Topgear "Test" if you could call it that:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRJcHNz3t0s&search=Top-Gear

The new Mistubishi Outlander has nothing to do with the boring old Theta platform. Its based off the new Mitsubishi Lancer platform from Japan. The new Outlander even outsells the new RAV4 in Japan.

Bicycles work just fine for billions of people. Bicycles are more efficient, cheaper, simpler, and cleaner than Segways. Plus they provide exercise which millions of people desperately need.

In forward thinking cities and countries they've been doing what the Segway claims to do for almost a hundred years with bicycles.

I personally walk to work cause my workplace is less than a mile away from my house. And yes I use a bicycle 3-4 times a week for mountain biking.

Now if you are handicapped, they've have electric wheelchairs/scooters for many decades now.

The Segway is just a hyped up toy for suckers. Not "IT"...not innovative or great in the least bit.

They have commuter bikes that fit in a normal looking suitcase - much easier to store than a Segway. They are a pretty common sight in forward thinking countries (ie Europe). Most of China use bicycles though their envy of evil Western culture is leading more and more to turn to the automobile...

Segway is a toy...nothing more than BS marketing hype.

Looks like Autoblog has a fat Segway employee :p

The best alternative transportation is the bicycle - one of the most efficient machines designed by man.

Unlike the Segway, it produces zero pollution (does not have to be charged by coal/nuclear/etc power plants), much more versatile in applications, provides good exercise, and a hell of a lot cheaper. No hype included though...

Actually some import ratings went up. For example the Accord with the J30 V6 engine when up 4HP with the new ratings:

J30 244HP (+4 hp, SAE net revised 8/04)

The RAV4 with the 2GR-FE makes 268HP on the recommended regular 87 octane. There is no need or requirement for premium.

Bob the Lexus V6 3.5L gets 306HP in the IS350 cause it has direct injection.

The regular non-direct injection 3.5L toyota gets 270 HP uses regular 87 octane.

What does Subaru have to say about this - is he still sponsored by them? I thought his contract expired in 2008. Lance downgrades to GM vehicles?

Posters 19/20: They are giving the true natural resource cost of the vehicles translated into economic figures, so thats not so outrageous as the consumer or manufacturer does not pay the true total costs of environmental impacts - the people down wind/in future generations do.

Companies pollute and lobby all the time to get out of paying the true economic cost of the dirty ways - people are more interested in annual sales figures than long term sustainability.

Similarly consumers see X mpg or low emission ratings and don't stop to think about how a car company might be buying from notorious mining, chemical, etc...

Thats what this study was trying to address, but its hard to tell how valid it is from the executive summary type PR.

Here are the most important parts you missed:

"CNW Marketing Research Inc. spent two years collecting data on the energy necessary to plan, build, sell, drive and dispose of a vehicle from initial concept to scrappage. This includes such minutia as plant to dealer fuel costs, employee driving distances, electricity usage per pound of material used in each vehicle and literally hundreds of other variables.

To put the data into understandable terms for consumers, it was translated into a "dollars per lifetime mile" figure. That is, the Energy Cost per mile driven.

I've seen another study that says the most responsible thing to do is keep your old car and keep repairing it versus buying a new vehicle for total impact.

Here is a another article in a similar vein:

http://money.guardian.co.uk/ethicalliving/story/0,,1719762,00.html