles mostly non-stop (depending on what time of day and route or routes you take) in the same amount of that one hour time? Just citing 1 example of freeway that is banging gears and slamming brakes. You make a solid point though. When I worked at DCC HQ in Auburn Hills I had the sweetest backroad way to avoid M-59 backups. Nice, smooth two lane road with no traffic and a 50 mph limit. So glad I never got ticketed for going 75mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Ummm, how about you just move closer to work. It's not like real estate in the Metro Detroit area is so absurd that he couldn't afford to relocate. What a waste of time for no apparent reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShockFX Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Ummm, how about you just move closer to work. It's not like real estate in the Metro Detroit area is so absurd that he couldn't afford to relocate. What a waste of time for no apparent reason. Maybe he's waiting until after the UAW contracts to find cheaper real estate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one2gamble Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Maybe he's waiting until after the UAW contracts to find cheaper real estate. theres cheaper real estate than in Detroit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShockFX Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 theres cheaper real estate than in Detroit? METRO Detroit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 theres cheaper real estate than in Detroit? Look around the midwest: Cleveland, Columbus, Indy.....there are plenty of places with real estate that is cheaper than it is in the D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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