Archive for the ‘gas mileage’ Category

Most ordinary gasoline models look like guzzlers next to the hybrids—and a few compact diesel models—that dominate the upper echelon of this year's EPA fuel economy ratings. For instance, according to the EPA's Fuel Economy Guide information released last week, a 2010 Toyota Prius will cost less than half as much to keep fueled for a year's worth of driving than the seemingly fuel-efficient four-cylinder, all-wheel-drive 2010 Toyota RAV4. According to EPA estimates, the savings would rack up to $850; and that's with gas prices at a relatively low $2.58 a gallon.

At least you're not driving a 2010 Lamborghini Murcielago (8 mpg City) or a 2010...

Like that old gray mare the kids keep talking about, fuel economy standards ain't what they used to be. We've seen this recently with General Motors' announcement of a 230 mpg rating for the Chevrolet Volt. We've also seen it with the Fisker Karma sedan, which announced a much more modest fuel economy of 67 mpg. In the context of conventional, combustion-engined cars, those figures are pretty eye-popping -- but of course, they're not quite what they seem. The EPA is working to fix that.

The problem with the Chevy Volt, the Fisker Karma, Jaguar's "Limo Green" concept, and other new-tech vehicles is their drivetrains, which center around...

Chalk it all up to Cash For Clunkers: The average gas mileage of new cars and light trucks sold during August reached a record high of 23 miles per gallon, up 8 percent over the 21.2 mpg in August 2008. The 23-mpg level equals the highest recorded average, back in August 2007, when gasoline neared its peak prices of $4 a gallon or more.

As noted by our sister site GreenCarReports.com, the data comes from trade journal Ward's Automotive News, which calculates its Fuel-Economy Index using reported U.S. sales of cars and light trucks, the engine options chosen, and EPA fuel economy ratings.

Toyota had the best overall average, at 26.9 mpg. With...