Fuel Economy

[Guest]

Fuel economy is a buzz phrase that most car buyers/owners want to maximize. Accordingly, car manufacturers are striving to give buyers excellent MPG.


Among newer Ch#$r%*ets, while not the most fuel-efficient models available, these are still considered by many to be "fuel efficient" (compared to say, trucks, SUVs, etc.), with figures I searched for online...:

2008 V6 malibu, FWD ... EPA-estimated 17 mpg city

2008 V8 (active fuel management) impala SS, FWD ... EPA-estimated 16 mpg city

2007 V8 (active fuel management) mc SS, FWD ... EPA-estimated 18 mpg city


Comparing ... the 2008 V8 G8 GT, RWD, has an EPA-estimated 15 mpg city

Meanwhile, the 2008 Dodge Charger V8, RWD, has an EPA-estimated 17 mpg city
...and the 2008 Dodge Charger 3.5 V6, RWD, has an EPA-estimated 19 mpg city



Highway EPA-estimated MPGs are touted the most, but for this comparison, I'm using the city EPA estimates, since my RWD Monte Carlos are used more or less in the city.

I've NEVER claimed my Monte Carlos to be fuel efficient..and I still do NOT claim that; however, comparing my real-world MPGs to EPA estimated MPGs for newer engines...imho, a few of them certainly are NOT the gas guzzlers most people see them as.... Course, options on the cars along with the type of V8/V6 engines are factors that I have not taken into account...which might be unfair.... Even so, the comparisons are intriguing to me...and, with no car payments (versus a car payment with a newer car) and lower insurance premiums for the older cars (vs higher insurance premiums for a newer car), I'll stick with my older cars...for now, anyway....


1972 MC, 350 V8
... 1st 2008 fill-up, June 1 ... 15.18 MPG
... 2nd 2008 fill-up, July 4, after ~142 miles, 10.215 gallons .... 13.87 MPG


1976 MC, 305 V8
... 1st 2008 fill-up, June 1 ... 13.58 MPG
... 2nd 2008 fill-up, July 4, after ~137 miles, 10.095 gallons ... 13.58 MPG


1979 MC, 350 V8
... 1st 2008 fill-up, June 1 ... 15.47 MPG
... 2nd 2008 fill-up, July 4, after ~141 miles, 7.859 gallons ... 17.94 MPG


1981 MC, 3.8 V6
... 1st 2008 fill-up, June 1 ... 18.60 MPG
... 2nd 2008 fill-up, July 4, after ~139 miles, 7.086 gallons ... 19.62 MPG


1987 MC LS, 305 V8
... June 1 ... 19.26 MPG
... June 8 ... 17.10 MPG
... June 13 ... 18.40 MPG
... June 18 ... 16.43 MPG
... June 22 ... 18.78 MPG
... June 30 ... 19.03 MPG
... July 6, after ~155 miles, 8.118 gallons ... 19.18 MPG



Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Who do you think you're talkin' to?" ... Lee Roy Parnell ... 'What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am?'

 

[Bina]

I guess I'm lucky that hubby's new toys are Mopeds.....150 mpg.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

That's pretty decent MPGs. If I remember correctly, those cars won't have catalytic converters, which from what I understand, causes the car to burn cleaner, but also requires the car to burn more fuel, causing it to get lower gas mileage. (Kind of a Catch-22 situation). That, along with all the extra crap that they put on newer cars, causes them to weigh a lot more, also reducing their gas mileage.

Another thing I heard recently is that people trading older cars and gas guzzlers for "green" cars actually hurts the environment, because in many cases, it means another car for the landfill, and in all cases, it means taking materials from the environment to produce a new car.

My Nissan Altima gets about 25 in city/stop&go traffic and about 34 on the open roads. I've had it about a year and will keep it until it starts falling apart. Living in a Houston suburb, we put pretty high miles on our cars, so 6-7 years is usually the max as the cars will be approaching 200,000 miles.

Whatever the MPG, you have my permission to keep your beloved cars. We need things in life that make us happy just because, and it is obvious that your cars do that for you!

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Bina - Mopeds are great on gas, but impractical and dangerous for my purposes. 20 freeway miles to work each way, in weather ranging from torrential rain to 100 degree heat, often on the same day, makes anything without a roof difficult.

More and more people are getting motorcycles to save on gas, and it seems that everyday I read about another couple of people dying on them. Often it is not their fault, but does it really matter? Motorcycles and crazy freeway drivers just don't mix!

