Interested in hang gliding? Currently learning to hang glide? Post your questions here.
This forum is open to unregistered users

Moderators: sg, mods

User avatar
By Karl_A
#398157
While low range and engine braking are better for severe downhill, there are a lot of other factors. Brake braking works better on smaller, lighter vehicles and not having low range makes the smaller vehicle simpler and less expensive in addition to getting better gas mileage. If it's 3 hours on the freeway to good mountain flying and the road to launch is not too long, steep or rough, something like the Forester might be better. If you live near the base of the mountain but the road to launch is long, steep and nasty, a Forerunner type might be better. If you are going to share the vehicle with someone - girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband or whoever - that can be a huge factor.

It would be great to have a small SUV with total off road capability and good gas mileage on pavement but the auto manufacturers may fear the number sold might not be large enough to justify the development cost.

I would never say, 'He can't be a man 'cause he doesn't drive the same kind of truck as me.' Extra credit for anyone who can tell me where that came from.

Enough rambling. Goodnight.
User avatar
By TomGalvin
#398158
Karl_A wrote:I would never say, 'He can't be a man 'cause he doesn't drive the same kind of truck as me.' Extra credit for anyone who can tell me where that came from.
It came from you, mangling the tobacco preferences of an Englishman who is a mobile rock.

If I was back east the Forester would be a great HG vehicle. Here in the four corners it is very limiting, since the road to launch is rarely a road.
User avatar
By TjW
#398159
once&future wrote:When you convert potential energy to heat going downhill you do it through friction and wearing one part against another. Would you rather wear brake pads or engine components?

In fairness, the additional wear on engine/transmission components is usually minor and it most often makes sense to use both engine braking and wheel brakes on steep descents, but to say that engine braking alone is superior simply because of greater engine cooling efficiency is misleading.
No. Engine braking works by compressing air -- essentially, you pump air through the engine ( a very inefficient process -- the air heats up.) The hot air is exhausted out the exhaust pipe, and probably dumps some of the heat out the radiator. There will be whatever wear there would be for an engine running that rpm, but no more than that. You're not using the friction of the engine to slow the car, you're using the work of pumping air to slow the car.
By miguel
#398164
Karl_A wrote:
I would never say, 'He can't be a man 'cause he doesn't drive the same kind of truck as me.' Extra credit for anyone who can tell me where that came from.
Rolling Stones Satisfaction
User avatar
By TjW
#398171
miguel wrote:
Karl_A wrote:
I would never say, 'He can't be a man 'cause he doesn't drive the same kind of truck as me.' Extra credit for anyone who can tell me where that came from.
Rolling Stones Satisfaction
Original line was: "He can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarette as me."
By Comet
#398183
.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014 ... sters.html

"According to Subaru’s research, lesbians are "four times as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to own a Subaru." But what kind of Subaru? NPR’s Car Talk found the Outback to be the No. 1 car among lesbians, with the Forester coming in second."


.
User avatar
By TjW
#398184
Comet wrote:.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014 ... sters.html

"According to Subaru’s research, lesbians are "four times as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to own a Subaru." But what kind of Subaru? NPR’s Car Talk found the Outback to be the No. 1 car among lesbians, with the Forester coming in second."


.
I'm a lesbian trapped in a man's body!
User avatar
By Jason
#398186
Comet wrote:.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014 ... sters.html

"According to Subaru’s research, lesbians are "four times as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to own a Subaru." But what kind of Subaru? NPR’s Car Talk found the Outback to be the No. 1 car among lesbians, with the Forester coming in second."


.
who cares? :offtopic:
By Comet
#398196
Jason wrote:
Comet wrote: http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014 ... sters.html

"According to Subaru’s research, lesbians are "four times as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to own a Subaru." But what kind of Subaru? NPR’s Car Talk found the Outback to be the No. 1 car among lesbians, with the Forester coming in second."
who cares? :offtopic:
.

People are posting lyrics to Rolling Stones songs on this thread and you pick MY post as "Off Topic?" At least my post actually referenced Subarus.

Before someone buys a Subaru, they may want to know what sort of image they may be projecting. And don't accuse me of bigotry: that article came from a LGBT publication which was happy that an auto manufacturer marketed to them.




.
User avatar
By TomGalvin
#398199
Comet wrote:Before someone buys a Subaru, they may want to know what sort of image they may be projecting.
* GASP * I'm projecting!!! Mine is venetian red. Am I a butch or lipstick lesbian?
User avatar
By TjW
#398212
Comet wrote:
Jason wrote:
Comet wrote: http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014 ... sters.html

"According to Subaru’s research, lesbians are "four times as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to own a Subaru." But what kind of Subaru? NPR’s Car Talk found the Outback to be the No. 1 car among lesbians, with the Forester coming in second."
who cares? :offtopic:
.

People are posting lyrics to Rolling Stones songs on this thread and you pick MY post as "Off Topic?" At least my post actually referenced Subarus.

Before someone buys a Subaru, they may want to know what sort of image they may be projecting. And don't accuse me of bigotry: that article came from a LGBT publication which was happy that an auto manufacturer marketed to them.

.
Well, IF you're concerned that someone may think you're a pussy because of the brand of car you drive, you can stop worrying. In that case, you definitely are.
By Comet
#398222
TjW wrote: Well, IF you're concerned that someone may think you're a pussy because of the brand of car you drive, you can stop worrying. In that case, you definitely are.
"Pussy?" Quite the contrary. With "butch looks" and "manly engine growl," Subarus are not effeminate in the least:
Attachments
subaru_lesbian1304042361 (Small).jpg
subaru_lesbian1304042361 (Small).jpg (48.43 KiB) Viewed 2847 times
User avatar
By mgforbes
#398236
FWIW, even a Prius can go places you might not expect. I've had mine fairly far off the beaten track, clear to the top of Pine Mountain here in Oregon, where normally 4WD is required. You have to be careful, but it *can* be done. And the fuel savings is worth it, given the majority of my driving is done on asphalt at 55mph.

We've had several Subarus and they've been great cars. The Prius has a fairly hefty regenerative braking system, and optionally can be shifted to "B" mode where it applies engine braking in addition to the electrical braking.

MGF
Attachments
prius glider rack.JPG
prius glider rack.JPG (641.31 KiB) Viewed 2365 times
User avatar
By Nicos
#398240
They don't have diff locking, nor a proper low gear.

Short hill, no biggy. Long hill, you wanna use those brakes as a last resort only. Never had a brake failure but folks who have..

I love the old Subis, but they're a bit off a different thing since the last years though.
User avatar
By Jason
#398340
Nicos wrote:They don't have diff locking, nor a proper low gear.

Short hill, no biggy. Long hill, you wanna use those brakes as a last resort only. Never had a brake failure but folks who have..

I love the old Subis, but they're a bit off a different thing since the last years though.
i seem to recall in one of those Top Gear episodes, i think they were going up and down a volcano or something, and they rigged up a system to constantly spray the tires/brakes with water in a near futile attempt to keep them cool.

my dad reports that using the hill descent thing heats up the brakes pretty quickly.