Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Edmunds lists most, least fuel-efficient sporty vehicles

Question: can sporty vehicles be fuel efficient? Answer: yes. Recently, the team over at Edmunds Auto Observer compiled a list of some of the most and least fuel-efficient sporty vehicles available. Surprisingly, there's a monstrous gap (of $165) between the lowest and highest monthly fuel costs (computed with gasoline at $3.96 a gallon) for vehicles in the "sporty" category.

Coming out on top, with the lowest estimated monthly fuel costs for sporty vehicles, was the Mini Cooper ($165), followed closely by the Mini Cooper convertible ($169), Mini Cooper S ($174) and the Mini Cooper with the John Cooper Works package ($186). Notice a trend? Slotting into fifth place was the Volkswagen GTI with six-speed automatic transmission ($195). Down at the bottom of the chart, with estimated monthly fuel costs of $330, was the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and BMW M3.


http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/05/...orts-cars.html

LexFather

Not sure how the IS F is on the list when its the only car in its class to avoid the gas guzzler tax. I guess this is out of models they have tested?

And I am not really impressed with those most fuel efficient numbers.

OMG a tiny 4 cylinder Cooper is more efficient than a 100 grand 7.0 V-8 Supercharged ZR-1, the agony!

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

well it is edmunds. And seriously the C63 AMG isn't on the list but the F is?? yeah....

6.2L* V8 LS9 actually

The Mitsu Eclipse even got a nod at fuel efficient sporty car. lol oh the horror

mmarshall

An interesting question is why the Honda CR-Z is not on the Most Efficient List...it certainly has the gas-mileage for it. Maybe they just don't consider it sporty enough. It is the only production hybrid, though, to offer a conventional 3-pedal 6-speed manual transmission.

Also interesting is the Mazda RX-8 on the Least-Efficient list, with a tiny 1.3L twin-rotary. Rotaries, though, do have a reputation for both gas and oil-use.

LexFather

I was wondering that too. I've driven the manual, its really not that sporty but it ain't no dud either and the CT is sportier but its not on there either. Maybe they haven't driven them?

rdgdawg

Cayman AND Boxster should be BOTH in the top group with 911 maybe just outside but NOT in lower group

What Porsche can do on mileage is as amazing as the handling

rdgdawg

Mike my RX-8 was HORRIBLE on mileage... got maybe 20 on highway... best I ever got was 238 miles on a TANK...

LexFather

Very good point..they do get great MPG considering the power...

grabber2

why isn't the RSX Type-S on the list............it does 36MPG highway, 22MPG New York City

LexFather

B/C they don't make it anymore.

spwolf

this is the stupidest list ever... they should rate based on two factors - consumption and 0-60 time...

IS-SV

No kidding, pretty much a waste of time.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

no kidding. edmunds used to be a good website, now it's garbage.

LexFather

Its sad how bad its gotten

mmarshall

Yeah, that sounds about right. And you probably had to add a significant amount of oil between regular oil-changes. Because of the rotary's design, some of the oil used to lube the rotor-apex-seals gets burned in the rotating combustion-chambers and goes out the exhaust-ports. That also, of course, throws an extra load on the catalyst and emission-system to get it cleaned up.

Non-turbo rotaries are also known for low torque, especially at low RPMs (the RX-8, for example, makes only 159 ft-lbs......at over 5000 RPM). But their turbine-like smoothness lets them easily and seamlessly rev to those high RPMs they need for max-power.

Last, some Mazda dealerships screw you on a rotary's parts and service because the RX-8 is the only production car in America with that type of powerplant, and they control much (but not all) of the parts-outlets for them.