Does running E85 fuel with up to 85% ethanol, actually lower your MPG? That was the question this week from Kirsten in Oregon. (You can hear her call right here-- it's second in the segment.) Her Flex-Fuel Chrysler Town and Country is getting lousy mileage and rough running rough-- but only when she uses E85.
Tom and Ray claimed that lower MPG is to be expected, since E85 has fewer BTUs than old-fashioned gas. They also claim the same thing in our Car Talk Guide to Alternative Fuels.
What do you think? If you drive a flex-fuel vehicle, what's your experience? We want to hear from you.
This week on Car Talk, Tom and Ray heard from Kelsey in Sacramento. She's about ready to dump her Chevy Blazer for a Honda Accord or Nissan Maxima. Tom and Ray thought that as a good "Sacramentarian", Kelsey might lean more towards a hybrid, and suggested a Toyota Prius. But, Kelsey has some Prius issues. Her Mom drives one, and Kelsey thinks it's "a little dorky, to be honest." (You can hear Kelsey's right here.)
That got us wondering. Does Prius = dork?
Could that equation be true?
Prius owners... are you feeling the urge to run out and buy a pocket protector?
What's the best way to get the stink out, when you're driving past something a little... malodorous?
That was the question this week on Car Talk from Eileen, in Truckee, California. (You can hear her call with Tom and Ray, right here.) Should she roll down the windows as quickly as possible, as her hubby suggests? Or roll them up as fast as she can, as she thinks is right.
Or, could the answer depend upon where you are, in relation to the roadside putrid odor? That was Tom and Ray's position: keep the windows up if the stink is still to come, and windows down if you're past the danger zone.
What's your suggestion, for getting the stink out as quickly as possible? Share your findings, right here.
