Car-wise I have 2005 Outback Sport (OBS is impreza on stilts
essentially, think cmall CRV) that has stratospherically tall gearing.
Of course I did not expect Civic Si gear ratios
but after I broke it in and got the feel for the car I got
genuinely pissed. And I don't know how to begin to explain
the throttle response on that car. Think turbo lag, except the
car has no turbo. It takes forever to wind up the engine on
that contraption. I suspect my problems are 100% due to
the CAFE standards pushed down the automakers throats.
If you remember a while ago Subaru raised some Outback
models and reclassified them as trucks to meet the corporate
average. It's bad enough with the new mpg testing procedures
and looks like Ed Markey is all for making it worse.

The problem is that in order to replace any of my cars
with the legislation in effect I'd have to buy something
like Pontiac G6 and pay gaz guzzler tax or buy a car with
the turbo because the bottom end of the lineup will
be geared even worse than my OBS. I wish I did not have to
resort to buying a turbo, but looks like I'd have little
choice in the matter. Mazdaspeed 3 with it's horrible gearing
can give you a taste of things to come. Looks like some
automakers are training guinea pigs ahead of time.

That would explain the extra two year allowance
for the trucks won't it? I suspect that's where the money
for the bill are coming from :-(((