How To Get the Best Car & Fuel Economy
By Kellen Schefter
 Studies
show that high gas prices are prompting buyers to give fuel economy
increasingly greater weight in the car-buying equation, and it’s
about time. To help the process along, we present the following
guide to eking the most miles-per-gallon out of your next automobile
purchase.
While some of the advice may yield what appears to be nominal increases
in fuel economy, keep in mind that an improvement of only a few
miles-per-gallon can add up to major savings over time. We refrain
from outlining specific monetary savings here given the continued
oscillation of gas prices, but we do recommend referencing your
vehicle alternatives on www.fueleconomy.gov,
where more exacting fuel prices and annual mileage can be factored
to provide personalized results. Also, note that mileage figures
in this article refer to model year 2004 specifications.
#1 CONSIDER A HYBRID
For car buyers who place the highest priority on fuel economy, hybrid
electric vehicles offer the most obvious choice. Discussed extensively
in previous issues of this magazine, the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight,
and Honda Civic Hybrid all combine small, clean-burning gasoline engines
with electric motors that boost acceleration and capture energy during
braking and coasting.
Their innovative powerplants give these
vehicles the efficiency to currently top the vehicle rankings in the
EPA’s fuel economy hierarchy.
The hybrid’s success bodes well for the future of this technology.
The recently released Ford Escape Hybrid, as well as the upcoming
Lexus RX 400h, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and Honda Accord Hybrid,
clearly show that the hybrid option will not be limited to smaller
vehicles. Whether offered as a premium upgrade, as is the case with
Lexus, or as an option on mainstream family sedans like the Honda
Accord and Nissan Altima, hybrids will be adding fuel economy improvements
across the automotive spectrum for some time.
#2 DON’T BE SWAYED
BY TRENDS
What if you’re not a hard-core fuel economy buff, but rather
one who simply wants to make a better choice within an array of more
conventional vehicles? To these buyers, we offer this advice: go with
what meets your needs and ignore popular trends. The sport utility
vehicle boom of the past decade has seen significant growth in the
popularity of heavier, less aerodynamic vehicles that require larger
engines to move them about town, handling tasks that could in most
cases be met by a more fuel efficient class of vehicle like a wagon.
BMW offers a perfect case in point. The EPA
rates the BMW X3 2.5i SUV at 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, while
the 325xi Sport Wagon is rated at 19/26 mpg. Both vehicles offer all-wheel
drive traction in poor weather, while minimal differences in terms
of cargo capacity make the 325xi clearly the more efficient choice.
Discerning shoppers will find this to be a common dynamic across the
automotive market. It may pay to take a good look at station wagon
alternatives before plunging into the SUV fray.
#3
GO WITH CAR-BASED SUVs
If an SUV lays steadfast in your automotive sights, consider strongly
car-based variants over those that are truck-based. Alternately known
as crossover vehicles, these SUVs are composed of light and stiff
unit-body construction rather than the traditional body-on-frame construction
of truck-based SUVs, which are typically hardier but also much heavier.
Crossovers also tend to forgo the low-range transfer cases and off-road
hardware of more traditional SUVs, appropriate given their intended
uses and the fact that very few SUV owners actually go off-road.
One example is the Nissan Murano, which sources its structure from
the Nissan Altima sedan and is rated at 20 mpg city, 24 mpg highway.
The Nissan Pathfinder uses the Murano’s same 3.5-liter V-6 but
achieves a 15/19 mpg rating, largely due to the Pathfinder’s
pickup truck origins. Car-based SUVs have taken an increasingly larger
portion of the SUV market share of late, offering users improved efficiency
over their truck brethren and most of the capability. Makes sense
to us.
#4 LOOK BENEATH THE SKIN
If you’re set on a certain vehicle genre but flexible on a specific
choice within available models, consider those with humbler origins.
