2009's Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

[Bobby]

Thought this was quite interesting from Forbes regarding fuel efficient vehicles...

What do you think?

[mountainhiker]

Thought this was quite interesting from Forbes regarding fuel efficient vehicles...

What do you think?

Highlights how out of sync that GM is with the rest of the world and raises questions as to the possibility of them playing catch up before the run out of money.

[Steve_Barker]

I find all this very strange.

I fill my car up

Zero the trip meter

See ho much fuel it needs to refill, and take a trip meter reading.

I consistently get 55 mpg, which when converted to US is 45.8 mpg.

Mine is just a cheap old banger (which http://www.cleangreencars.co.uk says avoid), yet it compares with the best of the best on real life use.

[brettbh]

I assume that you drive in a different manner to the EPA:

As a means of reflecting real world fuel economy more accurately, the EPA adds three new tests that will combine with the current city and highway cycles to determine fuel economy of new vehicles, beginning with the 2008 model year. A high speed/quick acceleration loops lasts 10 minutes, covers 8 miles (13 km), averages 48 mph (77 km/h) and reaches a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). Four stops are included, and brisk acceleration maximizes at a rate of 8.46 mph (13.62 km/h) per second. The engine begins warm and air conditioning is not used. Ambient temperature varies between 68 to 86 °F (30 °C).

List of UK fuel economy ratings.

[Steve_Barker]

I assume that you drive in a different manner to the EPA:

As a means of reflecting real world fuel economy more accurately, the EPA adds three new tests that will combine with the current city and highway cycles to determine fuel economy of new vehicles, beginning with the 2008 model year. A high speed/quick acceleration loops lasts 10 minutes, covers 8 miles (13 km), averages 48 mph (77 km/h) and reaches a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). Four stops are included, and brisk acceleration maximizes at a rate of 8.46 mph (13.62 km/h) per second. The engine begins warm and air conditioning is not used. Ambient temperature varies between 68 to 86 °F (30 °C).

List of UK fuel economy ratings.

Basically I just put my foot down, shoot along with a speed and acceleration which I find shocking when compared to the risks we are prevented from taking at work. Then sit at the speed limit minus 2 mph. Do not think my car does 80 mph, although I have touched 70 a couple of times. I only brake if I have to, and use the gearbox to control deceleration. My car does not have air conditioning, another extra to go wrong which I avoid, but 55 mpg does include having to open the window regularly to cool down.

Mine is blue.

One of my old cars used to do 100 mpg running on diesel:

Loved driving the car, but it was just so unreliable :o

[brettbh]

Mine is blue.

Bloody hell! That thing is uglier than a lard bucket full of baboon bums!

[Steve_Barker]

Bloody hell! That thing is uglier than a lard bucket full of baboon bums!

Are you sure?

http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/277448.html

[mountainhiker]

Bloody hell! That thing is uglier than a lard bucket full of baboon bums!

"Butt ugly" as they say, but if was reliable and got good mpg, I could live with it.....

[Steve_Barker]

Bloody hell! That thing is uglier than a lard bucket full of baboon bums!

Realistically, it goes from A to B without breaking down, economically, reasonably comfortably, and will park in the gap left between big cars.

[brettbh]

Are you sure?

Yup! It's the Jade Goody of the motor world!

[Steve_Barker]

From forbes.com:

"Chevrolet's introduction of E85 FlexFuel-capable engines has been met with some doubt, since ethanol takes more energy to use, but with it GM has produced a 2009 fuel-efficiency winner, a midsize SUV. The 2009 HHR, when using regular gas, gets a combined mileage of 26 mpg, and has a base MSRP of $18,720."

This makes me think how much the USA appears to be behind the UK. On Wednesday I was in a meeting of about 15 people from different areas at work. Over a coffee break on young woman started of telling us about how wonderful her new Land Rover Discovery is. No one was impressed, and people who I see as having no green leanings pointed out that it was far too thirty. No one was impressed when she pointed out that it could do 38 mpg, the response was that it is not very often that she would be traveling at a constant speed on an open road. When someone else pointed out what mpg her Smart Car did, there was general admiration from the group.

Many years ago I used to build kit cars as a hobby, and remember an magazine article from one of the top kit car designers which stated that the weight of a vehicle was more important than its shape when working to reduce fuel consumption. US cars seem to have missed this point. I recall as a teenager that there was a new American compact car, the AMC Pacer, and that this was hailed by the press as a radical departure by the US industry into "small" cars - over 30 years later American cars do not seem to have downsized much from there.

