CLOSET GAS HOGS - FEATURE

2008 Saab 9-7X Aero
2008 Jeep Wrangler
2008 Jeep Liberty
2008 Saturn Vue XE
2008 Pontiac G6 GT Convertible
2008 Mazda RX-8
2008 Mazda CX-7
2008 Volvo S80
2008 Pontiac Solstice/2008 Saturn Sky
Anything on E85


Ten vehicles hiding serious drinking problems.

BY JARED HOLSTEIN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON KILEY AND THE MANUFACTURERS
February 2008

With an average national fuel cost currently hovering around three bucks for a gallon of regular, fuel economy matters. Over the past decade, the driveways of mainstream America filled with SUVs whose fuel-swilling was, at the time, not a concern. Fuel costs almost doubled from 1996 to 2006 and grew another 20 percent in the past year. The average U.S. household income, meanwhile, rose only 35.8 percent in the same 10-year period.

The associated shift in vehicle sales is telling. In 2007, sales of Chevy’s Tahoe full-size SUV fell by 9.4 percent from 2006, while retail sales for the unlovable but frugal Chevrolet Aveo leaped by 82 percent. GM’s John McDonald wrote this off as these vehicles' being “deferrable purchases,” implying that land barges hold some kind of inherent allure and that Americans would prefer to drive dump trucks if gas were free. This is, of course, entirely possible.

But gas is not free, and we don’t drive dump trucks, and as car buyers search for better fuel economy, they increasingly don’t want to drive trucks of any kind. R&D dollars are focused on unibody crossovers that ad campaigns tout as more fuel efficient than the trucks they replace, with even Ford’s Explorer headed for a frame-free future.

It’s not just big trucks that get lousy fuel economy, either. The culprits of poor fuel economy are many, but common underlying causes include portly curb weights, older drivetrains, and the conscious exclusion of fuel-saving technologies to keep production and purchase prices down. Before you spend your money on a new car, make sure you pay attention to the equipment list, because with the wrong engine or transmission choice, heinous fuel economy is sometimes just a checkbox away.

read on
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...s_hogs_feature

 

I miss those light weight little car that doesn't have too many safety and luxury features and wish they could come back. The average weight of the new cars must be reduced. I want to see more cars in the mid two thousand pounds to low three thousand pounds. Automakers must limit some unnecessary features like sunroof and heated seats because these things really make the car heavy.

 

Yeah I saw this earlier, the Saab is just reducicous!!! and the RAM 1500 getting 9 city, no wonder they are just sitting on the lot at work right now.

 

what about -- Top 10 Fuel-Efficiency Surprises - ?!?!???!??!?!

Top 10 Fuel-Efficiency Surprises - Feature
Introduction

2008 Audi TT 2.0T...just dumped my IS350 to get this; a lot funner to drive.

2008 Chevrolet Corvette..wanted this; wife vetoed it.

2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid

2008 Dodge Sprinter CRD

2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTec

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

2008 Porsche Cayman

2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

2009 Toyota Matrix


http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...re+page-2.html

 

I'm surprised the CX-7 is there. Is it because it has a turbo 4 compared to the CX-9 which drinks more but uses a V6?

 

I'm trading the IS250 for a Dodge Sprinter...

 

Interesting mix of vehicles.

 

My wife's 2002 Wrangler has horrible mileage. I measured 15.5 mpg's on a long highway trip, yes that's highway mileage!

Biggest problems:

- inefficient old design inline-6
- terrible aerodynamics (verticle windshield, box shape)
- big, heavy wheels/tires

Some of these things were addressed in the redesign, but the mileage still sucks.

 

rx8 came to mind instantly and lo and behold, it makes the list.