AUTO ENERGY

MPG IN CAR AND DRIVER JUNE 2009

2009-05-08T13:12:00.003-03:00

Prefer speed to fuel sipping ability? Click over to GoodCarBadCar.net to find the quickest cars in Car & Driver's June issue. If you want to distinguish between the thirsty guzzlers and the sippers, keep reading. Remember, these aren't EPA numbers - this is from Car & Driver's testing.

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Chevrolet Camaro LT: 19 miles per gallon

Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8: 20 miles per gallon
Toyota Venza 2.7: 26 miles per gallon
Acura TL SH-AWD: 21 miles per gallon
Audi A4 2.0T Quattro: 23 miles per gallon
BMW 328i: 25 miles per gallon
Infiniti G37 Sport: 19 miles per gallon
Dodge Grand Caravan SXT: 20 miles per gallon
Suzuki Equator Crew Cab Sport 4WD: 16 miles per gallon
Audi TTS: 21 miles per gallon

MPG IN CAR AND DRIVER MARCH '09

2009-01-30T16:14:00.001-04:00

AutoEnergy didn't die after all. The speed factor will be taken care of at GoodCarBadCar.net. For fuel economy as measured by the folks at Car & Driver in their March issue, keep reading.

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Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 12 miles per gallon

Dodge Viper SRT10: 13 miles per gallon

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640: 10 miles per gallon

Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black: 12 miles per gallon

(In the four-car comparo between the cars mentioned above, the ZR1 beat the Lambo, followed by the Benz and Viper in last.)

Honda Insight: 46 miles per gallon

Scion xB: 26 miles per gallon

BMW M3: 17 miles per gallon

Subaru Impreza WRX STi: 20 miles per gallon

Pontiac G8 GXP: 14 miles per gallon

Hyundai Genesis V6: 20 miles per gallon

Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic: 16 miles per gallon

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster: 15 miles per gallon

(The Ram was first in the truck comparo; Chevy finished third.)

Chevrolet Silverado LTZ 5.3L 4x4: 18 miles per gallon

Dodge Ram Laramie 5.7L 4x4: 14 miles per gallon

Ford F-150 King Ranch 5.4L 4x4: 15 miles per gallon

HONDA FIT 5-SPD AUTOMATIC vs HONDA FIT 5-SPD MANUAL - North Miami Beach to West Miami

2008-09-22T12:12:00.000-03:00

Who'd've thunk it? Most licensed drivers remember a day when a 4-speed automatic was the norm and if you were stupid enough to buy a subcompact with an automatic you weren't stupid enough to expect more than a 3-speed auto. Therefore, the typical buyer opted for the manual transmission; likely a 4-speed and possibly a fiver.

Then came a day when BMW and Mercedes-Benz and Lexus began to up the typical automatic transmission to 6-speeds. Along came seven and before long; eight. At the same time, many Euro diesel hatches were obvious candidates for a 6-speed manual.

And we're all excited that, for the second generation Honda Fit, the planet's preeminent engine builder has decided to retain its excellent transmissions. Whether you want a manual or automatic, you get 5 gears. Vunderful. More surprising are the economy figures provided by the EPA, suggesting that a basic Fit with an automatic is more efficient than the same car equipped with the U-shift. Here's the financial layout.

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1.26 - total gallons of gasoline required by the automatic-transmission 2009 Honda Fit to complete its commute between West Miami and North Miami Beach

1.33 - total gallons of gasoline required by the manual-transmission 2009 Honda Fit to complete its commute between West Miami and North Miami Beach

4.60 - total cost for the automatic Honda Fit for one day

4.85 - total cost for the manual Honda Fit for one day

23.00 - total cost for the automatic Fit for one week

24.25 - total cost for the manual Fit for one week

1,127 - total cost for the owner of a Honda Fit with an automatic transmission to commute between North Miami Beach and West Miami, Florida five times a week, 49 weeks per year

1,188.25 - total cost for the owner of a Honda Fit with a manual transmission to commute between North Miami Beach and West Miami five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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With relatively high gas prices, a Miami driver doing just under 10,000 miles per year would save only $61.25 annually by choosing a Honda Fit with an automatic transmission. A mighty automatic it may be, but in order to save that $61.25 each year, s/he'd first have to spend $800 to upgrade from the manual tranny. 31.5 miles per gallon is better than 30 miles per gallon, but not when achieving it costs $800 and takes the fun out of driving a small urban runabout like the Good 12-winning Honda Fit.

AUDI Q7 V12 TDI vs AUDI Q7 4.2 - Gyor, Hungary to Ferto-Hansag Nemzeti National Park

2008-09-08T10:18:00.000-03:00

Like contrasting the hybrid Lexus LS600h L with the regular gasoline-only Lexus LS460, the Audi Q7 V12 TDI will never offer up financial compensation for the tens of thousands of extra dollars required to purchase the 500 horsepower beast. On the other hand, we did just mention "500 horsepower", didn't we? There's your compensation, hand-in-hand with 738 lb-ft of torque, helping the Q7 to 60mph in 5.5 seconds and on to a governed 155mph top speed. For more on the Q7 V12 TDI, follow this link to GCBC.

The Q7, in 6.0L diesel form, could be priced as high as $100,000. Its competitor in today's fuel efficiency comparison is the run-of-the-mill Q7 4.2, a gasoline-powered V8 Audi with plenty of zip and plenty of consumption. Here's how the finances of the fuel play out.

