The P5: What Would You Change?

[Coss]

There has been a bunch of talk about various rack solutions.
A roof rack.
A back pack that would mount on the trunk lid.
A bike rack that might mount to the right side.
No talk about a manufacturer yet.

I would think that Yakima Racks would be amongst the first to do one.

 

[Sethodine]

I particularly love the idea of a right-side bike rack.

 

[3wheelin]

Funny thing is, how many of you are really into 84mpg "must"? Most if not all in here just can't wait to get their hands on their ELIO and "add" something! Forget about the aerodynamics, forget about the stock engine, change the engine, add turbo,(I'm guilty too), add, add, add! How many of you are really concerned about helping lessen our dependence on foreign oil? Honestly? Or you just want the ELIO to add to your new toy, or to be the first one in your city to own one? Bragging rights? Ego? Which is it? What is your real motivation for owning one? Don't answer it because you'll be lying! I reserved for me and my wife then felt guilty that our daughter is still using our old Jeep so we had a change of heart and giving her our second ELIO if it ever materialized!! Just my funny opinion, stats w/ no bases.

 

[Gizmo]

I just want an enclosed vehicle that will allow me to use the HOT/HOV lanes for free. That's my main objective. Low purchase cost + higher mileage = bonus. Oh...for 3.5 seasons! Would use my Harley but these fools around here can't see 2-wheelers and then there's the weather and exposure to environment. IF the E ever makes it to production I expect to see a lot more of them around here. Not sure how long the E will be good for the free HOT/HOV as I suspect its' classification will be modified to eliminate that perk.

 

[HonestTex]

I'm in it for the mpg. I may change the fenders and get wider front tires, but that's it. If I fall below 75 mpg, it's back to OEM.

 

[McBrew]

I don't just want to reduce foreign oil... I want to reduce domestic oil consumption as well.

Two cars ago, I had a 5 passenger car that got 50+ MPG and was very safe. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am driving a 7 passenger (sort of) car that gets me 16 MPG on my daily commute. VW won't be getting any of my money any time soon, so I've decided to wait for something that makes sense. I might be driving a company Fiat 500 soon if the stars align properly. That'll hold me until the Elio happens.

 

[pistonboy]

The old style roof racks of the 1960's looked attractive to me.
I might put one on simply for appearance.

 

[3wheelin]

I'm in it for the mpg. I may change the fenders and get wider front tires, but that's it. If I fall below 75 mpg, it's back to OEM.

I'm thinking the same thing plus 2 racing stripes but won't mess around w/ it's clean lines!

 

[Ekh]

It seems that when considering the idea of a larger trunk all the naysayers can only think of the small effect on the gas mileage. Consider this. You own an Elio and another car, and the other car gets about 20 mpg. Now consider your total combined gas expense for a year. Ok, every time you decide which car to use you have to consider if you need "hauling room" for the trip. Will the Elio carry all those groceries or can you get 2 suitcases in the Elio? If 20 percent of the time you ask yourself that question you are forced to use the "other car", you have consumed more combined gas per year with a "standard" Elio than you would have with the slightly reduced mileage of the enlarged trunk Elio. Or, to put it another way. Using your "big trunk" Elio 100 times a year at 80 mpg will save you more money than using your "standard" Elio 80 times a year at 84 mpg. "Usability" is a factor in calculating your fuel consumption. Pretty fancy thinkin for a dullar, huh?

You could also just drive a station wagon. While I agree that a bit more storage capacity would be great, remember the basics: 95% of the cars on the road in America contain one driver. For one occupant, the Elio offers plenty of space for most activities. I know (because I measured) that with the seat down there's room for a large duffel bag, a backpack containing camera gear, and a tripod. And one other basic: every thing about this car is optimized to meet three targets: mileage, cost, and safety.

I've read a lot of blather about "minimal effect on aerodynamic drag". That might be true, but without wind tunnel testing or really high end engineering simulation software, and access to the full CAD drawings for the car, WE DON'T KNOW what the actual effect of any body alteration might be. So without numbers, everybody claiming things like "minimal effect on MPG" is talking through their hat, to put it politely.

Meanwhile, EM is struggling to reach their targets with a production car. If at some point down the road they decide extra carrying capacity is essential to improve sales, they'll re-engineer the car to provide it. Remember that what EM is working with is a nexus of targets: mpg, cost, safety, and anything you do to one affects the other two. That's what makes teeny tiny changes and fine-tuning so important (and so time consuming and expensive).

If EM backed off on their combined goals, say to 78 MPG and $7,500, (hypothetical numbers) they might be able to design a model that offers increased storage. And if they wanted to jack the price to $9,000 or more, you might have a "lambo style" door -- at the cost of a lot of weight.

This thread was supposed to be about what the first production Elio needs to be a better car (P5 -- what would you change), not a trip to Tomorrowland or some other movie version of reality.

If you want Lambo doors, enough storage to carry an 800 pound coffin, be my guest -- but don't expect EM to do it for you. Buy your Elio and play with it all you like.

 

[WilliamH]

You could also just drive a station wagon. While I agree that a bit more storage capacity would be great, remember the basics: 95% of the cars on the road in America contain one driver. For one occupant, the Elio offers plenty of space for most activities. I know (because I measured) that with the seat down there's room for a large duffel bag, a backpack containing camera gear, and a tripod. And one other basic: every thing about this car is optimized to meet three targets: mileage, cost, and safety.

I've read a lot of blather about "minimal effect on aerodynamic drag". That might be true, but without wind tunnel testing or really high end engineering simulation software, and access to the full CAD drawings for the car, WE DON'T KNOW what the actual effect of any body alteration might be. So without numbers, everybody claiming things like "minimal effect on MPG" is talking through their hat, to put it politely.

Meanwhile, EM is struggling to reach their targets with a production car. If at some point down the road they decide extra carrying capacity is essential to improve sales, they'll re-engineer the car to provide it. Remember that what EM is working with is a nexus of targets: mpg, cost, safety, and anything you do to one affects the other two. That's what makes teeny tiny changes and fine-tuning so important (and so time consuming and expensive).

If EM backed off on their combined goals, say to 78 MPG and $7,500, (hypothetical numbers) they might be able to design a model that offers increased storage. And if they wanted to jack the price to $9,000 or more, you might have a "lambo style" door -- at the cost of a lot of weight.

This thread was supposed to be about what the first production Elio needs to be a better car (P5 -- what would you change), not a trip to Tomorrowland or some other movie version of reality.

If you want Lambo doors, enough storage to carry an 800 pound coffin, be my guest -- but don't expect EM to do it for you. Buy your Elio and play with it all you like.

You hit it right on the head!

Can you imagine if those same people had input to a Corvette.
Something like "And I have to have room for my wife's 3 great Great Danes and Shetland Pony."

All I have seen that needs to be fixed in the Elio is .....
It appears that the shifter needs to be moved back.
It needs a spot for a cup holder in the front.
It needs a locking glove box that will fit a model 1911 and be accessible to the driver.