mpg-o-editor

MPG Video Series is a Go

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Thank you kindly for getting us to the starting line! The Kickstarter campaign for Ain’t Fuelin’ hit its funding mark last Friday and it’s taken me a week to recover and gather my thoughts about where it’s going. The three week campaign was a wild ride, and until the closing week, I was unsure whether it would fund. Locking down key sponsorships was crucial, but things didn’t start popping until the clock started ticking.

I’ve had this project on the back burner for more than three years. Over that time, I’ve had the good fortune to speak with a range of automotive professionals, from mechanics and race car drivers, through engineers and top-level executives. The premise of what we seek to prove is sound. The toughest part of this endeavor is producing compelling video on an extremely tight budget. Simply put, this has to be something that you want to watch and share with your friends.

Ain't Fuelin' is funded.

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2013 Hyundai Azera Review

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MPG-o-Matic 2013 Azera Review Summary: The 2013 Hyundai Azera is slotted between the Sonata and Genesis in Hyundai’s line-up. It aims to upset the apple cart, by delivering a whole lot of luxury at a rather remarkable price. Whether you’re in the market for a large Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Buick, or Lincoln, you’d do well to cross-shop the Azera. While it’s not as thrifty with fuel as a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, or Volkswagen Passat TDI, the Azera’s comparatively low acquisition costs and 100,000 mile warranty make it a compelling choice for budget-minded folks shopping for a large luxury sedan.

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Why Did Honda Put a Vacuum in the Odyssey Instead of a Diesel Engine?

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Suffice to say, I don’t usually sit back, watch the press releases roll over the wire and shovel out posts. But when I saw that Honda was showing an integrated vacuum cleaner in the new 2014 Odyssey at a New York Auto Show media preview, I got a bit steamed. Not to suggest that they should have added a steamer as well (who wants to arrive at their destination covered in crumbs and wrinkles), but it all seems a bit supliferous, considering the shape we’re in (lay off the out of shape jokes, kids). It’s just hard to understand why Honda continues to withhold their excellent clean diesel engines from America, knowing that they could provide a thirty percent improvement in fuel economy.

Would an integrated vacuum cleaner convince Mom that she had to have the Odyssey over the Town and Country?

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Does the EPA use E10 Gasoline for Fuel Economy Testing?

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Did you ever wonder what kind of gasoline that the EPA labs use when they test new cars to come up with the official gas mileage figures? I’ve been pondering this question for a while. I finally got off my duff and called the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to find out.

Here’s something you might not know.

When they test cars for their official fuel economy numbers – the numbers that go on the window stickers and on the EPA website – they don’t use E10 gasoline (i.e.: just about all the fuel we can buy on the street). They use something called “Certification Gasoline.” It’s E0. It contains no ethanol, whatsoever. None.

How can these be considered accurate tests when the federal government isn’t using the same fuel that we use. Granted that when the tests were devised, there was no ethanol in the gasoline, but that’s certainly not the case today.

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The $1300 Civic HX That Got Away

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I’ve been looking for a cheap Civic HX coupe for months on end. When one popped up in North Jersey on Craigslist a few weeks back, it set my wheels rolling. It was exactly what I was after: solid, but with cosmetic issues. (It needed a fender and possibly a door.) The price was spot on: just $1300. I immediately emailed the owner, but didn’t hear back. I waited a day and emailed again. Finally, he got back to me … the car had been sold. With my hopes dashed for that specific car, I vowed to finally get this project in gear. I found another car in South Jersey that looked to be a likely candidate. It had high miles, but was relatively clean, other than one mismatched wheel. The price was roughly double that of the North Jersey HX. I watched it for a few days, before it sold, as well.

The Kickstarter campaign for Ain’t Fuelin’ reached two milestones yesterday, crossing the 50 backer and $1300 funding marks. Fifty backers and thirteen hundred bucks … a small crowd and the exact amount of the car that spurred me into launching the campaign. The car I currently have my eye on is nearly triple the price of the banged-up bargain car. It’s extremely clean but has over two hundred and twenty thousand miles on the clock. I should have my head examined for even considering the car at that price. That said, I’ve driven the car and it doesn’t feel like it has that many miles. It’s solid. But it’s not worth what they’re asking.

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