E85

[13IS250C]

I just noticed this today. Funny....I've had the car 2 years and just noticed it. We had talked about it before. Thought you might be interested. I wouldn't use that garbage anyway.

[VBdenny]

Alcohol belongs in people, not cars.

[LEX-SV]

Yes. My last Mercedes C300 allowed E85 use, but no way, never touched it.

[VBdenny]

Alcohol as a fuel is terribly inefficient. Gasoline provides much more energy hence the automatic drop in fuel economy when ethanol is added to gasoline. Remove the alcohol, increase the miles per gallon you get. I found some pure gasoline at a Nice 'n Easy in the Syracuse area. expensive stuff ($3.69) and only available in Premium but I filled the Silverado up and got 20mpg. Not too shabby for a 5,200lb. truck with a 300 something horsepower V-8. In town with a heavy foot I get about 14 mpg while the best on the highway previously was 18 mpg.

[13IS250C]

I always feel like I'm putting high fructose corn syrup in my tank. I don't want that crap in mine or Lexie's tummy.

[pj8708]

I feel your pain......

Iowa is the largest producer of Ethanol in the US. And in response to this, the legislators have put in place a discount for 10% Ethanol and gasoline. This is intended to produce a larger market for the farmers, and more revenue for the state.

I used this blend for several years and had absolutely no problems. MPG included. However, when we bought our two 2013's I decided to switch to premium. For some reason the state has made the regular unleaded and Ethanol blend both 87 octane. I also have used the 87 octane for quite some time and I know both our RX and ES are fine with 87 octane. Now I use 91 octane. For the small difference in price, I just feel that I want the two cars to run as clean as possible for a long time. The premium doesn't help with MPG.

Paul

[VBdenny]

The main reason we even have alcohol added to fuel has mainly to do with elected representatives from corn states. Apparently they were not selling enough corn for other reasons and got this wild idea to force alcohol into everyones vehicles. The alcohol dissolves rubber parts which caused all kinds of leaks in lawn equipment and older cars. That along with the reduced fuel economy is reason enough to stop the practice. Good intentions, bad practice.

[13IS250C]

Don't we already consume enough corn since almost everything we eat has corn syrup in it? Let the farmers grow something more healthy and let our cars have fossil fuel like they were designed for.

We were eating at a famous BBQ place one night and they had put a bottle of their new apple flavor sauce on every table. I just picked it up and looked at the ingredients. The MAIN INGREDIENT was high fructose corn syrup. No wonder America is so fat. It is hidden in everything. Sickening.

[VBdenny]

Now you can't really blame the "corn sugar" for people being fat. The fork operator certainly has the most to do with that.

[LEX-SV]

"Corn sugar" and other crap in the typical western diet are factors in the fatness of many American, self-control (or lack of) with the fork and spoon are also very important factors too. So I do give some of the blame to subsidized corn products.

When I look at how a large company like McDonalds slow-rolled and fought the elimination of transfats from their crappy processed foods, it's pretty obvious they did not care about health of customers/consumers. (Not to mention corn sugar and wood pulp fillers used in their food-like products)

[13IS250C]

Of course I can't blame the product, I can blame consumers for not educating themselves on what they put in their mouth. Who would think that BBQ sauce would have that as a main ingredient. Learn, read, then don't buy it.

[LEX-SV]

Yes, and thankfully those ingredients must be listed on bottle.

[13IS250C]

I saw on the news the other day that they were going to change the words "High fructose corn syrup" to just "Fructose". Most consumers will just think that is a natural sugar from fruit.

A-Holes

How did we go from fuel to food?!?!?! :-)

[LEX-SV]

Because (as mentioned in post #5) we don't want this subsidized corn crap in our Lexus gas tank or in our foods.

[13IS250C]

That's right.

[pj8708]

As a car lover I always enjoy a machine built with precision and great acceleration. But while I think its way cool to see Lexus bringing out engines with LOTS of horse power it's an example of we as buyers wanting to continue the old ways and old days of gas consumption.When I was a kid doing oil changes in my dad's gas station, I remember pumping a lot of $.24 cent gas. No matter your bias on this subject, those cheap gas days are NOT coming back.