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3.36 - total gallons of diesel required by the Audi Q7 V12 TDI to complete its daily round trip commute between Gyor, Hungary (where its V12 is built) to Ferto-Hansag Nemzeti National Park

4.52 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by the Audi Q7 4.2 V8 to complete its daily round trip commute between Gyor and Ferto-Hansag Nemzeti National Park

14.01 - total cost, at Detroit diesel prices, for the diesel-powered Audi Q7 for one day

17.36 - total cost, at Detroit premium gas prices, for the gasoline-powered Audi Q7 for one day

23.52 - total cost, in USD at Hungarian diesel prices, for the Q7 V12 TDI for one day

31.64 - total cost, in USD at Hungarian petrol prices, for the Q7 4.2 V8 for one day

70.05 - total cost, at Detroit diesel prices, for the Q7 V12 for one week

86.80 - total cost, at Detroit gas prices, for the Q7 V8 for one week

3,432.45 - total cost, in USD at today's Detroit diesel prices, for the Audi Q7 V12 TDI's owner to travel between Gyor Hungary, where the V12 diesel is built, to Ferto-Hansag Nemzeti National Park five times a week, 49 weeks per year

4,253.20 - total cost, in USD at today's Detroit premium gas prices, for the Audi Q7 4.2 V8's owner to travel between Gyor and Ferto-Hansag Nemzeti National Park five times a week, 49 weeks per year

820.75 - total savings, in USD and Detroit prices, for the owner of the Q7 V12

1,989.40 - total savings, in USD and Hungarian prices, for the owner of the Q7 V12 TDI

DIESEL IS GOOD BECAUSE.... - EURO-MARKET DIESELS vs NORTH AMERICAN GAS

2008-09-05T14:11:00.000-03:00

Smug. That's the term many neighbours like to use when describing their Toyota Prius or Ford Escape Hybrid-driving neighbour. Check that out, they're getting 46 miles per gallon and loving it.

What if everyone could feel so smug? In Europe, half of all passenger cars sold are equipped with diesel engines. Don't doubt it when you hear that the typical diesel engine is 30% more efficient than its gasoline counterpart.

So let's look at a handful of our economical choices. Category by category, there are some very efficient choices available to those of us in North America. Contrasting those with some Euro-market diesels will enlighten us.

They buy a SKODA FABIA: 105 horsepower from a 1.9L diesel = 48 miles per gallon

We buy a TOYOTA YARIS: = 106 horsepower from a 1.5L petrol = 32 miles per gallon

They buy a FORD KUGA: = 136 horsepower from a 2.0L diesel = 37 miles per gallon

We buy a HONDA CR-V: = 166 horsepower from a 2.4L petrol = 22 miles per gallon

They buy a MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS: 109 horsepower from a 2.0L diesel = 45 miles per gallon

We buy a CHEVROLET HHR: 149 horsepower from a 2.2L petrol = 24 miles per gallon

They buy a CITROEN C1: 55 horsepower from a 1.4L diesel = 57 miles per gallon

We buy a SMART FORTWO: 71 horsepower from a 1.0L petrol = 36 miles per gallon

They buy a RENAULT GRAND ESPACE: 180 horsepower from a 3.0L diesel = 25 miles per gallon

We buy a DODGE GRAND CARAVAN:175 horsepower from a 3.3L petrol = 19 miles per gallon

FUEL ECONOMY NUMBERS FROM MOTOR TREND OCTOBER

2008-09-03T17:37:00.000-03:00

It's already been made clear that vehicular acceleration in 2008 is something to behold. Just take a look at the 0-60 section of GoodCarBadCar.net. Fuel economy is better than ever, although still not up to the standards you seek. Of course, you want fuel efficiency to be better while maintaining present rates of acceleration. Problem. Anyway, check out the MPG numbers from Car & Driver, just posted, and keep reading below for the miles per gallons as seen in the October issue of Motor Trend.

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Hyundai Genesis 4.6 V8: 22.1 miles per gallon

Subaru Impreza WRX STi: 20.9 miles per gallon

Mazda CX-9: 16.6 miles per gallon

Scion xB: 22.7 miles per gallon

Acura RDX: 17.7 miles per gallon

Chrysler Town & Country: 18.9 miles per gallon

Honda CR-V: 21.9 miles per gallon

Cadillac CTS: 16.8 miles per gallon

Kia Rondo: 19.5 miles per gallon

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon: 14.8 miles per gallon

FUEL ECONOMY NUMBERS FROM CAR & DRIVER OCTOBER

2008-09-03T17:09:00.001-03:00

For speed-related issues, check out two posts at GoodCarBadCar.net. Motor Trend's 0-60mph and Car & Driver's 0-60mph results are available up in there. Here at AutoEnergy, the concern resides more in how far the car will take you; rather than how fast it will take you there. Real-life figures from the October issue of Car and Driver are below. Your shock at the figure behind the BMW's name is as thickly lathered as mine.

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Hyundai Genesis 4.6 V8: 19 miles per gallon

BMW 528i: 13 miles per gallon

Lexus LS460: 17 miles per gallon

Toyota Avalon XLS: 24 miles per gallon

Lincoln MKS AWD: 17 miles per gallon

Toyota Tundra 4x4 5.7 V8: 13 miles per gallon (12 when towing)

STOCK TOYOTA PRIUS vs 100MPG TOYOTA PRIUS - Comanche Lookout Park, San Antonio International Airport

2008-09-03T11:04:00.000-03:00

Yesterday, a post on AutoEnergy showed a CNN video where a Boulder group was turning the Toyota Prius into a plug-in hybrid managing 100mpg. Another guy in the same video upped his battery count to turn his Prius into a 100mpg car. The second dude plugs his in too, just to top up the batteries. His modification costs were $3,000. The HybridsPlus group in Boulder needs $21,000 to do your Prius.