 

[Ross]

I went to 4cyl vehicles back in 1990 and haven't left them since. I had to junk the Sunbird Cort. The rust I showed to you finally got to the frame. I picked up a 96 Sunfire. I'm in love with this thing. 25mpg city 30 highway, but even at that, todays gas prices are killing us. I'm deeply worried about fuel oil this winter. Last I checked last week it was up to $4.57 a gallon and we burn about 500 gallons over winter. Sorry to get off track, but mpg in my brain calculates as price per gallon in my head.

 

[perrypiratesdad]

I had a friend who had a new 1990's Saturn SC1. It was a nice zippy car, and guess what? I quite often got 50mpg.

So my question is this. If GM (who owns Saturn) could achieve 50mpg back in the early 90's with older technology, why can't they do it now.

Second question. Don't you think that whomever came out with a killer MPG car would soak up the market? I mean, if Ford, of GM, or Chrysler could come out with a 50 - 80mpg car now (and it looks like a car, not a Yugo or Ford Fiesta), they would swamp the market and clean up. I just don't understand why they sit on all the patents that they have for more fuel efficient cars and ignore the oil companies.

 

[Bina]

Bina - Mopeds are great on gas, but impractical and dangerous for my purposes. 20 freeway miles to work each way, in weather ranging from torrential rain to 100 degree heat, often on the same day, makes anything without a roof difficult.

More and more people are getting motorcycles to save on gas, and it seems that everyday I read about another couple of people dying on them. Often it is not their fault, but does it really matter? Motorcycles and crazy freeway drivers just don't mix!

I agree....there is no way we would ever take a Moped on a major roadway.
Hubby works 10 minutes away using a County Road and the Moped is just for occasional fun.
Where I live we all use tractors, ATVs, and bikes to get around to neighbouring friends and farms.
Our treasured 1994 Toyota Camry is a 6 cylinder and deserves to stay at home when possible.

 

[Freddie]

Used to have a '92 Ford Festiva - 5 speed. Got 42mpg in the city and 38mpg in the winter. This was one tin-can of a car that you didn't want to take on the highway.
Sold it in 2002 due to a near miss collistion that would have killed me and bought a 2002 Honda CRV which has a steady mpg of 26.

 

[Debster]

I went to 4cyl vehicles back in 1990 and haven't left them since. I had to junk the Sunbird Cort. The rust I showed to you finally got to the frame. I picked up a 96 Sunfire. I'm in love with this thing. 25mpg city 30 highway, but even at that, todays gas prices are killing us. I'm deeply worried about fuel oil this winter. Last I checked last week it was up to $4.57 a gallon and we burn about 500 gallons over winter. Sorry to get off track, but mpg in my brain calculates as price per gallon in my head.

I had a 96 Sunfire Ross...I loved it! I gave it up after we had our kids for a mini van Sure wish I still had it! Deb

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I had a 1982 Plymouth Champ that got over 40 mpg on the highway, and not too much less in the city. It was front wheel drive, 4 speed with a "twin stick" gear that turned it into an 8 speed. Pretty quick and kind of cute for its day - similar to the Pinto. However, the Americans didn't really make it. It was a Mitsubishi import. Since it replaced my constantly cratered Chevrolet Chevette, I liked most anything that moved!

 

[perrypiratesdad]

I had a 1982 Plymouth Champ that got over 40 mpg on the highway, and not too much less in the city. It was front wheel drive, 4 speed with a "twin stick" gear that turned it into an 8 speed. Pretty quick and kind of cute for its day - similar to the Pinto. However, the Americans didn't really make it. It was a Mitsubishi import. Since it replaced my constantly cratered Chevrolet Chevette, I liked most anything that moved!

I had a family friend that had the Dodge Colt version. It was a cool little car! I loved the twin stick concept that allowed you to go from economy to sport mode.

 

[catwoman]

My first car was a 2-door, dark green 1972 Datsun 1200 sedan with standard transmission. I was a reporter and drove a lot during the day. It was very economical to drive.
In August 1976, I drove to Leavenworth KS to visit a college friend who was an Army officer. First time I had drive more than 200 miles alone.
Got 40+ mpg on that trip and I was ecstatic!

 

[Ross]

I had a 96 Sunfire Ross...I loved it! I gave it up after we had our kids for a mini van Sure wish I still had it! Deb

I got this one well used and as my luck would have it, the engine developed a head gasket leak 2 weeks after I got it. Had too much money into to up and get rid of it, so I bit the dust and took a policy loan to get it fixed. It has almost 122,000 miles on it, but it's running like a top, cool A/C, Hot heat and very nice to drive as well as no body rust!

