Quote:
Originally Posted by davidthefat
Also consider fuel mileage. More mass = a bigger force to get the same acceleration. Gas can really add up.
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Let's do the math.
Assumptions: 10,000 miles a year, $4 a gallon for gas
18 MPG = 555 g = $2222
28 MPG = 357 g = $1428
So the difference between a quite bad car and a better-than-average car is about $800 a year. Seems like a lot, but it's really not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by squirrel
I'm sure there's a good reason for ABS, but I don't know what that could be...
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Paying attention, reasonable following distances and driver skill nearly obviate the need for ABS. Ditto other driving assistance systems.
But there is no accounting for some cases: Deer (plural) at night out of nowhere, no ABS and I hit one, but with ABS I steer right between two and avoid contact. True story. I have the brown pants to prove it.
The bottom line is, a car with ABS can be stopped almost as short as the very best drivers on the planet, but by any idiot who can stomp on the brakes. This was, by the way, the first step to the self-driving car.