# Test drive: 84mpg car that is sort of like a 3 wheel motocycle with a NASCAR roll cage body



## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

*They predict a 5 star crash rating. I hope it comes true. I spend about 1600 miles a month alone in my car. This would cut my gas money by a 2/3 and increase my "keeping myself entertained time" by that much too.*








*Sure, it's great that manufacturers are offering fuel-economy specials of existing compact and subcompact, non-hybridized models. Not only does such a concept improve mileage without compromising driving dynamics by adding heavy batteries and electric motors, but they're cheap when compared to their gas-electric brethren, too. That's why we're intrigued by Elio Motors, a startup promising a brand-new fuel-miser for the cost of a decade-old Toyota Corolla.

Yes, for the low, low cost of $6800, you can have yourself an Elio 3-Wheeler: a two-seat three-wheeler powered by a 900-cc three-cylinder that's estimated to deliver 84 mpg on the highway. Elio says that its eight-gallon fuel tank is enough to get one of its cars from Detroit to New York, some 650 miles away, without refueling.

Founder Paul Elio believes that at this price point, his brand could see annual sales of 250,000. To help meet this goal, Elio purchased a million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Shreveport, Louisiana, formerly inhabited by General Motors.
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*So far, Elio has received more than 12000 orders. That's nowhere near the brand's theoretical production capacity, but it's not an insignificant number for an automaker that's yet to sell a single car. With production expected to begin this December, we'll be eager to see how that number grows.
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## Wolfeman6 (Mar 22, 2014)

Almost looks like a reversed Reliant Robin or a Spyder with a cover.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

For commuters it would be great. I would be happy to have one.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Would be ok in late spring, summer, and early fall, but do not think it would make a good winter car in snow
country. At that price and MPG it would pay for itself. A friend is making his car payment on the new 
Toyata with a CVT transmission on the money he and his wife are saving on their gas bill.


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## Bonka (Apr 13, 2012)

I wonder what the crash test dummies will look like?


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

Be careful, ads are always deceiving in that they only tout the good points. For example: the "estimated" 84 mpg highway really means when driven on a flat smooth road with no hills or other conditions that reduce mileage, and it is ESTIMATED, not in any way guaranteed. See if they advertise an estimated city mpg, that will be closer to what owners actually experience. 
Don't know what part of the world you'll be driving thus in, but how's the heater in cold climates?, and what kind of traction does it get in the winter snow?
Other considerations; will you always only need a one seater?, if you do rake it on the highway, what is the acceptation merging into traffic? What is the convenience for parts and service? 
I guess I used up my time on, so I'll close out.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

But how would I carry 4X8 sheets of plywood??


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

What a cheap,flimsy looking car LOL .It might be fun though to try out at the dodgems on the fairground but for long distance driving and safety*that thing looks like it would flip over easy in a strong breeze*Three wheelers have been tried many times and always been very much third rate with no resell value or at least a very greatly diminished resell value. Besides I just sold my volvo which stated that it got seventy miles per gallon on a run .I could never get it to do anywhere near that nearer to fifty five IMHO.
Our youngest son Ewen has just bought his first ever new car ,and it is just a vauxhall corsa with a one thousand cc engine which gets according to the papers it states it will get sixty to the gallon.It is at least a well proven safe car to drive .He gets it on monday and is super thrilled .I hope he has a few good safe years with it as he just passed his driving test last year.I would not feel safe if he was driving this three wheeled contraption sorry my 2 cents ,but I genuinely perhaps mistakenly feel exactly that.They do not come out well if struck by another car .Steering is sometimes problematic also,which has been well proven over many years, both here and in Germany were they started with the bubble car messerschmidt.It does look tremendous fun though I will say that but safety is everything where your children are concerned sorry LOL Alistair


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

The smaller cars get, the worse the drivers are drive in traffic! I actually had one exit behind my truck last month rather than cut in front while slamming on the brakes. It is truly amazing how many of these idiots bet their life the operators of large vehicles are alert and paying attention. That looks like a one seater, so the driver will be betting one life.


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## wooded (Mar 6, 2012)

Can you say Roger Rabbity?.......;-j


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## IrreverentJack (Aug 13, 2010)

Please delete.


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## IrreverentJack (Aug 13, 2010)

Here's the Elio website. The car has two seats, front engine and front wheel drive. Like Gus says, it might be too interesting to drive in snow. After a drive in this winter it would need a heated garage or those front wheels/fenders/suspension/driveshafts would freeze solid and I can't see kicking them real hard to knock the ice off. That said, I think it is a good idea and should be successful. The site says you can buy it with no money down. Get an Elio credit card and buy all your gas with it, then make a monthly payment of three times that. 1/3 of the payment would be for gas 2/3 for you car payment. I don't know if that is a good idea, but it shows these folks aren't afraid of doing things differently. -Jack


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

I can't wait to test drive one. 
Bet the test dummies last allot better then on a motorcycle. 
Three air bags in the car and a steel NASCAR roll cage. 
Limited top end of 107 mph. 
Will be released in December so we shall see about the heater and the snow, but take those fenders off and put on some chains and bet it will really well in the north. 
Front wheel drive. German 900c engine. 
Available upgrades include leather interior, navigation system and Bose Stereo.
84 highway and 49 city. Hoping this is the real deal.
Yup. If it feels like more entertainment then my Corolla's 32 mpg then I'll have 4 cars.


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

I would question the 5 Star crash rating but a nice little unit.


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## IrreverentJack (Aug 13, 2010)

*Hoping this is the real deal*

Dan- With such a small space the heat and AC might be very good. Tire chains work well at low speeds but needing to use them sucks . Hope they make a good studded tire in that size.

The price, mileage, crash rating and roll out date will probably change a little. Will you need a motorcycle licence to drive it?


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

What!! 1-person commuting in a vehicle that doesn't weigh more than 3000 lbs. and doesn't have 14 air bags! This sounds wrong. And it's price is too low - too many people might buy them and have extra disposable income left over to pay off debt faster which would hurt banks and lenders. I hope they don't also plan to a make this a plug-in electric car one day - I mean, only hipster-vegan tree-hugggers would drive those, right?

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do." - Benjamin Franklin


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## Kryptic (Nov 8, 2013)

i want one


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## gamygeezer (Jan 22, 2014)

Looked at the web site. Basically a motortrike going in reverse. Wonder why it doesn't have a rear window? Fifteen inch tires, decent clearance, two-seater (front and back, so no necking), but found nothing about a tow rating. As was said, how do we get the lumber home? Good first car for a teener? I'm afraid us old and stiff geezers might have trouble getting in and out of one.


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)




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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Looks nice Dan'um, but using the exhaust pipes for a front bumper might be noisy.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't see a car top carrier for plywood.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

It looks like the rear passenger would be sitting directly above the rear wheel; could be a bumpy ride. I think it's a great concept at a great price.


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