Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/09/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Good point. When I came to Spain 4 years ago it became obvious that my Opel with its 360.000 km had made its last big trip driving the 2100 km from Amsterdam to Alicante, so within a couple of months I went shopping for a new car. I really liked the Prius too for urban driving but during a test drive I found it a bit underpowered on the motorway (keep in mind that our speeds here are quite a bit higher than in the US) and I was somewhat concerned by the complex technology. So instead I got an Avensis with a 2.2 l diesel engine which is quite economical and yet allows me to comfortably cruise at 180 km/h and get up to 200 km/h when needed. With my distance to work being only 12 km, and the rather large fuel tank, I only have to fill it up about once a month unless I take a long trip. My wife's RAV4 has the same 2.2 l diesel engine as my Avensis, but with a more sedate gearing suitable to a baby SUV to be driven by a woman ;-) Cheers, Nathan Nathan Wajsman Alicante, Spain http://www.frozenlight.eu http://www.greatpix.eu http://www.nathanfoto.com PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ YNWA On Sep 20, 2011, at 8:23 PM, Herbert Kanner wrote: > I'm surprised that no one mentioned the Prius. I think an older Prius > might fall into the desired price range, though I haven't checked. > > In the past, I've had quite a number of sporty cars, starting with a > Porsche 365 (or is it 356) rag top, then a Fiat Spider (Spyder?), a > Volkswagen Cabriolet, and a Volkswagen Cabrio. > > When it was time to retire the Cabrio, I was torn between things like a > Miata or a Mini Cooper, and at the other extreme, a Prius. What finally > decided me was a trial run in a friend's Prius. There is a particular exit > ramp on a freeway that is marked 25mph which I regularly took comfortably > at about 38mph. I once tried it in my wife's Camry, and it was damn > uncomfortable. A friend let me drive his Prius on the same exit ramp at > the same speed, and it was quite happy. That decided me; I liked the idea > of 40+ miles per gallon. > > Having had the Prius now for two years, I find it one of the most > driveable cars I've ever owned. It is also the first car of mine without a > stick shift. I've never liked automatic transmissions; didn't want an > automaton deciding what gear to put me in. But the Prius, which they > (incorrectly) claim has a constantly variable transmission, gives such a > smooth acceleration that it is an absolute pleasure to drive. To explain: > it behaves like a constantly variable transmission. The engine runs at the > optimum rpm for the amount of power requested. That latter is a direct > function of the position of the accelerator pedal. > > Herb > > > >> So imagine you have a budget of $12K-$17K for a used car, probably around >> 2004-2007 vintage. >> >> Imagine a quick, responsive, air in your hair driving experience of a >> Mazda >> Miata, taking confident turns on the Route One highway along the coast. >> Your >> trust Leica and XPan in the truck with a carbon fiber tripod. >> >> It may not do so well in Death Valley? Or may be the dusty desert of the >> Southwest? >> >> Then imagine a reliable, carry everything and anything Toyota Rav4. Small >> for a SUV and drive like a car, and it's a Toyota, it will last another 10 >> years, easily. >> >> What would you choose? >> >> -- >> // richard <http://www.imagecraft.com/> >> // icc blog: <http://imagecraft.com/blog/> >> // richard's personal photo blog: <http://www.5pmlight.com> >> [ For technical support on ImageCraft products, please include all >> previous >> replies in your msgs. ] >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- > Herbert Kanner > kanner at acm.org > 650-326-8204 > > Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, > for they are subtle and will pee > on your computer! > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >