Group: alt.usage.english · Group Profile
Author: the Omrudthe Omrud Date: Jun 10, 2008 09:56
Jitze wrote:
> On Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:38:46 +0100, Wood Avens
> askjennison.com> wrote:
> >> On Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:00:19 -0700, Jitze znet.com> wrote:
>>>>> Off the bat - I didn't realise it was a diesel until the first time I
>>> had to fill up - it made neither diesel noises nor smell. It had a 2
>>> liter engine and sported 136 horsepower - quite adequate,
>>> never noticed any diesel-sluggishness.
>>>
>>> I drove it just under 1000 miles with maybe a 50/50 mixture of
>>> freeway and downtown stop-n-go. Bottom line at the end was
>>> 43.96 miles per gallon!
>> [Lots of good stuff snipped]
>>
>> Is that US gallons? We have a diesel Skoda Octavia, and average (over
>> all trips, including stop-start stuff) about 65 mpg, UK -- which is
>> still about 54 mpg US.
>>
>
> Yes - I converted to US gallons, so the mpg in English Imperial
> measures would come out at an even higher number. Nevertheless,
> this was a pretty substantial vehicle - if I were living in
> Europe somewhere with say a 4-person family, I very likely
> would choose something smaller and thus even more
> efficient. I don't think I could go a low as a "Smart Car" or
> Cinquecento or stuff of that ilk, but there are a number
> of decent smaller sized Peugeots (presumable equipped with
> smaller editions of this impressive diesel motor) as well as
> VW's and their derivatives/relatives such as the Skoda,
> also with such modern "common rail" diesels which are
> yet to be invented in America.
>
> Incidentaly, what a transformation with Skoda - in my yoof
> these were the laughing stock - right up there with the Trabi,
> the Wartburg and the Yugo. (Remember the Goggomobil! [1])
> Now it is a perfectly respectable car and very efficient
> as you indicated. But if one grew up with such an ingrained
> stereotypical reaction to the name "Skoda"... I'd really have
> to have a good talk to myself before I could buy one.
VW bought Skoda in 1991 and has returned the company to its former
position as a significant car maker. Many of the models share platforms
with VW. I am amused by the WikiP introduction which says "The Škoda
Octavia is a small family car ...". That sounds like a US viewpoint.
--
David
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