I needed to drive my family 800 miles (and back) to visit my in-laws. None of my cars are large enough, so I rented a minivan from Alamo. They had by far the best rate. Alamo gave me the choice of any car in their minivan lane. Aside from a Dodge Grand Caravan and a Toyota Sienna, they also had… More →
Category: Gas Mileage
Gas Mileage
Why it won’t be as hard as it might seem to achieve a corporate average of 35.5 MPG
President Obama has proposed an increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) to 35.5 MPG by 2016. CAFE is not mandatory, but manufacturers that fail to achieve the average must pay fairly hefty fines, and they don’t like paying fines. At first glance, 35.5 MPG seems a very ambitious target. After all, most cars these days have real-world gas mileage… More →
So, how efficient are the new diesels? UK powertrains now in database.
Thanks to tax incentives, diesels now account for a large percentage of car sales in many European countries. These engines tend to be more powerful, smoother, and quieter than the diesels of even five years ago. The most extreme example: the 5.9-liter V12 monster Audi offers in the Q7. It produces 500 horsepower at only 3,750 rpm, and 737 pounds-feet… More →
Washington’s dangerous fixation on fuel economy
The Presidential Task Force on Autos released it’s New Path to Viability for GM and Chrysler. The administration has concluded that GM can come back strong after a restructuring, but that Chrysler must link up with someone else, specificially Fiat. So far, so good. The problem: “The new GM will have a significant focus on developing high fuel-efficiency cars that… More →
GM disbands High Performance Vehicle Operations–why this is a mistake
General Motors recently announced that it had disbanded its High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) team. This is more of the same thinking that has essentially bankrupted them. The thinking: the government wants GM to focus on fuel efficiency, not performance, rendering HPVO a political liability. Disbanding HPVO is flawed on two levels. First off, gas is back under $2/gallon, and… More →
Upgraded Gas Mileage Survey — what should it include?
As it stands, TrueDelta’s Gas Mileage Survey goes well beyond other such surveys to capture key information about how and where a car is driven. But it could be better still. Under consideration: questions about fuel type (percent ethanol, biofuel), roof racks, and the date of the fillup. Maybe also questions on mods, so cars with heavy mods can be… More →
Amnesia, hindsight, and health insurance
Just a few months ago seemingly everyone was criticizing Detroit for failing to foresee $4.00 gas and develop fuel efficient cars accordingly. Even today we hear that these companies should refocus on alt fuels. But how many of those who claimed that Detroit should have spent billions of dollars to develop more fuel efficient vehicles predicted that fuel prices would… More →
Why don’t small cars get better highway fuel economy?
Anyone who has paid close attention to the EPA ratings–or the real-world fuel economy figures on TrueDelta, has probably noticed that compact cars don’t tend to get much fuel economy on the highway than midsize or even large cars. Take Toyota’s offerings, for example: Yaris – subcompact: 29/35 Corolla – compact: 27/35 Camry – midsize: 21/31 Camry V6 – midsize:… More →
The one proven away to improve cars’ fuel economy
With Detroit’s leaders before Congress begging for money, many people have been suggesting that cars with improved fuel economy be part of any bailout. This is ridiculous, the same way that the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations have always been ridiculous. Improved fuel economy cannot effectively be legislated. Why not? Because this route forces companies to develop cars they… More →
Isn’t TrueDelta just another auto site?
A few days ago someone emailed me, saying that, as far as they could tell, TrueDelta did not offer anything that many other auto sites did not already offer. So what’s the point? This perception baffles me, since the information TrueDelta offers is unlike that available anywhere else. Yet it is also quite common. So we clearly have a major disconnect on… More →