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Not only is it frustrating when stupid people assert their right to drive slow in the left lane, but it is dangerous. Oops, there I go again.
Actually, there is in at least one state. Here in Pennsylvania, the law is "Keep right except to pass". It is posted on most multi-lane roads but tends to be ignored a lot unless there is a police car nearby.
And more often than not, violated.
... You can really make some time when you can drive 83 with no fear of reprisal...
Except at the pumps, LOL.
Yikes!
At least travelling east, there's a 5,000 ft. drop in elevation. I guess you could call that "downhill." That's gotta help MPG, right? :shades:
As an extreme example of the speed/mileage equation (and in my case, of the ignorance of youth), I once set the cruise control on my Civic at 120 mph for a bit. I got about 160 miles at that speed before I had to fill the tank. I ended up calculating that my 33-mpg Civic went to about half that number at prolonged near-redline speeds. Turns out those lovely VTEC motors weren't meant to STAY at 7,000 rpm for too long.
Epilogue: the Mobil-1-fed Civic went on to live a happy life - and with a wife and kids, I don't do that kind of funny business anymore.
Once that's done, each photo will have a box with a URL that you can copy/paste to embed a photo into a post.
I'm gonna chime in here briefly, in freealfas defense (not on the offensive here, just adding some info). I drive a Honda Accord 4-cylinder, and see as much as 6-7 MPG above highway sticker (you read correctly - 40 MPG) when driven just right (around 70 MPH with NO passing/acceleration/downshifting/AirCon). I whole-heartedly believe it is possible to get the numbers people are quoting in their FreeStyle CUVs. I never would have believed it if I hadn't started doing so well myself when I really shoot for super mileage.
I got home from a beach trip today, but drove at a consistent 82 MPH with A/C and a good bit of slowing to 70 and speeding back up, and I got 34 MPG exactly.
(My Accord I-4 Auto is rated at 24/34 on the old 2007 standards, 21/31 on the upcoming 2008 ones).
The problem with interior photos is that they'll try to make them look as spacious as possible. So when shooting the 2nd row, they'll move the 1st row up to a 5'0" person seating position and move the 2nd row all the way back. When photographing the 3rd row, they move the 2nd row forward as much as possible. You can sometimes tell by looking at the seat tracks to see the position.
That's why I look at legroom measurements. They're also not perfect, but better that photos. With my Freestyle, the 2nd row bench doesn't slide, so what I get is what I get. And according to Cars.com, what I get is 41.2", 40.4", and 33.2" in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd row legroom, as compared to the Acadia's 41.3", 36.9", and 33.2". I wonder where the 2nd row is for the Acadia to get those dimensions? Also, the behind the 3rd row luggage space is 20.7 for the Freestylevs 19.7 for the Acadia. Yes, there's more hip room for the Acadia, but then it's 3.5" wider, and it's also 4" taller. Personally, I'd rather not have to climb up into a vehicle. Since the interior headroom of the Freestyle is identical to the Acadia, I'm guessing that the extra 4" of Acadia height means that much climb-in height. The Acadia is also about 700lbs heavier according to this site.
Maybe these numbers aren't exact and granted you really have to sit in the vehicles, but I still believe the numbers over the photos, especially when you have a sliding 2nd row.
http://www.cars.com/go/compare/trimCompare.jsp?acodes=USB70FOC191A0,USB70GMS241A- 0
May I add one other annoyance while I'm at it? It's those who get on the freeway going 55-60 mph, and with no car anywhere near in the right two or three lanes, move immediately to the left lane. I don't get it?
Better Driving to Make the Roads Safer is probably a better place to keep kicking this around.
The ignorant American driver in a nutshell... smoothness is a road condition not driving practice. There is NO ENTITLEMENT in driving there is RIGHT OF WAY, slower drivers regardless of speed legal or otherwise are supposed to give way to faster drivers. Grow up and swallow it, read your states driver's manual and investigate its laws, my guess is that you have more than a learner's permit and have driven on the highway's here in the US and know the realities fo the speeds drivers are traveling at. Drivers are supposed to be in the right lane except to pass in most if not all states regardless of speed. If you are passing a string of slower cars by all means use the left lane, if you are done and the right lane is unoccupied for a stretch move back to the right as that is where you belong because usually there is always someone faster than you.
To play the road smoothness or speed limit card to rationalize cruising in the left lane regardless of the traffic amount and or speed coming up behind you is irresponsible, inconsiderate and in most states illegal and did I not mention ignorant. There are 2 lanes for a reason, one to cruise in and one to pass in...think about it.
But if the right lane is clear, you can just as easily move over to the right and pass me. There's no extra danger involved, and it shouldn't make you mad.
If it's heavy traffic, I may not move over because this is what usually happens:
1) you come up behind me and want to pass
2) I finally manage to find a place to pull over to the right into heavy traffic, and you attempt to pass
3) then you decide to slow down, and/or the guy behind you speeds up a bit, and suddenly I'm trapped in the slow lane, while you move along just at the same speed I was going before, because you're too chicken to keep going full speed ahead (or there's just not room for you to do it).
