[VintageKrug]

Quite right, this was more about driving tips, techniques originally, but a discussion of the best car types for the job is just as valid.

Any prototype is going to be expensive if judged on a cost per seat basis.

The prototype A380 cost around £10billion (I assume that’s US billions) to develop, but I don’t hear people calling it a £25million/seat aircraft.

The only buffoonery is that people fall for that sort of statistic; in fact eight buses were developed for a very modest £8m-£11m (depending which source you read) , and off the back of that fixed cost investment (exactly the sort of R&D we should be doing more of as a country) London can now begin to reap the rewards of a 21st century icon for considerably less marginal cost for future new examples.

Do you really think you can design, build and rollout a totally new design for a few hundred thousand pounds??? These are not Ford Focuses; they are workhorses used every day for possibly decades and have a price tag accordingly.

These are a huge improvement over the hated bendy buses they replace on the 38 route.

The new diesel-hybrid routemaster will be a great “green” asset for London, for many years to come.

Even the Guardian grudgingly likes it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/feb/23/routemaster-london-bus-new

[RichHI1]

I welcome the presence of greener buses on London’s streets. As a free market capitalist i would see R&D costs as the responisbility of the manufacturer rather than a government body. Funding however is a political Matter and whether or not the funding should be government funded in a socialist model is not I believe a topic for this travel forum.
As I said earlier I hope this developmemt can be leveraged in public transport across the country.

[ConstantFlyer1]

I sometimes turn off the engine while waiting at traffic lights or level crossings. But Mrs CF contends that I use more fuel restarting the engine, unless I am stationary for more than 4 minutes. She can’t remember where she heard the 4 minute thing, though. Any ideas?

[Redjohn]

Krug, it’s a BUS not a high tech aircraft. A bus that transports the masses. We already have a multitude of fine buses, including hybrids on existing designs. It is a folly, a totally self gratifying waste of money for that buffoon.

[VintageKrug]

“Some people hate quality. It gives them a guilty conscience.”

[RichHI1]

Asked a question I could not answer, so I thought I would aak here. What would be difference in fuel burned if airport ahopping was available not on departure But on arrival? The premise being that carry on weight would drop and airline sales Would be collected on arrival not in flight.

[craigwatson]

ConstantFlyer1 – I have heard the same thing about burning more fuel starting an engine than letting it idle. I was told that modern vehicles burn almost zero fuel while idling at a stop. Never heard of the 4 minute cut off though, interesting.

[RichHI1]

If the 4 minute rule is true why do so many cars have autostop fitted ex factory? I remember people said it was better to not turn off lights if under 10 minutes. Mythbusters I think proved it was nearer to A half second. Now it is possible an older car could Exhaust the battery restarting if driving in the London rush hour.

[VintageKrug]

I think you can buy fuel additives which are meant to help; though frankly I think getting a full service every year is the way forward.

Has anyone cleared out the boot as a consequence of rising prices? 142p/litre now for those not UK based…..and will rise in August once again.

[stevescoots]

I traded down from the S600 to an S350, that halved my fuel cost overnight!

As I live in lincolnshire public transport is a non starter even locally, and the train to and from LHR is a 5 hour 180 quid journey door to door going through central london with all my cases. I drive it, it takes 2.5-3 hours and cost 200 including valet parking for 2 weeks at a time

[MartynSinclair]

There is no issue that turning the engine off at traffic lights saves fuel. The question is how to turn back on without wasting fuel – enter “Auto stop/start”.

[PatJordan]

Volkswagen had that very device as part of a package in the early 1980s. They called it “formel e” or similar. The problem was that it needed a much heavier battery to cope with the additional starting, an tl a degree lessened the economy. I think it cost a bit more too.

Pat

[Henkel.Trocken]

Marvellous bit of thread bumping today VirtualKrug, what did you want to get rid of out of the top ten?

[IanFromHKG]

I drove a BMW840, just because I loved it, and my wife drove the Lexus hybrid SUV. We decided to get rid of the Lexus, after we eventually realised (neither having wanted to say it to the other before) that we both hated it. She switched to a Mini Cooper cabriolet, which she adores, and uses less fuel than the hybrid Lexus, still has room for four (at 6’3″ I can sit in the back! – although admittedly I would only want to do this for short journeys!) and had to trade my beloved 840 for a Jaguar XF. Our fuel bill has plunged. So, I think the best way to sort out your fuel consumption is to “right-size” your car, and also to “right-type” it – for us, a small car was more fuel-efficient than a hybrid (admittedly a large one) and, as it turned out, much more fun to drive. We can’t get diesels here (except the Audi Q7), which is a shame, but I can’t help thinking that for the vast majority of people something like the BMW320d is probably the best choice you can make – plenty of space, excellent comfort, they finally sorted out the runflat ride, and real-world fuel consumption of 60+mpg. What’s not to like?

Oh, and Rich, you should try some of the more modern diesels, you will be astounded, I promise you. Some of them are indistinguishable in smoothness and noise levels from petrols. Don’t let your past prejudices block you from experiencing the sea-change that has come about in this arena

[BeckyBoop]

Martyn interesting you mentioned about the automatic stop/start at traffic lights. In fact the current range of BMW’s have this feature built in. The car will automatically sense the car at a traffic light or when stationary for a set period and turns off the engine (more like a standby mode like you get on your computer). Then once you hit the accelerator the car moves off as if was not turned off. You hardly hear the engine start either.

Ian I would also go for a 320 and even 325d and highly recommend the new 5 series over a Mercedes and Audi. 🙂 Don’t even bother with a Lexus as they are highly over priced for what they offer, apparently Willie Walsh drives the Hybrid Lexus. However I would avoid the runflats unless you can really afford them because they retail for close to around £300+ each. BMW will of course insist they are better for the car but most people will not notice any difference (I know I didn’t). Also tell your wife I am mega jel of her car she has the one I want!!! 😉 x

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