Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
#1
07-11-2008, 02:49 AM
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,051
Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
Your leanest and greenest weapons in the battle against the $4 gallon.
In the past 17 years, no vehicle in America outsold the Ford F-150 on a monthly or yearly basis — not once. In May of this year, however, Honda moved more Civics and Accords and Toyota more Corollas and Camrys than Ford moved of its bestseller. This shift has less to do with a change in Americans’ vehicular preferences than the fact that trucks guzzle fuel, the cost of which has doubled in the past three years.
America has been sideswiped by the $4 gallon of gasoline, and auto industry heads believe the higher gas prices are permanent, not just a temporary shift or spike. Companies have been reconfiguring their lineups accordingly. GM has green-lighted the electrically motivated Volt plug-in hybrid for a 2010 release, and in addition to ceasing production of trucks and SUVs at four U.S. plants and idling thousands of workers, it is considering selling off the iconic Hummer brand.
From a manufacturing perspective, it’s increasingly difficult to build fuel-sipping vehicles, as current safety and emissions technologies add weight, a primary nemesis of fuel economy. Hybrid technology and low mass are the most cost-effective strategies to better fuel economy, and the bulk of our list of the 10 most-fuel-efficient vehicles utilize one or both. Toyota plays both sides, managing to field three of the top 10 — four if you count the Nissan Altima, which uses the Toyota Camry’s hybrid drive system under license.
That five of the vehicles on our list are hybrids is a harbinger of things to come. Although there’s only one diesel in this group, expect that to change. The following vehicles are ranked according to their EPA combined fuel-economy ratings. Since the EPA calculation favors city mileage, that number is used here as a tiebreaker...
Your leanest and greenest weapons in the battle against the $4 gallon.
In the past 17 years, no vehicle in America outsold the Ford F-150 on a monthly or yearly basis — not once. In May of this year, however, Honda moved more Civics and Accords and Toyota more Corollas and Camrys than Ford moved of its bestseller. This shift has less to do with a change in Americans’ vehicular preferences than the fact that trucks guzzle fuel, the cost of which has doubled in the past three years.
America has been sideswiped by the $4 gallon of gasoline, and auto industry heads believe the higher gas prices are permanent, not just a temporary shift or spike. Companies have been reconfiguring their lineups accordingly. GM has green-lighted the electrically motivated Volt plug-in hybrid for a 2010 release, and in addition to ceasing production of trucks and SUVs at four U.S. plants and idling thousands of workers, it is considering selling off the iconic Hummer brand.
From a manufacturing perspective, it’s increasingly difficult to build fuel-sipping vehicles, as current safety and emissions technologies add weight, a primary nemesis of fuel economy. Hybrid technology and low mass are the most cost-effective strategies to better fuel economy, and the bulk of our list of the 10 most-fuel-efficient vehicles utilize one or both. Toyota plays both sides, managing to field three of the top 10 — four if you count the Nissan Altima, which uses the Toyota Camry’s hybrid drive system under license.
That five of the vehicles on our list are hybrids is a harbinger of things to come. Although there’s only one diesel in this group, expect that to change. The following vehicles are ranked according to their EPA combined fuel-economy ratings. Since the EPA calculation favors city mileage, that number is used here as a tiebreaker...
#2
07-11-2008, 07:21 AM
Re: Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
I really don't understand why TCH highway rating is so low, I never ever got less than 36 MPG on a highway driving any type of longer trip and I had up to 3 adults, full trunk of luggage, doing steady 80-85 miles per hour, even 90, which is illegal in most states, since the highest speed limit I remember ever seeing is 80 MPH?? and only in a couple of less populated states. I can understand city being lower, since it can vary widely and mostly depends on how heavy footed driver is, so yes if you change driving cycle I can see it dropping, but highway driving should be pretty consistent. I honestly tell you, I would have very, very hard time to average 34MPG driving highways, without loosing my license in a matter of days. I'm on east coast, maybe other parts of the country are different, but still I have 50k on my car and I really don't use any special tricks to increase my MPG. OK, I had 36 PSI in my tires and really prefer to open windows and roof, over running AC unless it's really hot, but that's it.