With the fuel economy gains over the regular Toyota Prius, 100mpg in the city compares with 48 mpg, will those fuel savings ever recoup the expense of modifying a Prius? At $3,000 or $21,000? AutoEnergy finds out.

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0.5 - total gallons of fuel required by a stock Toyota Prius to commute from Comanche Lookout Park in northeast San Antonio, Texas to the San Antonio International Airport

0.24 - total gallons of fuel required by a modified 100mpg Toyota Prius to commute from northeast San Antonio to the SA International Airport

1.73 - total cost for the stock Toyota Prius for one day

0.83 - total cost for the modified Prius for one day

8.65 - total cost for the stock Prius for one week, or 120 city miles

4.15 - total cost for the modified Prius for one week, or 120 city miles

423.85 - total cost for the owner of a stock Toyota Prius to travel between Comanche Lookout Park in northeast San Antonio, Texas to the San Antonio International Airport five times a week, 49 weeks per year

203.35 - total cost for the owner of a modified Toyota Prius to travel between Comanche Lookout Park in northeast San Antonio and the SA International Airport five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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With less than 6,000 miles on the odometer, the expensively and extensively modified Prius will save $220.50 over the already very efficient stock Prius. Double the mileage, half the cost. $220.50 goes absolutely nowhere, but for the sake of argument we'll triple the mileage from 5,880 to 17,640. Tripling the cost shows that the modified Prius will save $661.50 if the car is used three times as much. Still, we've got a problem.

The guy who spent $3,000 to turn his 48mpg Prius into a 100mpg Prius won't start saving money on fuel - in the high-mileage case - until 4.5 years have past. If you're looking at spending $21,000 to double the Toyota's mileage, money won't be saved until the 32nd year.

It disturbs me slightly when people suggest that switching from a 15mpg large SUV to a 30mpg sedan saves them more than the person switching from a 30mpg sedan to a 35mpg sedan - after all, the guy driving the 35mpg USES LESS FUEL - it disturbs me more to realize how much people will spend to enhance their mileage. If you were never about to spend that much at the pump, why are you willing to spend it on your car?

A 100mpg Toyota Prius would be a wonderful thing. Somebody just needs to bring the cost down.

OTHER WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR TOYOTA PRIUS MILEAGE - HYPERMILERS

2008-09-02T09:51:00.000-03:00

Just a few minutes ago a post on AutoEnergy, with a video from CNN, looked at people in Denver and Boulder who were achieving 100 miles per gallon with drastically different pricetags and methods. What about an even simpler approach, one that may take more work but costs less money? Hypermilers are falling out of the public vernacular as quickly as gas prices tumble, but you know that story won't continue forever; even when hurricanes seem to bring lower costs per barrel of crude. The Prius driver in the video below altered his driving behaviour and made small changes to his car. He thinks it's worth it.

THE COST OF A 100MPG TOYOTA PRIUS

2008-09-02T09:36:00.000-03:00

100 miles per gallon works this way: drive from the south side of San Antonio, Texas past the north side of Austin, Texas for the price of one gallon of gasoline. That's somewhere under $3.70 these days. Through the CNN video below, you can watch how a Denver reporter with KUSA met two people who are achieving 100mpg with a Toyota Prius with two different methods.

CHEVROLET COLORADO vs CHEVROLET SILVERADO - Durango, Colorado to Mesa Verde National Park

2008-09-01T12:05:00.000-03:00

Trucks will always sell. Despite the fact that Hurricane Gustav is likely to drive gasoline prices up, up, up and away, people will still buy pickup trucks.

Consumers just won't buy quite as many. In fact, there were months this year when the Honda Civic and four other cars outsold the decades-long dominance of the Ford F-Series. Perhaps then, different types of pickup trucks will be the big sellers. Perhaps, yes perhaps, people will gravitate towards very capable trucks that use less fuel.

How much less fuel can you guzzle? The Chevrolet Colorado is the small and less expensive alternative to the Chevrolet Silverado.

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3.68 - total gallons of gasoline consumed by a Chevrolet Colorado 4x4 with an automatic transmission and 3.7L 5-cylinder engine while commuting between Durango, Colorado and Mesa Verde National Park in the heart of true truck country

4.12 - total gallons of gasoline consumed by a Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 5.3L V8 while commuting between Durango and Mesa Verde

14.72 - total cost for the Chevrolet Colorado for one day

16.48 - total cost for the Chevrolet Silverado for one day

73.60 - total cost for the Colorado for one week

82.40 - total cost for the Silverado for one week

3,606.40 - total cost for the 3.7L Chevrolet Colorado's owner to commute between Durango, Colorado and Mesa Verde National Park five times a week, 49 weeks per year

4,037.60 - total cost for the 5.3L, 6-speed Chevrolet Silverado's owner to commute between Durango, Colorado and Mesa Verde National Park five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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Drive 70 miles a day 245 times per year, and it's quite likely that the "small" truck will only save you $431.20. What's that, about one month's payment? The Silverado has a payload capacity a few hundred pounds greater (depending on specific bed/cab configuration) with a box volume that can be twice as big as that of the Colorado. The big truck can also tow at least 2,400 more pounds of trailer. Then again, you're likely to save $7000 or $8000 when choosing the Colorado as your next somewhat capable truck.

WATCH INSIDE LINE TEST PRIUS, SMART, FOCUS, JETTA

2008-08-28T13:44:00.000-03:00

Edmunds.com's Inside Line went deeper than EPA figures to test four economical vehicles. Watch and learn.

NISSAN MURANO LE vs LAND ROVER LR2 - El Dorado to Wichita, Kansas

2008-08-26T09:25:00.000-03:00

Nothing confuses a well-heeled consumer more than the debate between luxurious low-end products and lower-end luxury products. The least expensive Land Rover in America, the LR2, is about $300 cheaper than a very loaded Nissan Murano.

So which is it? Gucci on the cheap or super-soft Levi's? As we all know, AutoEnergy isn't so concerned with MSRPs. Fuel efficiency can redefine most automotive purchases. Here's the gas impact in the Land Rover/Nissan comparo.

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2.7 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by the Nissan Murano LE to complete its daily round trip between El Dorado and Wichita, Kansas

3 - total gallons of regular gasoline required by the Land Rover LR2 to complete its daily round trip between El Dorado and Wichita

9.69 - total cost for the Nissan Murano for one day

10.17 - total cost for the Land Rover LR2 for one day

48.47 - total cost for the Nissan for one week

50.85 - total cost for the Land Rover for one week

2,375.03 - total cost, in USD at today's premium prices, for the owner of a Nissan Murano LE to drive from El Dorado, Kansas to Wichita, Kansas five times a week, 49 weeks per year

2,491.65 - total cost, in USD at today's regular prices, for the Land Rover LR2's owner to drive between El Dorado and Wichita five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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As you see, premium gasoline prices nearly suck up a 2mpg advantage. Proof that a premium badge neither equals premium gasoline or - theoretically - premium prices.

VOLVO XC70 REAL WORLD FUEL MILEAGE

2008-08-25T11:02:00.000-03:00

Extensive detail abounds at GoodCarBadCar.net regarding the turbocharged 2009 Volvo XC70. In fact, here at AutoEnergy, the XC70 has been compared (mathematically) with the Subaru Outback, BMW X3, Lexus RX350, Volkswagen Touareg, and Saab 9-7X.

While typical real world fuel efficiency comparisons from AutoEnergy provide a more-than-adequate guide, actual driving reveals true mileage. That sort of thing varies depending on altitude, weather, traffic, and the method of driving. However, here's an fuel economy explanation of The Good Car Guy's week with the Volvo XC70 T6 AWD.

The first chunk of time with the XC70 was spent in city driving. To be honest, this was downtown driving. Red-light intersections, 4-way stops, and pedestrian crosswalks mix together to create a panacea for every oil company looking at decreasing demand. After more than 100 kilometres in this scenario, only a handful of which were on an urban divided highway, the Volvo XC70 used an average of 17 litres per 100 kilometres. That equals 13.8 miles per gallon or 16.6 Imperial miles per gallon.

Volvo Canada says the XC70 T6 will be rated at 13.7L/100km in the city. That equates to about 17 miles per gallon, although the United States EPA says turbocharged XC70 is a 15mpg car in the city.

Fortunately highway driving was coming. Leaving Halifax, Nova Scotia and heading for Kejimkujik National Park in southern N.S., you'll pass exits for Tantallon, Hubbards, Chester, Lunenburg and Bridgewater. Thus, nearly 200 kilometres of this second XC70 stint were spent on 100km/h (62mph) highways - at or just above the posted limit - and another couple hundred kilometres were spent on 80km/h (50mph) rural backroads where plenty of overtaking was required.

After a couple days driving through the southern portion of the province and in Keji, the Volvo XC70 returned a figure of 11L/100km. That's a little over 21mpg, or about 25.7 Imperial miles per gallon. Volvo Canada figures the XC70 T6 will be rated at 9L/100km on the highway. That's 26mpg; or 4mpg better than the figure stated by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States.

VOLVO XC70 T6 vs SAAB 9-7X 4.2i - Spokane, Washington to Deer Lake, Washington

2008-08-22T10:09:00.000-03:00

Apparently, there's plenty of things more Swedish than Volvo and Saab. Completely owned by General Motors since 2000 (partially since 1990), Saab is still selling its worst remake of a General Motors product. Although not a bad vehicle in its own right (see The Good Car Guy's review of the 9-7X Aero at GCBC), the TrailBlazer/Envoy-based Saab 9-7X is about as Scandinavian as apple pie and ice cream.

On the other hand, Ford Motor Company has allowed Volvo to function with relative normality. Helping other Ford subsidiaries on the safety front while accepting basic architecture to save money isn't the worst thing to strike a bought-out automotive brand. The Volvo XC70's fuel economy has been discussed thoroughly all week on AutoEnergy while other XC70 issues took priority at GoodCarBadCar.net. Here's how the two spacious Swedes compare at the pumping station.

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2.4 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by the Volvo XC70 T6 to complete its daily round trip commute between Deer Lake, Washington and Spokane, Washington

2.6 - total gallons of regular gasoline required by the Saab 9-7X 4.2i to complete its daily round trip commut between Deer Lake and Spokane

9.91 - total cost for the Volvo XC70 for one day

10.14 - total cost for the Saab 9-7X for one day

49.55 - total cost for the Volvo XC70 for one week

50.70 - total cost for the Saab 9-7X for one week

2,427.95 - total cost, in USD at today's premium gas prices, for the owner of the Volvo XC70 T6 to commute between Deer Lake, Washington and Spokane, Washington five times a week, 49 weeks per year

2,484.30 - total cost, in USD at today's regular gas prices, for the owner of the Saab 9-7X 4.2i to commute between Deer Lake and Spokane five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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When $56.35 is the annual fuel cost difference, the fuel cost differential is basically nonexistent. Differences in driving style could overcome this. The Saab is the more spacious vehicle, but it's also a couple thousands dollars more expensive. Without the Aero suspension, driving pleasure rests in Volvo's corner. Interior quality, exterior design, ergonomics and technology - all are in Volvo's favour. Deep discounts may help the Saab's case, but remember, its regular gas won't save you any money.

