Bigkart

I (privately) sold my 2006 Mini Cooper S, which was my 2nd Cooper S in a row. The Minis were the source of my "Bigkart" screen name. I also have a small, fast shifter kart, so the MIni was my big kart. I've driven high-mileage cars since 1974 (Civic at that time) and drive a LOT of miles. I now have about 27,000 on the FFH, having had it for barely over a year. For me, it's not about BEING green, it's about SAVING green! I needed 4 doors and room for grandkids' feet. They complained in the Mini! The Mini was in the shop for a few days and I had a Fusion rental car. I was pleasantly surprised at the good handling (though HATED 22mpg for a V6) so bought the FFH. Bob

"There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch" (Another Boomer myself...) Bob

Increasing tire pressure DECREASES its tendency to hydroplane because it has a smaller footprint: the weight is spread over a smaller contact patch. It also tends to round-out the contact patch, which will evacuate the water better. We increase pressures when racing in rain conditions for those very reasons. Bob

OK, back to the original question... it seems that nobody (who reads the forum) has replaced a set yet because nobody has come close to answering what I asked. I do notice that the edges of the front tires are a lot more square than I'm used to on other cars I've owned. I attribute that to geometry/alignment. As for nitrogen, I just get mine out of the bottle in my race trailer. I expect that there's a pretty high concentration of (relatively dry) air in there from the factory. With a race tire, we typically pressurize and bleed the tire a couple of times with the valve at the top (nitrogen is heavier than "air") to purge it. It is much more stable at all temps, is better on the rubber (like a racer cares about THAT!) and is dry (which contributes a lot to pressure stability). It also doesn't "disappear" over time which, I'm told, is due to larger molecules. For most, checking air with a good gauge each month is probably enough. Maybe I just need to measure tread depth and make an estimate about pressure, rotation, wear and tire life. Bob

I'm assuming that most FFH drivers have an easy-to-moderate driving style, and am curious what kind of tire life one can expect with 15-20k rotation schedule and 35-40psi. Anyone worn out a set yet? Bob

I was in a motorcycle accident that broke 4 ribs and collapsed my lung (someone dropped antifreeze on the road in a roundabout). Having the camera and good side mirrors saved me a lot of pain for the next 3 months. I tend not to rely on those completely, just as I don't rely on the passing car sensor in the outside mirrors, but the supplemental use helps. Bob

Hands down, the capless gas tank filler. So special that they have to put a funnel in the trunk and zip tie it to something. The first time you use it (such as when you dump the left-over lawn mower gas in the tank in the fall), the zip tie is trash and the funnel flies around in the truck for the next 100,000 miles. Unless you lose it. In which case you are REALLY screwed if you need it because you're not getting fuel in there otherwise. And the trunk interior flap that "covers" it doesn't. It falls down on the floor of the trunk so that the funnel can be seen, along with the insulation on its backing which can be destroyed by suitcases, groceries, or dead bodies that you put in the trunk. Whatever! They had to spend major bucks on that development, and why? So that you don't leave your cap at the station? Put a zip tie on it like they've done for years. $.04 and it works. Bob

I now have over 15,000 miles on mine. Took delivery in March 2009. The only thing I don't like ("LOVE") about it is that it is hard to tell if the road is slick due to isolated steering feedback and CVT that "slips" when you give it gas. If it were a lock-up torque converter in an automatic, you'd know that if the engine revs up and you don't speed up, your wheels are spinning. Same with manual. But with CVT, you can't tell squat! Due to that same issue, I think I could get better road mileage with a lock-up torque converter. This thing "gears down" when going up the slightest hill. I dunno, maybe that's more efficient, but I watch the mileage meter drop down to "unacceptable" range, and it gets to me. Winter mileage (Indy) is 33 or so (calculated), but that's primarily due to the need for a heat source. Turn off the heater, and mileage is almost like summer. But I LIKE heat... Bob

Remember that the FFH has the multispoke wheels so that, at speed, air tends to NOT flow through them and they increase mileage. Lack of turbulence, etc. I have found them quite easy to keep clean, pulling less brake dust (regen braking probably helps) than other cars I've owned. Bob

I got the "6 months for $4.99 per month" offer too, after mine had expired for a couple of months. Note that it renews at full-price after that promo expires, and renews to the credit card you give them. You can transfer to their billing department after subscribing, though, and tell them not to auto-renew. They also add various fees (like the cell phone companies successfully implemented) making 6 months about $34-35. The "$70/year" price actually gets close to $90 after the same additions. Man, I hate that underhanded marketing/pricing! I'd pay $5/month. No way I'm paying $90/year. There's limit, and that's mine! Bob

You folks act like the electric motor is of no value above 47mph. Based on the gauges I'm watching on my dash, that's not true. It may not run exclusively as an EV above 47 mph, but the electric motor does continue to provide an assist. Watch the blue arrows, especially if you're running 50mph and have a very well charged battery. The electric motor will assist and your MPG indicator will peg, or go close to it. When the battery is run down to 1/2 charge or less, you'll see less of the assist. As for over-revving an electric motor, I don't know how fast you'd have to spin it for that to happen. It's not like pistons, or even the Mazda rotary. Nothing is going "boing". My guess is its simply a matter of the amount of power required to move the vehicle through the air and the efficiency of the ICE vs. use of battery (rate of discharge). Finally, while I don't run out of patience, I do usually run out of battery before getting from 0 to 47. You'd have to be able to do that in about 3/4 - 1 mile to do it within the stored capacity, and that's unlikely on a flat road. Bob

I'm glad to see this thread, as I had a situation a couple of days ago that I wondered whether it was a figment of my imagination or real. We all know that when we apply the brakes, the system begins regen. I'm assuming that the rear brakes have not yet been applied, at least under light braking. Well, we had some serious glare ice. I put the brakes on lightly to avoid lockup, and the system kicked in regen. I quickly lost traction on the front wheels and started sliding toward the curb. I released the brakes and moved toward the center of the relatively high crowned road. Again, applying the brakes lightly locked up the fronts! I finally got back up in the middle and CRAMED THEM ON as I was almost out of options (aside from hitting a stopped van in the rear). The ABS kicked in and the tires gripped some less compacted snow, stopping me with moderate drama. Having wrecked a car on ice last spring, I was pretty shaken for quite a while afterwards!! So the question is, does the regen braking cause the front wheels to tend to lock under less braking since they're apparently doing ALL the work? Bob

I let mine expire, too. Not worth >$100 year. Last night, I got an offer in the mail for about $5/month for 6 months. OK, that's reasonable. Oh, then the fine print says that they'll continue to renew it at then-current rates unless I cancel it. That sounds like >$100/year. Unless I have an ongoing, reasonable priced contract, I'm still going to decline. I had cable TV and know how renewals and multiple price increases per year work. No subscription means no surprises! Bob

Has anyone come up with a way to keep the flap covering the fuel funnel from flopping down on the trunk floor all the time? (Pictures!) I don't like the exposed parts, and don't want to risk tearing it up as I put something in the trunk! As good as the design is everywhere else, I think that they designed the trunk liner at 4pm on a Friday! Bob

Find a locale with the highest unemployment possible... In a nearby town with 17% unemployment, I got mine for $200 over invoice, and verified THEIR invoice numbers against the Internet info. In the process, I found that the dealers in my area have an add-on charge of $500 that actually appears on the invoice. It is a Ford Advertising Credit. (Does that exist in all areas? I understand that it is something the dealers agreed to.) I spent much of the morning calling dealers, but only 5 minutes in the showroom. I'd call that "even". Bob