[mountainhiker]

From forbes.com:

"Chevrolet's introduction of E85 FlexFuel-capable engines has been met with some doubt, since ethanol takes more energy to use, but with it GM has produced a 2009 fuel-efficiency winner, a midsize SUV. The 2009 HHR, when using regular gas, gets a combined mileage of 26 mpg, and has a base MSRP of $18,720."

This makes me think how much the USA appears to be behind the UK. On Wednesday I was in a meeting of about 15 people from different areas at work. Over a coffee break on young woman started of telling us about how wonderful her new Land Rover Discovery is. No one was impressed, and people who I see as having no green leanings pointed out that it was far too thirty. No one was impressed when she pointed out that it could do 38 mpg, the response was that it is not very often that she would be traveling at a constant speed on an open road. When someone else pointed out what mpg her Smart Car did, there was general admiration from the group.

Many years ago I used to build kit cars as a hobby, and remember an magazine article from one of the top kit car designers which stated that the weight of a vehicle was more important than its shape when working to reduce fuel consumption. US cars seem to have missed this point. I recall as a teenager that there was a new American compact car, the AMC Pacer, and that this was hailed by the press as a radical departure by the US industry into "small" cars - over 30 years later American cars do not seem to have downsized much from there.

And the reason that GM is in the shape it is in is totally due to short sighted management. Toyota is producing smaller cars that get much higher mpg in the US. The company still has not produce a viable plan the keep it from going under. They have shut down all plants for a month, doubt that it will do any good. They are in the "perfect storm" due to bad decisions and labor contracts that pay people not to work (If any of you know of a viable company that pays people not to work, let me know.) <_<

[Simon]

Loved driving the car, but it was just so unreliable

Seems like a great car to have running in the city (until they hopefully ban private motoring there!).

This makes me think how much the USA appears to be behind the UK. On Wednesday I was in a meeting of about 15 people from different areas at work. Over a coffee break on young woman started of telling us about how wonderful her new Land Rover Discovery is. No one was impressed, and people who I see as having no green leanings pointed out that it was far too thirty. No one was impressed when she pointed out that it could do 38 mpg, the response was that it is not very often that she would be traveling at a constant speed on an open road. When someone else pointed out what mpg her Smart Car did, there was general admiration from the group.

That is just another example of how far the public in the UK have come in the understanding of climate change. I really admire you guys over there. Unfortunately, like everywhere else, your Government is not following your lead. :(

[Steve_Barker]

That is just another example of how far the public in the UK have come in the understanding of climate change. I really admire you guys over there. Unfortunately, like everywhere else, your Government is not following your lead.

I've always tended to think of Scandinavians as being ahead of the UK on environmental issues. In the UK at present there is certainly a stong feeling of mistrust against all politicians, and that things need to change. Alas, as this weeks Local By-election results show, in some places the British National Party are tapping into this feeling - close seconds in places with no history of standing are unheard of for minority parties.

[Steve_Barker]

And the reason that GM is in the shape it is in is totally due to short sighted management. Toyota is producing smaller cars that get much higher mpg in the US. The company still has not produce a viable plan the keep it from going under. They have shut down all plants for a month, doubt that it will do any good. They are in the "perfect storm" due to bad decisions and labor contracts that pay people not to work (If any of you know of a viable company that pays people not to work, let me know.)

Think this article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4283117.stm sums up the difficulty for American car buyers, do you go for fuel Independence, or support American industry?

[Simon]

I've always tended to think of Scandinavians as being ahead of the UK on environmental issues. In the UK at present there is certainly a stong feeling of mistrust against all politicians, and that things need to change. Alas, as this weeks Local By-election results show, in some places the British National Party are tapping into this feeling - close seconds in places with no history of standing are unheard of for minority parties.

Sure, we do have implemented a lot of "green" things and such. But the whole climate change mindset is missing, if you know what I mean. For me it seems that people in the UK are more aware of climate change and the dangers it'll bring. They "get it".

And just like the BNP nazi "political" party in the UK is growing so does Sverigedemokraterna (shortly translated to: "Swedishdemocrats") back here in Sweden. The right-wing parties and ideology is growing once more in Europe. Hopefully people will come to their senses before things turns real ugly. But I doubt that.

Think this article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4283117.stm sums up the difficulty for American car buyers, do you go for fuel Independence, or support American industry?

Thats not hard! Just go with the most fuel saving car, i.e, the non-american car. There is no need to support any “foot-dragging, planet-eating spongers”.

Or do like me. Dont get a car. Heck, I dont even have a drivers license. :D

[arctics_huha]

it is not all about the ugliness...

its all about the earth rite...

but somehow the car manufacture should realize that the consumer still want to have a great-looking car besides green...