VOLVO XC70 T6 vs VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG V6 - Montclair, New Jersey to Staten Island, New York

2008-08-20T22:34:00.000-03:00

Heavyweight sport-utility vehicles are heavyweight in more ways than one. Towing a large trailer? You need a heavyweight. Like powerful engines? You'll find them in heavyweight SUVs. Tough, hardcore off-roading ability is more than just an image statement? A heavyweight should do the trick.

The only problem with heavyweights is their... erm, heavy weight. Excessive girth creates problems. It necessitates that powerful engine which consumes plenty of gasoline. That weight often sits up high. High vehicles create problems for aerodynamicists. When aerodynamicists have problems, fuel efficiency is more accurately labeled as inefficiency.

Such is the case with the Volkswagen Touareg. Even in this V6 iteration, the smallest engine you can buy, the Touareg still drinks like a thrice-divorced Orange County wasp. In fact, the much more powerful diesel V10 Touareg uses less fuel. Equipped with a V8, VeeDub's first sport-ute is rated by the EPA 2 mpg worse than the V6 at 12/17 in the city and on the highway.

Up against the Volkswagen is this week's main competitor, the very thoroughly test driven Volvo XC70 (Read more about the XC70 with the XC70 label at GoodCarBadCar.net.) In turbocharged form, the Volvo guzzles. How much?

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2.8 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by the Volvo XC70 T6 to complete its daily round trip commute between Montclair, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York

3.4 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by the Volkswagen Touareg V6 to complete its daily round trip commute between Montclair and Staten Island

9.92 - total cost for the Volvo XC70 for one day

12.07 - total cost for the VW Touareg for one day

49.60 - total cost for the Volvo for one week

60.35 - total cost for the Volkswagen for one week

2,430.40 - total cost, in USD at today's premium prices, for the owner of the Volvo XC70 T6 to commute between Montclair, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York five times a week, 49 weeks per year

2,957.15 - total cost, in USD at today's premium prices, for the owner of the Volkswagen Touareg V6 to commute between Montclair and Staten Island five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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Aha, but the Volkswagen is $200 cheaper. Aha, but who cares. Over just three years of driving, and assuming that gas prices don't rise (enhancing the XC70's advantage), the Volvo XC70 owner would be saving $1,580. That's hard money to ignore. How did we come to this point? More than anything else, look to the weight of the Volkswagen which, at over 5,000 pounds, is about 1,000 pounds heavier than the large Volvo.

VOLVO XC70 T6 vs LEXUS RX350 - Buffalo to Charleston, West Virginia

2008-08-20T10:00:00.000-03:00

Through the hills of West Virginia poverty is raging. At a rate many percentage points beyond that of the general American population, those living below the poverty line look at the estates of people who drive vehicles like the two in this comparison (Lexus RX350 AWD and Volvo XC70 T6 AWD) and wonder when their day will come.

(Click for all GoodCarBadCar.net articles related to the XC70 The Good Car Guy is driving)

Interesting irony then, that in a state where so many jobs once came from old sources of energy - namely coal - these two cars use plenty of another old source of energy, crude oil. Lexus basically started the luxury crossover craze back in 1997. It's curious that Lexus strips almost every SUV-like characteristic from the RX350 except its high ride height and all-wheel drive while Volvo tries hard to make what is basically a station wagon as SUV-like as possible. Extra cladding, extra ride height, and the obvious power-to-all-wheels nature are all present and accounted for. And once again, just like in the previous fuel efficiency comparison with a vehicle you'd hope would be comparably inefficient, the Volvo struggles.

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3.54 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by a $39,100 all-wheel drive Lexus RX350 to complete its round trip commute between Buffalo, West Virginia to Charleston, West Virginia

3.73 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by a $39,500 Volvo XC70 T6 to complete its round trip commute between Buffalo and Charleston, West Virginia

14.16 - total cost for the Lexus RX350 for one day

14.92 - total cost for the Volvo XC70 for one day

70.80 - total cost for the Lexus RX for one week

74.60 - total cost for the Volvo XC for one week

3,469.20 - total cost, in USD at today's premium gasoline prices, for the owner of an all-wheel drive Lexus RX350 to drive between Buffalo, West Virginia and Charleston, West Virginia five times a week, 49 weeks per year

3,655.40 - total cost, in USD at today's premium gasoline prices, for the owner of a Volvo XC70 T6 to drive between Buffalo and Charleston, West Virginia five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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Only $400 separates their MSRPs and only $186.20 separates their annual fuel costs in West Virginia at 16,905 miles. Lexus reliability and space combats Volvo uniqueness and relative exclusivity. Oh, plenty of XC70s cruise North American suburbs. But the RX350? It's becoming downright Camryesque in its ubiquity.

VOLVO XC70 T6 vs BMW X3 3.0si - Cedar Rapids to Iowa City, Iowa

2008-08-19T09:21:00.001-03:00

Hard on the environment with an unwanted social stigma and terrible fuel economy. That is the story of the modern SUV. We live in 2008. Model year 2009 vehicles are arriving and expected sales totals of most sport-utility vehicles are tumbling.