For example, the entry-level Acura TSX luxury car is actually the
Honda Accord that’s sold in every auto market except ours. The
Lexus ES 330 is essentially a restyled and lavishly appointed Toyota
Camry. Both cars, derived from family sedans built with efficiency
in mind, may offer better fuel economy than full-blown luxury sedans
meant to coddle from the get-go. Beauty in these cases may be only
skin deep, but efficiency lies much deeper. Looking for a sporty car?
The Toyota Celica and Acura RSX both mate small 4-cylinder engines
with lightweight chassis, providing driving thrills while returning
near economy-car fuel mileage figures.
Okay, we need to account for those buyers who have made up their minds
on a specific model within a vehicle class, leaving only the options
sheet open for discussion. Allow us to exercise some influence here,
as follows.
#5 FOREGO THE ENGINE UPGRADES
Before checking that engine upgrade box, consider the fuel economy
ramifications. Generally, the smaller base engine is also the more
efficient one. While the big V-8 or turbocharged model may get all
the glory in the ads in those other car magazines, the reality is
that saying “pass” to a larger and more powerful engine
just makes sense unless the base engine just doesn’t provide
the kind of performance you need. Shaving a half-second off a car’s
0-60 mph time may be tempting, but it becomes less so when weighed
against the extra fuel costs down the road, not to mention the extra
cash required up front to pay for that larger engine.
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| Avoid
added aerodynamic drag |
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Other performance
enhancing options can add to the appeal of a car, but may actually
detract from its efficiency. Add-ons like trunk-mounted spoilers,
roof racks, and sideboards often create added aerodynamic drag, requiring
the engine to work harder to punch a hole through the air. Performance
tires are geared toward increasing traction, not minimizing rolling
resistance. Now, we’re not trying to talk you out of personalizing
your new vehicle because, after all, that’s part of the excitement
in picking out a new ride. What we’re doing is just making you
aware that there are costs beyond the purchase price of some accessories
and we want you to think about them before checking ‘em off.
It may seem a bit nit-picky, but streamlining accessory choices can
ultimately result in small but noticeable fuel savings.
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| Consider
a manual transmission |
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#6 WEIGH TRANSMISSION CHOICES
One option that faces many a car buyer, though to a lesser degree
than automotive enthusiasts may like, is the prospect of a manual
transmission. In many cases, manual transmissions offer improved fuel
economy compared to their automatic transmission counterparts, eliminating
the need for a power-sapping torque converter. Take the Dodge Stratus,
with its 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that offers 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway
fuel economy when equipped with a manual, but 21/28 mpg when equipped
with an automatic.
Continuously variable transmissions (CVT) and manual transmissions
with electrically-controlled clutches complicate this pattern, and
in some cases, a level of efficiency with automatics has been achieved
where a specific transmission-engine pairing may improve fuel economy
over a manual transmission. Whatever the case, we recommend checking
out all transmission options for a vehicle you’re considering
before making a purchase since, chances are, it will make a difference.
#7
TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE
Look for fuel-saving technology within a model line as well. Honda’s
VTEC-E system, available on its Civic, is one such example. A version
of Honda’s Variable valve Timing and Electronic lift Control,
VTEC-E creates a swirling effect in the combustion chamber that allows
for an extremely lean air-fuel mixture at low revs to increase fuel
economy. And it succeeds: the Civic HX with a VTEC-E equipped 4-cylinder
engine achieves 36 mpg city and 44 mpg highway, a respective four
mpg city and six mpg highway improvement over a different iteration
of Honda’s 1.7-liter engine in the same model.
Be on the lookout for up-and coming technologies that improve efficiency.
General Motors and Ford are jointly developing a new 6-speed automatic
trans that will begin appearing in front- and all-wheel drive models
in 2006, bringing with it fuel economy improvements of up to four
percent. Automakers such as Honda, General Motors, and DaimlerChrysler
are also beginning to employ cylinder deactivation technology in their
models, which reduces fuel consumption by shutting off a number of
cylinders under certain driving conditions. The system effectively
turns a V-8, for example, into an inline four when power demands are
low, thus burning less fuel.
