Carbon Footprint for Republicans (lots of photos, warning)

377OHMS

377OHMS

I have a few cars but like something efficient for a daily driver. Some of you know I've been commuting in a Ford Focus.

I got interested in the Ford Fusion Hybrid and picked one up last week. I'm getting about 42 mpg and it is very comfortable and even a little fun. When you start the car it doesn't make a sound, a green light turns on in the dash and says "ready to drive". After the car gets up to about 62 mph it switches over from electric to a 2 liter gasoline engine. The car has a lot of gadgets including a "lane keeping system" that actually has a forward facing camera that it uses to steer the car to keep it in the middle of the lane. With the cruise control engaged and the lane keeping system active you can sit and eat a sandwich with both hands and the car effectively drives itself. The cruise control maintains however many car-lengths gap you specify between you and the car in front of you. I'm liking it and will be driving it up to Oregon next weekend:

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This is my Boss 302 right after I bought it, my Carrera and 914-6 are in the background:

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Boss 302 and the Focus I traded in for the Fusion:

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My house, truck and my dog Fred:

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There we go. :)
 
I thought you said Fred was a girl???

Anyway, what happens when you stomp the peddle in the Fusion? Does it cough and choke and start to whine? Will it keep up with a jogger? :D

Oh, and what happens at the end of the warranty? Does it automatically self-destruct or do you have to get it it's own credit card for repairs?
 
Quote from pspr:

I thought you said Fred was a girl???

Anyway, what happens when you stomp the peddle in the Fusion? Does it cough and choke and start to whine? Will it keep up with a jogger? :D

Oh, and what happens at the end of the warranty? Does it automatically self-destruct or do you have to get it it's own credit card for repairs?
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Fred is a boy. Still has his balls too. :D

My other two dogs are girls.

The fusion I can fix with a soldering iron and electrical tape instead of my usual duct tape and bailing wire repairs.
 
Fred looks like he doesn't tolerate a lot of crap going on around the property.

Seriously, I think the fusion is a great looking little car, kind of has an Aston Martin front end look.

I worry about that combination of cruise control and lane centering. I fully expect to see some idiot doing 80 MPH on I-95 reading a newspaper or fooling with his phone. Of course, it might be safer to at least have the technology, since they are doing that stuff now without it.
 
Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

Fred looks like he doesn't tolerate a lot of crap going on around the property.

Seriously, I think the fusion is a great looking little car, kind of has an Aston Martin front end look.

I worry about that combination of cruise control and lane centering. I fully expect to see some idiot doing 80 MPH on I-95 reading a newspaper or fooling with his phone. Of course, it might be safer to at least have the technology, since they are doing that stuff now without it.
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Yeah, Fred is... diligent. :D

He once caught and killed a squirrel so fast that I could not intervene to stop him. I took a couple of seconds literally.

I was surprised by the "Driver Assist" functions this car came with and didn't know about them until I already purchased it. When I realized what it did I looked on the net to see what other vehicles offered similar technology and saw that you can get a Mercedes with nearly the same technology starting around $100k. Ford seems to be pushing some of these technologies by putting it on modestly priced cars (the Fusion equipped like mine is about $34k). I just didn't know that there were systems that could actively steer the car on the highway.

It also has a rear facing camera and when you select Reverse you see the rear view with curved lines project onto the picture presenting where the car will go when backed up with its current steering inputs and it also has range marked out which lets you back up ridiculously close to objects (inches) safely.

As I mentioned, I'm getting about 42 mpg and not the 47 mpg that Ford claims so there is an issue with how they come up with their mileage figures but that still seems like great mileage for a mid-sized car. Its raining here so I got a chance to use the automatic windshield wipers today and I'm liking the seat heaters with 3 heat settings. Ford seems to be on a bit of roll these days and I like that they didn't take any public bailout funds and aren't beholden to the Obama administration. I like Alan Mulally and hope Ford does well and hires people in the US. This car is assembled in Hermosillo, Mexico.
 
Quote from 377OHMS:

I just didn't know that there were systems that could actively steer the car on the highway.
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What happens when you hit those construction zones where they errased some lane markers and put down others, then they change it back. Half the time I can't tell which is the new and which is the old. I'd hate for the car to just drive you off into a field following some old lane marker. Or worse drive you into a barrier or another car. :D
 
Quote from pspr:

What happens when you hit those construction zones where they errased some lane markers and put down others, then they change it back. Half the time I can't tell which is the new and which is the old. I'd hate for the car to just drive you off into a field following some old lane marker. Or worse drive you into a barrier or another car. :D
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lol.

If the car can't see clear lane markers the system disengages and gives off all kinds of aural and visual warnings.

The radar-based cruise control makes me wonder. What if you have it set for 3 car lengths behind a Highway Patrol car and he suddenly rockets off at 120 mph to chase someone? :)
 
Quote from 377OHMS:

lol.

If the car can't see clear lane markers the system disengages and gives off all kinds of aural and visual warnings.

The radar-based cruise control makes me wonder. What if you have it set for 3 car lengths behind a Highway Patrol car and he suddenly rockets off at 120 mph to chase someone? :)
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LOL I guess you are going for a ride with the police in that case. Seriously, doesn't it have a max speed when you set the radar cruise? I wonder if it can tell if a car way ahead is stopped before it gets too close. And, more importantly, that radar isn't true radar that could cause sterility or cancer is it? I guess that's up your alley so you would already know.
 
Quote from 377OHMS:

lol.

If the car can't see clear lane markers the system disengages and gives off all kinds of aural and visual warnings.

The radar-based cruise control makes me wonder. What if you have it set for 3 car lengths behind a Highway Patrol car and he suddenly rockets off at 120 mph to chase someone? :)
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what a rush

I think auto radar is at 77GHz, do you know?
 
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