[stryder]

EPA being environmental protection agency (Yes we have one, however for your amusement, its headed by the former governor of NJ, best known as the 'oil refinery + petrochemical state' (which unfortunately wouldn't fit on the license plate, so garden state had to suffice))

Anyway, while reading the NYTimes (registration required) here: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/18/bu...wanted=2&8hpib

I noticed that the EPA guidlines here: http://epa.gov/greenvehicles/smcar-03.htm for the variations of a MINI are all pretty much middle of the pack for cars. Its a bit depressing, especially since the stricter (CA + Northeast) emissions 325ci is way at the top of the small car list.

Any thoughts? We're still doing much better then the X5 or an M-class, but you'd think the car would through out a bit less stuff since its got a reasonably small engine.

[NJ mini USA]

I still live in NJ. She was bad when she was here. she
will mess up the EPA too. The state named her (Big Bird )
from that kids show that big yellow bird.
I didn't just say thai did I?

[D.D.]

Ditto!!!!! She was a flamer then......is a flamer now......interesting though...She had one hand on your wallett and the other hand in your pocket. After all, we did not earn "The Armpit Of The Nation" easily!

[chiph]

Quote:

Originally posted by stryder
<snip> Any thoughts? We're still doing much better then the X5 or an M-class, but you'd think the car would through out a bit less stuff since its got a reasonably small engine.

Actually, the M-Class puts out fewer emissions than the MINI does. The M-Class is rated as a ULEV (on the car scale!), and the MINI is a LEV. I admit, however, that the M-Class does guzzle the premium. I averaged around 17mpg city, 22mpg highway when I had the ML-320. The V-8 powered models are worse, of course.

The car that is amazingly bad at emissions is the M5 high performance sedan. 13mpg city, 21mpg highway (from www.bmwusa.com).

Chip H.

[stryder]

The EPA ratings deal with how many lbs of smog forming pollution come out of the tailpipe of each vehicle while driving 15,000 miles. Both the ML500 and the ML320 put out between 43.7 and 58.8 lbs (or a class 1 on a 0-10 scale) The X5 4.4 (which is a 4.6.. anyway) is in the same category. The fact that the gas milage varies greatly seems only mildly related, also since this could be deemed negative, I have yet to see any of this info published on a manufacturers website, unlike the gas milage.

All the possible Engine/transmission choices for the MINIs are category 6 (12.3-12.9lbs), while other mercedes, like the SL500 and the CLK500 are in category 7 (7.9-11.8lbs), even though they get 15/22 16/23mpg. That's the most interesting part, the MINI just spews out a bunch of pollution even though it gets good gas milage and has a small engine. Go figure, obviously this isn't of a large importance to BMW's engineers.

[chiph]

Hmmm. If the actual quantity is so high (as much as a sack of concrete weighs!) then how does a SUV like that get a ULEV rating? Could the ULEV rating be granted on how closely the engine stays to stoichiometric mix ratio, despite how much fuel it actually consumes?

Chip H.

[PigLick]

Chip, I'm pretty sure the rating depsnds on the actual quantity of material, as stryder said. Seems strange that a larger vehicle could produce more than a smaller one but, as you inferred, differnt air/fuel ratios, amongst other things I imagine, will affect how much pollutant is produced. MINI engines are tuned to be a bit sporty and sound as good as possible while still meeting requirements. No one is really buying SUVs for performance or sound though, so efficiency and cleanliness are probably given higher priority, especially with the growing anti-SUV sentiment.

PigLick

[EBMCS03]

Quote:

Originally posted by chiph

The car that is amazingly bad at emissions is the M5 high performance sedan. 13mpg city, 21mpg highway (from www.bmwusa.com).

HAhahahaha LOL GIMME GIMME GIMME!!!