GKPE 8, Yet more NZ ramblings from some flightless Kiwis.

Random question, how many k's roughly should a tank of gas get you ? Did tests on the old car but cannot remember what it was, think it was around 600. The new car just seems very thirsty

Sancho wrote in post #11327796
Random question, how many k's roughly should a tank of gas get you ? Did tests on the old car but cannot remember what it was, think it was around 600. The new car just seems very thirsty

That's like asking how long a piece off string should be?

It depends how big the tank is among a whole lot of other variables.

I have a 2003 Corolla, it costs $65-$70 to fill up at current petrol prices. I go between 400 and 500km on a tank - 400 if it's lots of city driving, 500 if it's long distance.

2.0 forester I put 55l in and get ~600kms

I think i'm getting rid of my home phone today. I get called twice a month, make calls twice a month, and it costs $480/year. I could switch to 2talk.co.nz and get a voip service for $10/month, and with a $110 Linksys ata box I could use a regular phone with it, but i'm thinking my cell with the 0800 number is good enough. Emergency calls can be done via a cell. It's just me and a flatmate in the house, and I can easily get it reconnected if I decide to later.

Any thoughts? Any upsides or downsides that I haven't considered?

RobDickinson wrote in post #11328306
2.0 forester I put 55l in and get ~600kms

Right, thanks, yeah its looking like its going to be pretty similar...

tim wrote in post #11328371
I think i'm getting rid of my home phone today. I get called twice a month, make calls twice a month, and it costs $480/year. I could switch to 2talk.co.nz and get a voip service for $10/month, and with a $110 Linksys ata box I could use a regular phone with it, but i'm thinking my cell with the 0800 number is good enough. Emergency calls can be done via a cell. It's just me and a flatmate in the house, and I can easily get it reconnected if I decide to later.

Any thoughts? Any upsides or downsides that I haven't considered?

I actually use 2talk, as I kept my NZ number, as it's way cheaper for me to pay for the line, and everyone in NZ gets a local number to call, and I dont have to pay toll calls to talk to NZ to keep in contact with family.

Upside - cheap, and local call for others. Some people dont like calling cellphones, or 0800 numbers, so you might miss business without a local number (or if they see a local number, they'll call that rather than the 0800 - saving you $$). Also good for long calls where you dont want to burn through the cellphone mins/battery (or those 0800 numbers which dont accept calls from cellphones). Can port existing landline phone #. Caller ID through 2talk also gives caller name, not just number (no charge for caller id).
Can set schedules where the phone doesnt ring (handy for me, as I dont want to get woken during the US night because of telemarketing etc), and block numbers to never call the phone (A certain telemarketer keeps calling me even though I say I'm in the US - they just didnt seem to get it).
Voicemail can be emailed to you.

Downside - No fax ability (if you need such things now). I think 2talk offers someway to send a fax, but it's a PITA. Call Quality- is pretty good. I'm comparing to toll calls between US and NZ. Little lag in calls, but sometimes you have to say hello a couple of times before the other end hears you - not sure if the problem is my end or theirs. Do NOT expect much support from 2talk - they don't seem to like helping their customers (unless you're a big business)

You dont need the expensive Linksys box. I got a VOIP gateway off trademe for about $50 - been working flawlessly for the last 18 months. Grandstream Handy Tone - I'll see if I can find the paperwork, as it had the guys website outside of TM (a none seem to be listed atm)

Daniel

2talk sounds pretty good, if you're technical enough to get it working. I decided not to bother keeping my number, seriously the only people who call it are my parents, and they can call my 0800. For long calls i'll just use skype. My business number is an 0800 linked to my cell, i've never given out my home phone or had a business landline. If I decide I do want a local number I can just get one from 2talk anyway, it doesn't matter that it's changed.

If it wasn't for my flatmate wanting cable TV with sports (and paying for it) i'd ditch that too and just use the internet and freeview. I have a second decoder but I don't use it.

I figure most people will go this way within the next 5-20 years. Hard to tell.

TelstraClear really don't want people to drop the home phone, and only let you do it if you meet their unspecified minimum revenue requirement. Even then they have a series of people tell you that you can't do it, until you insist or make a complaint.

Sancho wrote in post #11327796
Random question, how many k's roughly should a tank of gas get you ? Did tests on the old car but cannot remember what it was, think it was around 600. The new car just seems very thirsty

Heh, did you buy a Caldina GT-Four? Hello automatic+ highly strung 2l turbo. It's never going to be as good as 1.6 naturally aspirated or whatever you had before

I put in $50 super a fortnight into a mazda V6

momentz wrote in post #11330880
Heh, did you buy a Caldina GT-Four? Hello automatic+ highly strung 2l turbo. It's never going to be as good as 1.6 naturally aspirated or whatever you had before

Add in AWD and all the extra weight of being a station wagon, and it will never get the same sort of milage as hatchback.

I get around 1L/10km (aprox 30mpg) which should take me 600+km on a tank.
And thats a 2.3L 4cyl automatic trying to haul around a large station wagon.

Engine size isn't much of an indicator of fuel use either, an under power car will use more fuel as the engine has to be driven harder.
An over powered car doesn't have to work as hard,
But, often a highly tuned engine is not efficient at low speed where it might be outside its power band.

The key is having the right match of engine to size of car and driving style.

I have my next car all lined up 2000 Holden Statesman V8 but my folks dont seem keen on making it my next birthday present . As a boy my grandfather had a HQ (I think) model stateman Silver with blue interior.

The car I have always wanted is a Merc 2 door softtop SL500.

Normal photography chat will resume soon

momentz wrote in post #11330880
Heh, did you buy a Caldina GT-Four? Hello automatic+ highly strung 2l turbo. It's never going to be as good as 1.6 naturally aspirated or whatever you had before

Yeah I did. 2l Turbo Auto. The old car was a 1.8 turbo manual, so shouldn't be tooo much difference. The newer car in theory should have better fuel management too I guess, but then the 4wd will chew through more also, was just curious.

Heh, its a very nice car, has surprised me on more than 1 occasion, went to pass someone in the 80 zone and I was beside him pretty much instantly Corner handling has impressed me too!

Hmm 1st real success with the 400L.

weka2000 wrote in post #11331160
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Yeah Right!!

I thought you were going for the Toyota Surf.