 

[Guest]

Whatever the MPG, you have my permission to keep your beloved cars. We need things in life that make us happy just because, and it is obvious that your cars do that for you!

*grins*

Thank you! He he....yes, they indeed, do. I know...sounds terrible, but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do to stay happy!

I had to junk the Sunbird Cort. The rust I showed to you finally got to the frame.

I think I told you that day we met that you probably would have to get something else down the road (no pun intended). Rust is VERY unforgiving. A couple of my cars have MAJOR rust issues...but I haven't found a place yet that will JUST fix the rust. Everyone wants to repaint the entire dang car because "it won't look right". Well, that's fine by me....if I have something 100% perfect, I won't drive it....lol.

I picked up a 96 Sunfire. I'm in love with this thing. 25mpg city 30 highway, but even at that, todays gas prices are killing us. I'm deeply worried about fuel oil this winter. Last I checked last week it was up to $4.57 a gallon and we burn about 500 gallons over winter. Sorry to get off track, but mpg in my brain calculates as price per gallon in my head.

Yeah, I hear ya. Just thinking about where gas prices might go...frustrates the heck out of my brain .

I know several people with that vintage Sunfire/Cavalier that you have now...most people like them. Glad you love it, Ross!

Second question. Don't you think that whomever came out with a killer MPG car would soak up the market? I mean, if Ford, of GM, or Chrysler could come out with a 50 - 80mpg car now (and it looks like a car, not a Yugo or Ford Fiesta), they would swamp the market and clean up. I just don't understand why they sit on all the patents that they have for more fuel efficient cars and ignore the oil companies.

Amen. I think you are right....and it boggles my mind that they haven't done this already. I mean...c'mon...if newer "fuel efficient" cars are getting WORSE gas mileage than my 20+ year old cars are....then something is definitely wrong, in my book, anyway...

*sighs*



Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Never compromise what's right" ... Aaron Tippin ... 'You've Got To Stand For Something (Or You'll Fall For Anything)'

 

[aussigal]

You guys are still doing OK....you have a way to go yet before you can really really complain about fuel prices...On our news lastnight they did a comparison on petrol/gas prices and to fill my car which is a Holden Commodoore it costs $116.00 AUD or $76.00 USD and even worse $186 in Germany!!!!!...its not the dollar value thats our downfall its the price of petrol @$1.69 a litre which is more than $6.00 a gallon! More and more we see people are changing to those tiny little sardine-can vehicles. I like my big car it feels safe and I am not likely to be runover and crushed by a 4WD or a truck!

 

[OldManEmu]

Fuel

Fuel

aussigal fuel prices are similar in Melbourne $1.60+ litre, close to $100, USD $90+ to fill my Ford . Fuel is still cheap in the US compared to the rest of the western world. I am grateful that I live near a train station (this was one of the criteria when I purchased my house many years ago before the current fuel price escalation) and catch public transport to work in the CBD and only have to fill my car every three weeks. $30 a week on fuel still isn't too bad.

 

[Ross]

We all need to move to Kuwait. 11 cents a gallon.

 

[Rich]

Well I have to chime in on this one.
Going back a number of years, cars had options but a lot was not standard equipment. For instance power brakes,power steering, power windows, power door locks,air conditioning, automatic transmission, just to name a few. Nowadays these things are expected and manufacturers make them standard equipment, because it requires less labor and does not require multiple stations on the assembly lines. BUT it adds a lot of extra weight and requires a lot more output from the engine to power some of these things. Emission standards are another source that cuts back mileage. Now consider many cars in the fifties and sixties got maybe 6-7mpg city, I think we made a lot of progress.
In addition what most people out there don't understand is car companies make what the consumer demands. It takes 4-5 years to develop a new vehicle from concept to showroom. Did any of you see this gas crisis coming five years ago? I think not.
Now our stupid people in Washington are demanding higher fuel economy, but none of them have any clue about cars and trucks. It is costing millions(if not billions) for relatively small increases in fuel economy.
The shame is that money could have and should have been used to come up with viable alternatives for oil.
Rich

 

[Ross]

The shame is that money could have and should have been used to come up with viable alternatives for oil.
Rich

Ah but the oil industry stock holders can't make insane amounts of money if the government does that! Plus it makes sense. Why do something that makes sense?

Shut up Ross, don't get me started.

 

[dtread]

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Peel P50

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