BTW doesn't Ford Escape hybrid use Toyota's system as well? I could swear it was using Toyota developed Synergy system, so maybe I'm wrong, but I think Toyota has 5 most fuel efficient cars on that list, 3 under their own name plus Nissan and Ford using their drive system.
BTW doesn't Ford Escape hybrid use Toyota's system as well? I could swear it was using Toyota developed Synergy system, so maybe I'm wrong, but I think Toyota has 5 most fuel efficient cars on that list, 3 under their own name plus Nissan and Ford using their drive system.
Last edited by Pete4; 07-11-2008 at 08:08 AM.
#3
07-11-2008, 10:14 AM
Re: Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
In the same way as you get more then the listed mileage, people who drive other models could be looking at the list saying "I get more than that", and some drivers with a heavy foot look at the list and say "I wish my car actually got what they say it should".
#4
07-11-2008, 11:41 AM
Re: Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
IF Toyota puts the Prius drive train in a Corolla....Game Over!...But they will need lots more battery manufacturing capacity.
#5
07-11-2008, 02:05 PM
Re: Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
The list used EPA ratings for fair comparisons since their test protocols are standardized. It may not match what you get, but the relative differences between the vehicles should be consistent.
In the same way as you get more then the listed mileage, people who drive other models could be looking at the list saying "I get more than that", and some drivers with a heavy foot look at the list and say "I wish my car actually got what they say it should".
In the same way as you get more then the listed mileage, people who drive other models could be looking at the list saying "I get more than that", and some drivers with a heavy foot look at the list and say "I wish my car actually got what they say it should".
#6
07-11-2008, 02:32 PM
Re: Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
In principle what you say is true. However, I'm convinced that the Toyota Hybrid is far more efficient when warm than a non-hybrid. The EPA test is simply not long enough or the highway EPA ratings for the TCH would be higher. A more realistic highway number in my opinion would be 38 MPG. I never get below 40 mpg and my driving includes a fair amount of city driving.
I was FINALLY able to locate something that I -think- includes the test protocols at http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/420r06017.pdf
If that's not the right link, this may be the one: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/regulations.htm
I'll give a shiny new nickel to the first person who can actually translate this into something we can all understand that explains the actual test profile.
#7
07-11-2008, 02:36 PM
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,051
Re: Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
In principle what you say is true. However, I'm convinced that the Toyota Hybrid is far more efficient when warm than a non-hybrid. The EPA test is simply not long enough or the highway EPA ratings for the TCH would be higher. A more realistic highway number in my opinion would be 38 MPG. I never get below 40 mpg and my driving includes a fair amount of city driving.
Is it possible that EPA tests new cars for a few thousand miles only?
Most TCH owners get better than EPA, but maybe most TCgas owners similarly get better than EPA after their oil change, etc.
BTW, Doctor Water, if you want to get below 40 MPG try visiting frosty NJ in the winter time. You'll be lucky if you get >35!
#8
07-11-2008, 03:09 PM
Re: Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
added: From the link (EPA) provided above, (thanks tbone!): "....Compared to today’s estimates, the city mpg estimates for the manufacturers of most vehicles will drop by about 12 percent on average, and by as much as 30 percent for some vehicles. The highway mpg estimates will drop on average by about 8 percent, and by as much as 25 percent for some vehicles.
In vehicles that achieve generally better fuel economy, such as gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, new city estimates will be about 20 to 30 percent lower than today’s labels, and new highway estimates will be 10 to 20 percent lower. The nature of current hybrid technology -- the addition of a battery as a second source of on-board power, sophisticated control systems, and sometimes a smaller engine – makes a hybrid’s fuel economy more sensitive to certain factors, such as colder weather and air conditioning use. However, many hybrid models will remain among the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market. ..."
Last edited by jbollt; 07-11-2008 at 03:17 PM. Reason: added quote from epa
#10
07-11-2008, 04:52 PM
Re: Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.
Last edited by FastMover; 07-11-2008 at 04:55 PM.
