View Full Forums : New List - Most Fuel Efficient Cars 2006


Stormhaven
10-13-2005, 10:19 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/10/12/most_efficient_cars/index.html

"Clean list" from CNN:
Top 10 vehicles overall: (City/Highway)

1. Honda Insight (hybrid) -- 60/66
2. Toyota Prius (hybrid) -- 60/51
3. Volkswagen New Beetle and Golf (diesel, manual) -- 37/44
4. Volkswagen Jetta (diesel) -- 36/41
5. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD -- 36/31
6. Volkswagen New Beetle and Jetta(diesel, automatic) -- 35/42
7. Volkswagen Golf (diesel, automatic) -- 33/44
8. Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD (Also Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner 4WD hybrids) -- 33/29
9. Lexus RX 400h 2WD and Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2WD -- 33/28
10. Toyota Corolla (manual) -- 32/41

Link to full guide from the EPA: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/feg2000.htm

Teaenea
10-13-2005, 10:43 AM
Related note.

Hybrids tend not to get the mileage the EPA gives for them. While they certainly get better mileage than the typical car, there are some pretty big disparities.

Wired did an article a year ago about this. They specifically mentioned this guy (http://hybridbuzz.blogspot.com/). And consumer reports has reported that the EPA needs to revisit how they determine the actual efficiency. They also say that hybrids can get as much as 19 miles per gallon less than the listed rating for city miles (http://www.consumerreports.org/main/content/display_report.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=772749&bmUID=1126133557514).

Highlights of our study:

• Shortfalls in mpg occurred in 90 percent of vehicles we tested and included most makes and models.

• The largest discrepancy between claimed and actual mpg involved city driving. Some models we tested fell short of claimed city mpg by 35 to 50 percent.

• Hybrids, whose selling point is fuel thriftiness, had some of the biggest disparities, with fuel economy averaging 19 mpg below the EPA city rating.

• The EPA ratings are the result of 1970s-era test assumptions that don't account for how people drive today. Automakers also test prototype vehicles that can yield better mileage than a consumer could get.

• Despite federal certification, it appears that U.S. vehicle fleets, all cars and light trucks produced in one model year, don't meet government fuel-economy standards. For example, fleet mpg for 2003-model-year vehicles we studied was overstated by 30 percent.

Panamah
10-13-2005, 11:25 AM
I was watching a consumer guy on PBS last night and he said hybrids aren't getting anywhere even close to their EPA estimates. He said they can be off by as much as 50%.

I guess some of these new hybrid SUV's they're not using the electric engine for fuel economy but to increase the power of the SUV. *rolls eyes*

Teaenea
10-13-2005, 02:44 PM
Most cars don't get the EPA rated mileage. Hybrids just seem to be further off target.

But, like I said, they still do get better mileage than standard engines, but, the cost savings isn't usually realized until between 5 and 10 years of ownership. Even with gas prices around the $3 mark.

Stormhaven
10-13-2005, 02:46 PM
The disparity is very interesting, considering that wasn't it actually highway travel that most of the hybrid manufacturers said the loss would be at?

Of the cars up there, I actually considered the Lexus RX400h for a while (until they announced it was going to be $50k!), but my friend has the diesel Jetta and loves it.

Teaenea
10-13-2005, 02:52 PM
Diesels are definately a reasonable option. But, they won't be noticably better until modern diesel engines are cleaner. European Diesels are quite good, but, produce more particulate polution (say that 10x fast!) than US emission laws allow. But, they are working on the problem in the form of better catalytic converters, specifically for diesel engines.

Kalest MoonGlade
10-13-2005, 03:30 PM
Bio-Disel for TEH WIN!

Teaenea
10-13-2005, 03:36 PM
Bio-Disel for TEH WIN!

A combination of Bio-Diesel and Ethenol would be a reasonable alternative in the mid term, IMHO.

But, can you see the kids growing up and singing "Old McExon had a farm....?"

Kalest MoonGlade
10-13-2005, 03:41 PM
And suddenly I wish I hadn't had McD's for lunch :-p

Kalest.

Kryttos Arcadia
10-13-2005, 04:04 PM
i watched a show on... pbs or nova. forget which.. about sugar.. and how easy Ethanol is to make.. basically the heat needed to make it is generated with the leftover ruffage from the sugar cane plant =p

Ethanol down in Brazil was about $1 less per gallon than gasoline

Teaenea
10-13-2005, 04:18 PM
I saw the same show. Basically, anything that can be fermented can be made into ethenol, but, Sugar is the easiest and cheapest way.

Sugar Beets are used on the mainland US, and Sugar Cane in Hawaii. Chemically speaking, there is no difference between sugar from Cane or Beets.

Panamah
10-13-2005, 04:19 PM
They could get quite a lot of methane from me after I've consumed a few sugar-free popsicles...

weoden
10-13-2005, 06:18 PM
A hybrid will be good if you are in stop and start traffic. The number one best gas savings is a lighter vehicle. The next is aerodynamics. This is width and height. Lastly, speed up slow and slow down slow.

I think buying a 6 speed will be more efficient than buying a hybrid for total cost.

Stormhaven
10-14-2005, 10:59 AM
Heheh.. just saw this:
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/10/14/prius_recall.reut/index.html">Toyota recalls Prius</a> - apparently it BSODs!