For that reason, I stay in the left lane when I feel like I'm going plenty fast. And if I happen to see you speeding up behind me at 20mph faster than I'm going, I'll probably move over if I can. But if you just "appear" in my rearview mirror all of the sudden because you're travelling so fast and the terrain prevents me from seeing you until you're on my tail, I probably won't feel inclined to move over. You just pass me on the right. If that's too difficult a maneuver for you, then perhaps you should slow down.
Most of the times, there's 2 lanes because that's what it takes to keep traffic moving. And it probably needs THREE lanes, anyway. :P
Why am I buying a Freestyle. Why get something outdated when I can have better interior space, and better acceleration, and better features? I wouldn't. Maybe I'll get an Acadia and drive at 65 miles per hour on the freeway and get 30 mpg. Sounds reasonable to me.
Oh yeah and you can get all of this at a price multiple thousands less than msrp and invoice making them significantly cheaper than the competition because people haven't gotten the clue yet.
No- the price is so low because no one wants a station wagon with no power and mediocre cargo room to replace their MDX/ Highlander/ other CUV.
What vehicle are you talking about? Obviously not the Freestyle :P
Speed limits aside, and however justified your feeling of entitlement to the left lane, it's best if everyone can assume you are going to follow the law and keep right. That's the common ground, and thus the safety factor.
Passing on the right is illegal where I live, and the lack of discipline that allows or encourages such moves only contributes to the unnecessary bunch-ups and tie ups on multi-lane roads.
Back to the discussion with a curious question: why isn't the Pacifica in on this comparison?
"I'll possibly move over to the right to let you pass if I feel like it."
Review your local law and see what it says about what lane you are supposed to be traveling.
"But if the right lane is clear, you can just as easily move over to the right and pass me. There's no extra danger involved, and it shouldn't make you mad."
As noted previously, PASSING IS ILLEGAL on the right, thereby necessitating you to make way by laws to oncoming traffic to the right lane to make a legal pass available provided a suitable , safe space for you to merge is available.
The problem with the American motorist is encapsulated in these few choice tidbits not taking into ANY ACCOUNT local laws or common driving courtesy;
"I'll possibly move over"
"if I feel like it."
" There's no extra danger involved, and it shouldn't make you mad"
"I may not move over"
"suddenly I'm trapped in the slow lane"
"I stay in the left lane when I feel like I'm going plenty fast"
"I probably won't feel inclined to move over"
"You just pass me on the right. If that's too difficult a maneuver for you, then perhaps you should slow down"
You and your attitudes are the very reason there are accidents on the highway, traffic a problem, and road rage.
Laws are there for a reason, to follow, I may drive quickly and moderately over the speed limit but I am adamant about lane courtesy and passing. Your arrogance is astounding as to what is portrayed in you post and it is yet another reason why driving has become unbearable and more tragicaly, unsafe because that is how you are operating you vehicle. Stupidity and arrogance kill behind the wheel.
I drive across a long two lane bridge every day, and quite often traffic gets jammed up b/c of left lane loiterers doing the posted speed limit. Very frustrating.
Go buy the Acadia then and bring it by and we can compare...and we can start with who'll have more money in their pocket at the end of the deal, and then we'll see who has less weight to carry around, and then we'll see how much less gas I'll have to buy, and then we see the incrementally less amount of space you will have behind your occupied 3rd row, and then we'll each say mine looks better... whatever.
Buy what you like I never said the FS was the end all be-all, my only point is that it was a good use of corporate parts, safe, economical, forward thinking, capable, agile, faster than it's competition, comfortable, and affordable 2 YEARS ago while GM/Hyundai were still figuring out what CUV stood for hence we weren't having this exchange back then.
I do have a problem with how Ford is dealing the FS down the river and abandoning its forward thinking attributes to satisfy those like you with power inadequacy issues. Go nuts, even 18mos ago when we bought we got $4k under sticker, You will not be doing that with the new GM triplets any time soon because of fanboyism and all the wonderment of what is shiney and new. Bottom line and my greater point to all of this is the FS is the better VALUE every day of the week than what is available from the competition. Is it what YOU want to buy probably not.
Trust me, I know if I'm causing a traffic problem. And if I am, I'll pull over.
But I'm NOT going to pull over and half to slow down and get trapped in the slow lane just so I can let some yay-hoo pass me by on the left and get 2 car lenghts in front of me and then have to slow down again, boxing me in.
He can slow down BEHIND me, instead of ahead of me.
And trust me, it'll only be a bit of time before any gap ahead of me is filled . . either by me, or by somebody else in front of me in the right lane pulling back in to the left lane.
And for those saying I'm being unsafe and illegal by not lettng you pass . . . well, you're already doing something illegal (speeding), which is also supposed to be unsafe. And you're being MORE unsafe than I am, since you're trying to pass me.
So which is worse? Your extra speed, or my refusal to move right and let you pass? :P
And as far as "ignorant American" . . well, if that was made by a European, I'll submit that I'm far less ignorant of how to drive effectively in the US traffic (at least in the area where I live) than you are.
