Big V8s here to stay
August 12, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
Once lunch was over, it was time to head back, being so surprised by the fuel economy figures of our initial journey, I decided that surely, I was taking it easy. The journey home was changed slightly to include driving through a 20km patch of mountain road at pace, followed by the same trip home via the Bruce Highway.
There and back, 386km. Average speed? 50.3km/h. Average fuel consumption? 13.5L/100km. Would I rather pay the extra $30 not to be in a Prius? Absolutely.
If your missus is telling you to not even consider the V8 for the next family car, send her a link to this article. Tell her that having a V8 might cost an extra $30 a week, but since when did an additional $30 a week become so bloody important?
Aren’t we all suppose to be enjoying our lives a little more these days?
When did driving become just a thing that we do. Surely we can still have fun behind the wheel!
On average you will spend more than two weeks a year in your car and let me tell you, from someone who tends to spend about 2 months a year in cars, you’d want those two weeks to be more interesting than starring at an energy meter with a Prius Owners Club sticker on the rear window!
Besides, if an extra $30 a week means enjoying your drive, then do yourself a favour, with fuel prices actually going down, don’t give up on your V8 dream.
You know I just had a thought… “Prius must be the most admired car in the world” – seems like most journalists love to compare almost every car with it..
Well kudos to Toyota Marketing!
As for the extra 30$ a week, well I can appreciate that for some thats just loose change, if at all.
I see the point with “hybrids are not the answer”, but they are a step towards a solution, wether it be hybrids, or electric it has sped up the process of getting more fuel efficient cars, that and also the price of oil does help with this.
Enjoyed the article and it looks like you enjoyed the run in the big stomping V8. Long trips are the V8’s forte – easy overtaking and turning hills into molehills. Hopefully there will be a place for such vehicles for a long time.
Unfortunately, the small minded and prejudiced, as witnessed on some of the comments above, seem to be proliferating as to the acceptableness of such vehicles in the current climate.
Ra,
I think you must be nauseous from all that exhaust smoke.
Cars like the Prius shouldn\’t even have a color option, cause people who buy cars like that have gotta be just as boring.
No matter how much the price of fuel is, once you get behing the wheel of that GEN-4 6.0L V8 (hopefully soon to be upgraded to the LS3 6.2L V8) all your attention is consumed with wonder as to what the hell is happening under that hood……..!!!!
To each their own all the way, but before you try it out don\’t be so quick to judge.
Alborz,
This was a very good review and it has only added fuel to the burning desire to buy the SS. Thanks and keep up the excellent work.
Sheldon
Ra….It’s your choice entirely….BUT…start saving for a new battery pack…..NOW!