On the other side of the situation we are becoming pretty smug about the amount of fossil fuels we need for our cars. I know there are many folks who believe that this whole thing about eventually running out of fossil fuels to use in our car's is a Muslim conspiracy. At the same time it is that group of thinkers who loudly complain that gas is too expensive. We can't continue to be that smug while refusing to get our heads out of our a.. . There is a need for all of us "Car Challenged" people to refocus our anger to one that lets us ask "how can I be apart of making environmentally smart decisions.

I try to keep informed about the problems I can help by driving less than 100mph especially when I drive through quiet, peaceful neighborhoods. LOL

My 2 cents.......(over priced I know)

Paul

[VBdenny]

Paul, like you, I pumped it at that price. Bought it for 17.9 cents during a "gas war" back then. NOBODY thinks we are running out of oil and the earthquakes in Oklahoma and Texas prove that there IS a lot of oil under there but that there is a price to be paid. Since Oklahoma and Texas are owned by the energy industries, no problem fracking there. Good for them I say.

At some point in the future oil will become a liability rather than an asset. The shift has already begun with the slow, but steady shift toward renewable energy. Perhaps the largest obstacle we, as regular people, face is our elected people who represent the business side but not much the people side. When you have a lot of money one of the biggest dangers is always craving more even when you have no earthly need for more.

In the end, everything comes down to money.

Denny

[VBdenny]

Ahhh,

Forgot to add that now I certainly enjoy burning gasoline. With prices like this, I'm redlining my "race car" frequently.

[13IS250C]

I don't know the answer. Just think, only 2 generations ago people pretty much settled in one area....now families are scattered all over the country and everybody is always traveling here and there. I don't remember my parents traveling much. Now, I drive to FL to see sisters and SC to see daughter. David and I are always going somewhere in his gas guzzling F150. It will probably just get worse.

I worked for a parts warehouse and sold auto parts all over the country. It used to tickle me that we would by AC Delco filters from Flint, MI....warehouse them in Memphis, then I would sell them to a parts store in Detroit. The stretch of I40 between here and Little Rock, AR is always bumper to bumper 18 wheelers. Everything in this country travels.

I don't see it getting any better.

[VBdenny]

No, I don't see it getting any better either. With my wife in Boston, I run the eastern seaboard a lot. The roads are mostly adequate, it is the drivers that are not. Here are a few of my opinions on how traffic flow could be improved eliminating the need for more roads, at least temporarily.

INCREASE the speed limits and stop the cop and robber nonsense on our highways. MANY people would drive faster if they weren't scared, but with all the cops and low speed limits, they are. Well yeah, getting caught is expensive in many ways. IF we had higher limits, the scared people wouldn't be and things would flow.

ENFORCE the drive right and pass left rules. Nearly every time I encounter a long, slow backup, it is caused by some moron lingering in the left lane. When cars pace the one in the left lane, it creates a very dangerous situation for those behind, unknown to the oblivious bandit. Everyone knows these type of people and everybody hates them with a passion.

EDUCATE people how to use their cruise control. Many apparently are unaware that you can coast or accelerate with the buttons. Seems once many people put it on they take some kind of sick pride in seeing how long they can go without touching anything. Of course this means they must pull out in front of faster traffic approaching in the hammer lane or they might have to shut it off therefore breaking their record setting event.

ACCELERATE away from traffic signals. Throw that AARP and AAA handbook on driving in the trash. The egg between the foot and accelerator thing they promote means dozens of cars behind they will not make the signal because they were trying to save an ounce of gas in their Suburban.

Establishing and enforcing simple rules means everyone gets places faster and without stress and frustration which too often leads to road rage. Yeah, some people do deserve to get knocked off the road but that is still very illegal.

[13IS250C]

Amen to that.

My husband and I have a name for people that cruise in left lane. I think I don't need to post it here. :-)

[VBdenny]

No, no need to post, my imagination is amazing.

[LEX-SV]

Agreed "road boulders" parked in left lane in America are pathetic, inconsiderate, unskilled, ignorant. Way too common.

Lane discipline, what's that....

[pj8708]

I'm worried.......

Are any of you part of a "Road Manners" sleeper cell?

I think we've managed to use every judgmental adjective that Webster could come up with!

....".he who is without a speeding ticket, cast the first stone." LOL

Paul

[LEX-SV]

Road manners, what a concept.

No E85 in my cars please...