But what if you were told that the SUV in this fuel efficiency comparison (called a sport-activity vehicle by BMW) is expected to return better mpg numbers and emit about a ton less CO2 than the station wagon that's also part of this fuel efficiency comparison? You might not care. However, you may realize that preconceived notions regarding SUVs, even small ones like this 3.0L BMW X3, are ofttimes unapplicable. More importantly - and more unfortunately - assuming that a car, even large jacked-up wagons like the turbocharged Volvo XC70, will be gentler on the environment and save money at the pump is erroneous.

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2.73 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by an automatic-transmission BMW X3 3.0si to complete its round trip commute between Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Iowa City, Iowa

3.03 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by the Volvo XC70 T6 to complete its round trip commute between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City

10.24 - total cost for the BMW X3 for one day

11.36 - total cost for the Volvo XC70 for one day

51.20 - total cost for the BMW for one week

56.80 - total cost for the Volvo for one week

2,508.80 - total cost, in USD at today's premium gasoline prices, for a BMW X3 3.0si owner to travel from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Iowa City, Iowa five times a week, 49 weeks per year

2,783.20 - total cost, in USD at today's premium prices, for a Volvo XC70 T6 owner to travel from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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Oh, so now you see? It's insulting for Volvo to realize that their large wagon costs more to run in fuel economy terms. One must also realize that, along with the extra annual cost for the more powerful Volvo (seen in this comparo at $274.40), the Volvo also has extra space and extra power while being similarly heavy laden. More importantly, that fuel cost differential works out to about $10.00 per paycheque. BMW does want less money for ownership privileges though; $900 less, in fact.

Though it seems tough to compare these cars directly, The Good Car Guy discovered that's exactly what plenty of buyers do. You can read about that at GoodCarBadCar.net.

SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5XT vs VOLVO XC70 3.2 - St-Hubert to Laval, Quebec

2008-08-18T09:00:00.002-03:00

Montreal is one terribly stylish city. It happens to be Canada's most populous city east of Ontario. Where population meets style-seeking individuals, wealth eventually ensues. For those with cash to burn on transportation, style statements like the Subaru Outback and Volvo XC70 hit the streets by the dozens.

Fifteen years ago, who would have anticipated that station wagons would mix their car foundations with elements characteristic of closed-in trucks and be well-received? Clearly Subaru product planners anticipated the confused tastes of consumers. Volvo hopped on the bandwagon. Regardless of the seeming pointlessness of a jacked-up car with earth-tone cladding and faux skidplates and luxury content, customers like sport-utility wagons. Don't count out such vehicles anytime soon, either. People still want SUVs - they just can't handle the fuel bill. The XC70 and Outback are sport-utility lite.

But... exactly how much do they cost to fuel? Back to Montreal we go. If style statements rule in this multicultural urban centre, let's commute through its middle with a turbocharged Outback and naturally aspirated XC70.

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7 - total litres of premium gasoline required by the Subaru Outback 2.5XT to commute from St-Hubert through Montreal to Laval, Quebec

8.2 - total litres of premium gasoline required by the Volvo XC70 to commute from St-Hubert to Laval, Quebec through Montreal

9.80 - total cost for the Subaru Outback for one day

11.48 - total cost for the Volvo XC70 for one day

49.00 - total cost for the Subaru for one week

57.40 - total cost for the Volvo for one week

2,401.00 - total cost, in Canadian dollars at today's gas prices, for the owner of the Subaru Outback 2.5XT to travel between St-Hubert through Montreal to Laval, Quebec five times a week, 49 weeks per year

2,812.60 - total cost, in Canadian dollars at today's gas prices, for the owner of the Volvo XC70 to travel between St-Hubert and Laval, Quebec five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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$412.60 isn't the only thing that separates these two SUWs. Volvo competes at a higher price point; at least $3K above this hi-po Subie. Nevertheless, competitors are rarely as directly rivalrous. From what other automaker do you find luxurious large wagons with all-wheel drive and sport-ute style?

LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO vs HYUNDAI ACCENT - Marietta, Georgia to CNN Headquarters

2008-08-15T13:52:00.001-03:00

Fuel efficiency, but at what cost? AutoEnergy was created to shine a bright light upon the real differences between one MPG figure and another. In fact, "miles per gallon" equates to density measurements of square miles per person. Rather than determining how many gallons can be saved, "miles per gallon" simply tells you how far you can travel and one figure doesn't correlate well; one with the other. Nevertheless, as it is the case, AutoEnergy submits and carries on.

We 'know' that 10.5 miles per gallon is bad and 30 miles per gallon is decent. And while the vehicles in the fuel economy comparison below are polar opposites (AWD vs FWD, 12-cylinder vs 4-cylinder, mid-engine vs front-engine, Italy vs Korea), the MPG numbers provided by the EPA for these cars tell a story. No, not if those numbers are just left to fend for themselves; but in a fuel economy comparison where distances mean something and gas prices are current. Keep reading - you might just learn something.

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1.27 - total gallons of regular gasoline required by a $11,000 Hyundai Accent (with manual transmission) to complete its daily round trip between Marietta, Georgia and the CNN Headquarters on Marietta Street in Atlanta, Georgia

3.64 - total gallons of premium gasoline required by a $314,000 Lamborghini Murcielago (with manual transmission) to complete its daily round trip between Marietta and the CNN HQ in Atlanta

4.51 - total cost for the Hyundai Accent for one day

14.01 - total cost for the Lamborghini Murcielago for one day

22.55 - total cost for the Hyundai for one week

70.05 - total cost for the Lamborghini for one week

1,104.95 - total cost, in USD at today's gas prices, for the Hyundai Accent's owner to travel between Marietta, Georgia and Marietta St. in Atlanta, Georgia five times a week, 49 weeks per year

3,432.45 - total cost, in USD at today's gas prices, for the Lamborghini Murcielago's owner to travel between Marietta, Georgia and Marietta St. in Atlanta, Georgia five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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No Murcielago driver is attempting to find Hyundai Accent-like fuel efficiency. While it may seem disturbing to you that the Lambo owner pays Exxon/Shell/BP three times as much as the Hyundai driver (more specifically in this case: $2,327.50), look at the story another way. See, the actual car costs 28 times more. If fuel is only 3 times worse, the Murcielago looks downright thrifty.

