I thought it was funny how the title of the article said they were looking for the "best small fuel-efficient car", and the Rabbit won, despite the fact that under cons they said "terrible fuel economy".

 

if your looking for economy the Rabbit isn't it.

if Toyota and Suburu join forces to build an economy car platform, I'd bet it'd set a new standard in the class.

 

-I can't believe a moden corolla weight 2700lbs!!!!!!! wtf?!?!

-The Scion xD seems to be a pretty well rounded car

-positions 2-5 are separated by a mere 4 points

 

Not my cup of tea, but I know plenty back in Mexico who would be happy by this comparo.

 

I'm surprised the Corolla made up to three considering C&D doesn't usually favor Toyotas.

 

I'd definitely not pick the Rabbit based on those economy numbers.

I am surprised to see the Corolla not even coming close to winning the interior sound level competition considering how much they supposedly focused on and brag about that car being so quiet.

I'd like to have seen a civic in that comparison... it's my current overall favorite in that class of car.

 

Huh? It's the 2nd lightest in the comparison. Corolla's have gotten bigger with each generation and now have TONS more safety equipment than in the past.

My Miata's 2400lbs so 2700 for a 4 door sedan that isn't 'tiny' seems fine to me.

 

I cant figure out what they were looking for in a car, probably the best all arounder, but what I can conclude is that Lancer GTS is the perfomer in this group. Rolling start 7,5 sec? That is quite faster than any other car in comparison and awesome performance for under $20K.

 

I've had that magazine for three weeks now, and the more I read it, the less I am inclined to trust the comparison.

The purpose of the article is to find which "fuel efficient" car is "most sporty." The two just don't go well together.

You either ride it hard, or you save gas. Not both...

 

The Corolla and the Hyundai Elantra are both very well-done, though the Elantra has better interior fit/finish and is a little more attractive. I recently reviewed both of them. Though you couldn't call either one sporty (except for the Corolla XRS), both have a well-engineered drivetrain and chassis that, for a small car, provides a smooth, quiet ride with reasonable handling.

C & D apparantly forgot to note that traction/stability control was an option on the Impreza 2.5i...part of the Premium Package. The AWD, though, of course, vastly decreases the need for it.

 

I disagree. I think you'd be impressed how hard I drove my Audi and how hard I drive my BMW and yet I still manage to get better mileage with them than almost anyone I know with the same vehicle.

I accelerate fairly rapidly almost every time... despite popular opinion, this actually improves fuel mileage in most gasoline powered vehicles due to a reduction in pumping losses and just the inherent nature of most gasoline motors to be inefficient at partial throttle. But the thing that I always did was get into top gear ASAP and watch the road ahead, anticipating points at which I'd need to slow down and coasting up to them to where I applied my brakes as little as possible. I also hit turns at high speed, reducing my braking and increasing the sportiness of how I drove the car at the same time.

I guess from what I've found you can accelerate rapidly and take corners fast and still get great mileage so long as you minimize your braking in the process.

 

But, by doing high-G cornering, you are simply trading gasoline usage for increased tire wear. And good tires, particularly Michelins, aren't cheap.

Not only that, but it also takes petroleum to manufacture a new set of tires, not just to fill your tank......so it really doesn't help cut down on the country's petroleum use either. (though, you may not care about that).


Engines aren't necessarily more efficient at part throttle, either....it depends on how the electronic drive-by-wire throttles are programmed. In general, the faster you accelerate, the more HP/torque the engine has to produce (especially torque). More power from the engine (in a conventional non-hybrid gas engine), all else equal, means more gas burned per unit of time.

 

Wasn't it also C&D that reviewed the XJ, S, 750iL, A8L, and LS 460L when the LS first came out, and the review wanted to find the "best car to be chauffeured around in"...

...and then the LS came in last because it was the smoothest, quietest, most comfortable, but wasn't the best handling or fastest?

 

True but I'd rather have the thrill of high g cornering... so there's just no way around that... and I get the benefit of increased fuel economy to go along with it.


What I said was they're generally LESS efficient at part throttle (especially the lower end of partial throttle) than closer to wide open throttle.

Yes at high throttle you burn more fuel per unit of time, but you also spend less time actually accelerating and less time in lower shorter gears. In the end the efficiency is actually usually better the quicker you can get up to cruising speed in top gear, and stay there, but without going overboard and flooring it at a light just to end up getting to the next red light all that much faster.... again, predictive driving is the most essential part to not wasting your acceleration efforts, really...

BTW... not sure what you mean by 'especially toque' (generated by the motor) since torque and horsepower are more or less synonymous in motor vehicle applications.


edit:
I know car economy readouts aren't the end all be all of actual economy but just as an experiment... reset the average economy indicated in a car of your choice and try two experiments. In the first one accelerate as absolutely gently as you possibly can to, say, 60 mph... then once you hit 60, coast to a stop without hitting your brakes until you have to to stop the car from rolling. Note that distance that you traveled, then start over again but this time accelerate somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4s throttle... if it's a manual, shift earlier on the in the range... 3-3.5k rpm, and get into top gear immediately... cruise for as long as is necessary to equal the point that you started decelerating off-throttle in the first experiment, then cruise until you stop at roughly the same distance. Your info center will likely show you a significantly improved economy on the second run... and you'll have gotten there faster and while having more fun, too.