A sortable chart of SUVs for sale in the USA and their "targeted versus actual" miles per gallon.....

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech...3suv.table.htm

 

Hi Lars-ss:

___You know, this all comes back to who is driving and who is reporting. You never see these reporters say what they are actually receiving and you know what; I bet they don’t know!

___Based on a footprint or their own made up sensibility index? Who do these guys think they are kidding!

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

Those appear to be the 2008 EPA CAFE figures, which are based on the "footprint" of the vehicles. Footprint is calculated by the vehicle's area within it's track (width of the wheels) and wheelbase (distance of the wheels from each other). As was mentioned in an earlier discussion on this topic, this really was the best way to go about it. If you base CAFE on curb weight then all you do is encourage H2-like vehicles that are 8000+ pounds in order to get the lowest CAFE requirement. Coincidentally, the worst scoring vehicles in that chart actually have somewhat small footprints (The LandRover and G-wagen) but are ridiculously heavy. Because of this, they miss their CAFE requirement by a mile.

Also, the other obvious alternative was to use the vehicle's total width and length, but that is also subject to cheating by adding a very lengthy faux rear bumper or making the nose of the vehicle a foot longer than it needs be. A vehicle's track and wheelbase cannot be easily altered and are thus the best way to go. I honestly like the new EPA system because so many SUV's are way off the mark that they need to meet. They effectively raised CAFE for the vehicles that needed it raised most.

 

Hi AZCivic:

___Basing FE on footprint is BS and I am sorry I missed the previous discussion. Widen your track, extend the wheelbase/total length and you have an Excursion that would have a lower FE basis then the previous vehicle it replaced. Maybe large cars with a larger footprint should not have to meet the Fed’s or Carb’s (Tier II/Bin 5/Lev-II) emission std.’s because they are larger as well? This thing smells of an automobile manufacturer lobbyist at work. The ones who will pay is all of us as natural resources supply begins to be overcome by demand. IIRC, CAFE’ for Trucks/SUV’s was raised by 2.8 mpg. Hardly the right way to go or fixing the problem of which vehicles needed it the most …

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

Wayne,

You are correct in principle wrt the potential for size creep, but I think you oughta give automakers a little more credit for common sense, or at least a survival instinct. Just because you "COULD" get bigger and wider to make the targets easier, doesn't mean you SHOULD. Most automakers now recognize the importance of real world fuel economy and are developing product to improve on it. Widening track and extending wheelbase are expensive and time consuming architectural decisions that companies will have to live with for 6 - 12 years. To increase track and wheelbase without corresponding improvements in fuel economy is setting yourself up to develop products that people don't want. In the heavy duty and commercial vehicle ends of the market, you may still see some of that to increase vehicle capability, but in the consumer end of the market, "bigger & badder" will be a niche play. Refined and more environmentally friendly will be the main direction.

I base these opinions on what I see in development programs and in intelligence reportings wrt what other automakers are doing.

Peace,

Martin

 

Hi Martin:

___Thanks for the feedback and you are correct.

___How is the BAS coming in the VUE? Are there any more public releases that we can review yet?

___On a side note, could you please visit whoever designed/placed the 2.2L Ecotech w/ the 4-speed Auto in the Cobalt and give them a kick in the keester for me! To achieve a middling 24/32 while the larger frontal area, probably higher Cd, and heavier by at least 10% Malibu receives 24/35 with the same is an absolute travesty imho

___Here is the real competition and I do not know if the guys in charge over there get it yet?

05 Cobalt 24/32
05 Corolla 30/38
06 Civic 30/40

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net