GMC SIERRA HYBRID vs TOYOTA TUNDRA - Mandeville to New Orleans, Louisiana

2008-08-14T14:11:00.000-03:00

Flipping houses has become major business in New Orleans. Because of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of homes were simply seriously damaged or abandoned, unlike many others that were completely destroyed. There's nothing a house flipping contractor likes more than a pickup truck. Fuel prices are keeping buyers away from trucks, however.

What's a truckmaker to do? General Motors is taking the technology from their hybrid SUVs and placing it underneath their full-size pickups. In a two-wheel drive configuration, (do you need a 4x4 in southern Louisiana?) the GMC Sierra Hybrid posts average fuel economy 5.5 miles per gallon better than a hyped-up Toyota Tundra with rear-wheel drive and a 5.7L V8. How does that translate into real life? Let's cross Lake Ponchartrain to find out.

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3.1 - total gallons of regular gasoline required by the GMC Sierra Hybrid to complete its daily round trip commute across Lake Ponchartrain from Mandeville to New Orleans, Louisiana

4.06 - total gallons of regular gasoline required by the 5.7L Toyota Tundra to complete its daily round trip commute between Mandeville and New Orleans

11.13 - total cost for the GMC Sierra for one day

14.58 - total cost for the Toyota Tundra for one day

55.65 - total cost for the GMC for one week

72.90 - total cost for the Toyota for one week

2,726.85 - total cost, in USD at today's gasoline prices, for the 2wd GMC Sierra Hybrid's owner to travel across the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway from Mandeville to New Orleans, Louisiana five times a week, 49 weeks per year

3,572.10 - total cost, in USD at today's gasoline prices, for the 2wd 5.7L Toyota Tundra's owner to travel across the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway from Mandeville to New Orleans, Louisiana five times a week, 49 weeks per year

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An efficiency advantage of around 30% is nothing to sneeze at. More importantly, saving about 30% at the pump is something to be very pleased with. $845.25 that you never spend is an advantage to which many buyers of the Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado Hybrids will point with pride. In 4-door crewcab configurations, the Tundra is priced at $28,975 and can tow 8,400 pounds. That's 2,300 pounds more than the Silverado 2-wheel drive hybrid can handle. If General Motors can price their truck at $29,819, Sierra Hybrid owners who drive from Mandeville to New Orleans 245 times a year will save $1.00 annually.

MURCIELAGO, R8, 599 GTB, DBS, SLR MCLAREN RACE WITH 1 GALLON OF FUEL

2008-08-13T12:48:00.000-03:00

If you're an old friend of AutoEnergy, you've already witnessed the portion of this YouTube clip after the 3:45 barrier. For those of you who don't know that a hard driven Toyota Prius is less efficient than an equally quick BMW M3, click here to learn.

In the first portion of the clip below, Top Gear TV very quickly established that Ferrari's two-seat V12 car sucks fuel under wide open throttle like... well, beach volleyball athletes in Beijing sucking water. Could the Aston Martin outlast the Lambo, Mercedes, or the smallest-engine-of-them-all Audi? Watch. See. Pay attention.

CHEVROLET COBALT REAL WORLD FUEL MILEAGE

2008-08-12T11:07:00.001-03:00

As had been mentioned previously here at AutoEnergy in regards to the Ferrari F430, Buick Enclave, Nissan 350Z, and Mazda 3; The Good Car Guy spent the weekend absorbing the challenge of the Cabot Trail in northern Nova Scotia. Cape Breton has been named by Conde Nast as one of the planet's ten best islands and while the roads through and around the Highlands National Park are not taken at high speeds, their difficulty attracts many auto enthusiasts and the beauty draws thousands from near and far.

Unfortunately, the Cabot Trail was not attacked in a Ferrari F430.... but a Chevrolet Cobalt did the trick. With its 2.2-litre four-cylinder and 148 horsepower (155 for '09) and automatic transmission, we expected the Cobalt to deliver decent economy and a decent driving experience. In the end, the Cobalt was not disturbed by mountain climbs and delivered excellent economy and.... a decent driving experience. Check GCBC later for a full Driven post, but take a look at the Cobalt's fuel economy numbers below. For more real world testing, click here to read about the Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Posted maximum speeds were adhered to 99% of the three-day trip. Approximately 1/3rd of the driving was at 110km/h (68mph) while much of the remaining driving was spent accelerating and decelerating in and around 70-80km/h (43-50mph).