Bottom line: if there's a ton of room up in front of me, I'm going to move over and let you pass if you can't pass to the right of me very easily. But you may have to give me a little time if I'm trying to get past a bunch of 18-wheelers bunch up in a sorta convoy.
Imagine that there's 5 trucks in a row in the right lane doing 65 mph (in a 65 mph zone), with hardly any gap between them. Further assume that I'm trying to pass them at 70 mph. If you come tooling up behind me doing 85mph, I see no reason for me to try to pull into their convoy and let you pass. I'll take my sweet time passing them (5mph above the speed limit), and then I'll pull over and let you pass.
Though most of the time I do that, the person behind me decides to cut into the right lane to pass me before I think it's safe for me to pull over in front of the trucks. I give respect to trucks, and don't want them to start even THINKING about braking because of me pulling out in front of them. I want them to KNOW that they can keep going at the same speed without slowing down.
Beieve it or not, I try to think about the other drivers, and what they might do.
So, I will pass the trucks, then wait for what I think is a reasonable distance to pull right. But I'm also watching to see what YOU'RE gonna do . . you may very well be the type who's gonna pull right to pass me in what I think is an unsafe manner. But I'm gonna make YOU do that, not me. I'm trying to be safe. At least safer than you. :P
And apparently we're both ignorant of the SAFE speed laws. :P
Oh, you don't think they're necessarily for safety? Well, I don't think the "drive to the right and only pass on the left" is always the safest thing to do, either. And I drive accordingly. So there! :surprise: :P
Enough of the left lane camping posts please - take it to the discussion I linked earlier if want to keep beating on it. This topic is a car comparison one and that's what people coming here expect to read about. Thanks.
Well, they're ALL "wagons", really. Just some more "wagony" than others. But I guess that's not the macho image that they want to portray.
A couple of left lane posts have been removed - if yours is missing and you'd like a copy, send me an email. Then you can repost them over in Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.).
And, as luck would have it, we have an active discussion going on over there right now on the very same subject!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
But apparently SUVs/CUVs that look like the Cadillac SRX, Freestyle and Pacifica don't get as much respect. I frankly don't get it.
I own a Freestyle so my interior comparison is based off of my personal vehicle. I was astounded at how large the Acadia and its siblings were on the outside but how small they were on the inside. I could not discern any difference in internal size vs. my Freestyle, but when you look at it from the outside it looks to be the size of a Tahoe. The Freestyle seems to be a much better package from the standpoint of being small on the outside but roomy on the inside. The Acadia seems to have the opposite characteristics.
The CX-9 was a nice looking vehicle and didn't seem nearly as monstrous as the Acadia, but I was very disappointed in the third row seating arrangement. There isn't much leg room back there and unlike the Freestyle and Acadia certainly couldn't seat adults. The room behind the third row was also less than the Freestyle. Once again the Freestyle wins.
Hopefully those considering these types of vehicles will seriously consider the "Taurus X", silly name and all, because in my opinion it is simply a better package than the alternatives. And with the more powerful engine and traditional automatic people can't complain about a perceived lack of power and weird CVT any longer. FWIW over 37,000 miles I've never wanted more power and we love the smooth CVT.
There is still that "I won't buy a Ford" stigma, but in the interest of keeping it real I never thought I would buy a Ford (I've driven Volvos and Saabs all my life) but my family loves our Freestyle, and looking at the competition at the Auto Show only reinforced those feelings.
I recently drove a Hyundai Veracruz. They only had a base model, but I was very impressed with all aspects of it, except storage behind the 3rd row and 3rd row entry/exit. It was the quietest vehicle I have ever driven, even at interstate speeds. The Acadia had a better 3rd row, but the Veracruz had a better 2nd row. The 3rd row seats have two recline settings and IMO were fine for adults. It was a base model with no options so I can't really comments on some of the nicer options, but the cloth seats did feel nice and were decently supportive.
The Acadia cargo volume behind the 3rd row is over 2 cubic ft bigger than in the FS, so it makes good use of the small dimensional differences. Given their exterior and interior dimensions, I don't think one has a real advantage over the other, spacewise.
The FS is lighter, although not more maneuverable. It should get better mileage. The Acadia is quieter and has more preceived presence. Personal preferences will dictate choice, but it seems the longer wheelbase look is winning with most customers.
I realize that I was looking at the "cheap" (isn't it easy to call $28K cheap these days?) version of the vehicle, but I'm having trouble believing that my opinion will change with the more expensive models given what I saw.
One last observation...the Veracrus' exterior was much more attractive in person than from pictures, although the front grill is still not my favorite.
...and because every post here has to include something about Freestyles, I looked at them and I tried to like them, but while the exterior is simply boring, the interior would look more at home in a Focus than in a vehicle with a $30K price tag. Given the much more attractive options out there, I'll go elsewhere. I'll call that extra $200/year (or so) I have to pay for gas due to lower MPG a style tax and live with it.