#8 IN A WORD: DIESELS
Another alternative available in only a select few cars is the diesel
engine. In the U.S., diesel engines are offered in the Volkswagen
Jetta, Golf, New Beetle, Passat, and Touareg. DaimlerChrysler offers
a diesel in the Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI and Jeep Liberty CRD. Diesels
are also offered as an option in a bevy of heavy-duty full-size pickup
trucks. If one of these vehicles fits your needs, then the diesel
option is an attractive alternative.
An illustration: The manual transmission
VW Golf TDI delivers 38 mpg city and 46 mpg highway with its 1.9-liter
diesel engine, numbers that rival hybrids for fuel mileage supremacy.
A comparable VW Golf with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine gets 24/31 mpg,
still respectable but nowhere near that offered by the diesel. In
Europe, where gas prices commonly approach an equivalent of $5.00
per gallon, diesels account for nearly 40 percent of the automotive
population. With such a financial need for efficiency, they might
be on to something.
Another word about diesels. While diesel engines do not emit as much
carbon dioxide – the gas chiefly blamed for causing the greenhouse
effect – as gasoline engines, diesels can be faulted for having
higher oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter emissions. Therefore,
states with especially stringent air quality standards such as California
and New York have banned new light-duty diesel vehicles from certification,
even with their outstanding efficiency. However, as mandated ultra-low
sulfur diesel fuel is introduced here in 2006, more sensitive emissions
control devices can be employed that cannot be used today due to high
sulfur levels, which hopefully will lead to even cleaner diesel engines
used in a wider array of vehicle models.
#9 AFTER THE PURCHASE
Gasoline and diesel engines alike require a precisely controlled set
of combustion properties to run at top efficiency. An engine’s
state-of-tune deteriorates over time, so regular maintenance and engine
tune-ups are crucial to sustaining your vehicle’s fuel mileage
integrity. According to the EPA, repairing a vehicle that is noticeably
out of tune or has failed an emissions test yields an average four
percent improvement in gas mileage. Small fixes that are often caught
by routine maintenance, such as a clogged air filter, can improve
gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.
Using a manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil can also
unlock potential fuel savings. For example, a more viscous oil such
as 10W-30 in an engine designed to take 5W-30 can hurt fuel mileage
by one to two percent. Motor oil that carries an “Energy Conserving”
label on the API logo contains friction-reducing additives that may
help increase fuel economy as well.
Perhaps the easiest fuel-saving procedure is checking tire pressure
at least once a month. Fuel mileage is reduced nearly one percent
for every two psi drop in pressure below the factory-recommended rating.
Under-inflated tires not only reduce rolling resistance and hurt fuel
economy, but also wear faster.
Proper wheel alignment also ensures your wheels are pulling in the
same direction to achieve optimum fuel economy.
#10 YOUR DAILY DRIVE
The same willpower that helped you resist those engine upgrades might
need to be summoned for keeping driving habits in line as well. High-performance
driving characterized by quick acceleration, braking, and cornering
– always a fun thing but rarely a contributor to top fuel economy
– may need to be kept in reserve for occasional weekend jaunts.
The EPA estimates that aggressive driving can reduce fuel economy
from five percent around town to 33 percent at highway speeds.
Highway driving at near-constant speed allows vehicles to operate
at their most efficient levels. To lower engine rpm as much as possible
at highway speeds, be sure to engage overdrive if your vehicle is
so equipped. Maintaining a constant speed, with or without the aid
of cruise control, is much more efficient than varying speeds that
require continuous and fuel-sapping acceleration. Keep in mind that
higher speeds do not translate into higher efficiency. Fuel mileage
drops off significantly at higher speeds and, according to the EPA,
every 5 mph increment over 60 mph equates to paying 10 cents more
per gallon for gas.
So there you have it – eight tips to help you choose a more
efficient vehicle and another two to ensure you continue reaping long-term
rewards. Now, if only we could figure out how to keep those pump prices
from spiking every week or so…
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