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7.13 - exact fuel economy achieved by the Chevrolet Cobalt 2.2 automatic during a 1083.9km trip from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Cape North, Cape Breton and back, measured in litres per 100 kilometres

6.4 - highway L/100km figure provided by Natural Resources Canada for the 2.2L Cobalt in addition to the 9.2L/100km city number

33 - equivalent US miles per gallon achieved by The Good Car Guy's Cobalt tester, a car that's rated by the EPA at 22/31 city & highway

39.6 - equivalent Imperial miles per gallon achieved by the Chevy Cobalt

1.309 - price of regular gasoline per litre in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 11th of August, equal to 4.96/gallon in the United States (ignoring currency distinctions)

1.379 - price of regular gasoline per litre in Cape North, Nova Scotia on the 10th of August, equal to 5.22/gallon in the United States (ignoring currency distinctions)

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Photo locations from top to bottom: Normaway Inn in Margaree Valley, Pleasant Bay

FUELECONOMY.GOV's MOST FUEL EFFICIENT CARS

2008-08-11T10:00:00.000-03:00

You've heard of the people who see 25 miles per gallon with their V8-powered Chevrolet Suburban. No, they've not been converted to run on some little-known fuel and they've not been chucking battery packs under the rear seats. These are people who tell you about their best ever fuel economy based on their fuel gauge; not on a full tank; a drive; and another fill-up. Oh, and they round it up, too.

The Environmental Protection Agency of the United States regularly comes under criticism for a few dozen activities, procedures, and decisions. One of the EPA's most glaring errors revolved around an outdated testing procedure that, in the end, resulted in regular drivers like you and me seeing 28mpg while the EPA suggested 37 was more likely. The EPA has changed all this, and though still just a 'rating', the figures FuelEconomy.gov shares with the people are far more realistic.

Do remember, it's not what you drive but how you drive it. evo magazine has taken on a diesel-powered RenaultSport Megane dCi 175 that typically returns 38 miles per Imperial gallon. That's almost 32 US mpg. On a trackday during which the Renault hatchback was, shall we say... given free reign, its mileage dropped to 17mpg, or 14 US mpg.

What you'll read about below are the ~~five~~ eight most efficient vehicles currently on sale in the United States. These are their 'combined' figures; not city or highway. Follow this link to GoodCarBadCar.net and read about evo's test where six fun-to-drive cars were put to the efficiency test.

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T5th - 34 MPG TOYOTA CAMRY & NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRIDS: Unfortunately for Toyota and Nissan (which uses Toyota hybrid tech), the 4th place competitor manages a much higher highway mpg figure, which excites The Good Car Guy. Nevertheless, these successful cars combine the best of Prius with normality. Straight-laced midsize cars with terrific economy appeal to many, many, many people.

4th - 34 MPG VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI: Diesel wants to make a comeback. Volkswagen never let diesel completely get out of its North American system. The Touareg even had a V10 diesel. VeeDub's diesel advantage was exposed in a fuel efficiency comparison here at AutoEnergy not too long ago.

3rd - 36 MPG SMART FORTWO: It's a Good 12 member, what else can be said? The fortwo is not incredibly fun to push to its limits and it certainly isn't the right car for hundreds of thousands of people. But, this Mercedes-designed city car is a game changer in the truest sense.

2nd - 42 MPG HONDA CIVIC HYBRID: In a battle with America's most efficient vehicle, the Civic struggled with efficiency but also with its higher price tag. Expect Honda to get real with hybrids soon.

1st - 46 MPG TOYOTA PRIUS: No car in the present day is so indelibly linked with fuel efficiency. Most critics, including The Good Car Guy from AutoEnergy, point out the Prius's deficiency outside of the city or when driven in a go get'em manner. Nevertheless, if desired, Toyota's dedicated hybrid can return amazing figures.

LINCOLN MKS AWD vs CADILLAC CTS AWD - Cadillac, Michigan to Lincoln, Michigan

2008-08-08T09:22:00.001-03:00

Winter is coming. I'm so sorry to mention it before the middle of August, but temperatures around these parts have been a touch cooler lately and we've been reminded that an unknown amount of snow will fall on our roof.... and roads, beginning a few months hence.

Somehow, luxury is all the more lovable during winter. Fireplaces, high-class resorts, dinners at chic restaurants -it all comes together with a gentle snowfall. (Again, I am so sorry to ruin your summer day.) American vehicular luxury appears to be on its way back; if only sales statistics would support the case. For proof, check the GCBC Lowdown of one of today's competitors or this GCBC Driven article of the other.

Less than $1,000 separates the base prices of these two cars, both of which are equipped with all-wheel drive for those northern Michigan winters. Four Bridgestone Blizzaks wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

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6.14 - total gallons of regular gasoline required by the Cadillac CTS DI AWD to travel from Cadillac, Michigan to Lincoln, Michigan

6.77 - total gallons of regular gasoline required by the Lincoln MKS AWD to travel from Cadillac, Michigan to Lincoln, Michigan

23.95 - total cost for the Cadillac for one day

26.40 - total cost for the Lincoln for one day

71.85 - total cost for the Cadillac CTS for a three-day week

79.20 - total cost for the Lincoln MKS for a three-day week

3,520.65 - total cost, in USD at today's gas prices, for the owner of an all-wheel drive Cadillac CTS to travel between Cadillac and Lincoln, Michigan three times a week, 49 weeks per year

3,880.80 - total cost, in USD at today's gas prices, for the owner of an all-wheel drive Lincoln MKS to travel between Cadillac and Lincoln, Michigan three times a week, 49 weeks per year

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Lincoln reveals its MKS to elevated expectations and an absolute need for success. In so many ways, these two cars are not direct adversaries - the 21-bhp-stronger-but-415-pound-lighter Cadillac chasing the true sports-sedan crowd while the longer, taller, and wider Lincoln is content with being marginally cushier and luxurious - but with price and power and national similarities, comparing the two Detroit cars is obvious. If fuel consumption is the only concern, Cadillac wins this 19,404-mile battle by $360.15, not to mention its nominal price advantage at the dealer.