Green Myth-Busting: Gas Guzzling SUVs
Myth: SUVs are the biggest gas guzzlers around.
Fact: Minivans, pick-up trucks and regular ol' four door sedans get the same, if not worse, miles per gallon (MPG.)
Check out these ratings from the Consumer Reports Guide to Fuel Efficient Vehicles. Of the highest ranked vehicles of their class, these are the top performers in the MPG category:
- Midsized & large SUV: Honda Pilot EX (overall mpg 19, city 13, highway 27)
- Minivan: Chevrolet Venture LS (overall mpg 19, city 12, hwy 27)
- Compact pickup: Toyota Tacoma TRD (overall mpg 16, city 12, hwy 22)
- Small SUV: Toyota Matrix SR AWD (overall mpg 24, city 17, hwy 33)
- Wagons/hatchbacks: Pontiac Vibe FWD (overall mpg 26, 18 city, 36 hwy
- Nearly all of the sedan categories: family, luxury, upscale, and large (with the exception of the small sedan) were similar, averaging an overall mpg of 22.
Small sedan drivers are really the only people who can do the finger pointing as that category ranks best overall for mpg:
- Honda Insight (overall mpg 51, city 36, hwy 66),
- Volkswagon Golf GLS TDI (overall mpg 41, city 29, hwy 54)
- Toyota Prius (overall mpg 41, city 30, hwy 49)
What about hybrid SUVs? Not as good as the small sedans, but a little better than their all-gas counterparts:
- Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD (city mpg 33, hwy 29)
- Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4WD (city mpg 33, hwy 29)
- Lexus RX 400h 2WD (city mpg 33, hwy 28)
- Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2WD (city mpg 33, hwy 28)
Fact: MPG estimates vary. The way you drive and what conditions you are driving in will affect the MPG you'll get from your vehicle. Quick accelleration and heavy breaking, driving at higher speeds, AC use, and idling all can decrease how far your gas goes.
Fact: Federal fuel economy standards in the United States are 27.5 miles per gallon for passenger cars and 24 miles per gallon for light trucks.
Fact: Large vehicles weighing over 8,500 are exempt from fuel economy standards. This includes big SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Excursion, as well as the Dodge Ram pick-up and most passenger and cargo vans.
Very few automakers are going above and beyond federal regulations and policy to change fuel economy standards and even fewer politicians are able to get any additional regulations in place. A few U.S. senators have proposed increasing CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards to 35 mpg by 2020, which will likely hit the senate floor next month. And democratic presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, announced last week in Detroit the need to increase vehicle fuel efficiency (his plan calls for an average of 40 mpg by 2022.)
However, proposals such as these are often fought strongly by the big auto manufacturers, which makes it difficult for all drivers to get better mileage from the gas pump - whether or not you're driving an SUV.
Tags: Automobiles, CAFE Standards, fuel economy, gas, Green Myth-Busting, oil, SUV, Transportation
- Uncategorized
May 20th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
You know there are a couple places that tally, with mean and standard deviation, the “real world” mileage users of these cars are getting.
Green Hybrid specializes in hybrids (and matches my Prius numbers better than Consumer Reports test case, which is itself probably an artifact of trip distance).
But the EPA actually has a real world database as well. (The “shared” in the title means data shared between all of us.)
I’d encourage you to revisit all of the above with “real world” numbers.
May 20th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Hybrid car economics will face a new road test this month with the arrival of fresh models sporting revised mileage ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA estimations are based on data from Edmunds.com that assumes 15,000 miles driven per year and gasoline at an average price of $2.70.
Here is the new ratings table
May 20th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
While the information you present is correct, it is not complete. It is misleading in that 2 of the 3 “Small Sedans” are actually Hybrid vehicles and should be noted as such. Additionally, both the Honda Insight and the Volkswagen Golf are no longer manufactured. Also all 3 models listed are of the Compact model distinction not “Small Sedans” since all are 2 door hatchbacks. The sedan classification requires 4 doors and a trunk.
It would be also better to put current model year vehicles in the list as well as some non-Hybrid numbers for small sedan because most small non-Hybrid sedans do not get significantly better gas mileage than their larger counter parts.
For instance:
Honda Accord Sedan = 26 city/34 highway w/ 5 speed manual (and yes, the type of transmission affects gas mileage).
It should also be noted that full size trucks do get significantly worse gas mileage than nearly all models list. Ford F-150, the smallest size class in full sized trucks, has an EPA rating of 15 city/19 highway and in actuality is closer to 14 mpg but worsens as the vehicle gets older. The mileage for the Ford Super Duty, the largest non-commercial truck on the road, is so bad it is not listed anywhere. The F-250 as a real world mileage as low as 9mpg according to the data base above.
If you are going to present “Facts” make sure you present the whole fact and not omit vital information. Using terms incorrectly can mislead someone into thinking they are getting something they are not.
May 21st, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Well…I hate to say it but this is another article with less than adequate research and numbers. Thanks to everyone that left comments for helping the prevention of false information being spread.
I really like this site, but I have been seeing alot of this happening with the articles being posted. Why is that? What steps are taken to ensure the articles are presenting the most accurate info?
One-sided Google searches will not yield sufficent informaion to write an article. Skewed numbers or a “that’s close enough” attitude should not be accepted. It is far from myth-busting if you say “This information is not correct, here is MY information to replace it” (which is not correct either, but supports my side of the argument)
May 21st, 2007 at 10:39 pm
This post is baffling. You mention a relatively unpopular SUV, the Pilot, and ignore the far more popular and even less fuel-efficient models such as the GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade, and Ford Expedition. If you’d look at those numbers, you’d see that the Matrix and Vibe (which are in the same class, unlike what you say here) get about twice the fuel economy. There are several mid-size sedans that get around 30mpg, significantly better than the 22mpg you mention.
That 8500lb figure is the gross vehicle weight, GVWR, not the curb weight.
The Honda Insight and the Volkswagen Golf are hatchbacks, not sedans.
Your point is, at best, unclear.
May 26th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
I live in Scotland as an expat American. My car, small by US standards, but typical for here, quite adequate to the needs of almost any small family, and with far more concern for safety in its building than any American vehicle, gets over 70 MPG on motorway-type driving (like highways in the US). Around town, it averages well over 45 MPG.
There is absolutely no reason that American vehicles can’t get the same mileage.
Of course, none of these are really acceptable, including my car. The only thing that makes any sense is electric vehicles. Until Americans and people everywhere start demanding electric-powered vehicles (plug-ins, not hybrids), then it’s all a farce. For myself, I refuse to purchase another vehicle until it’s possible to buy electric.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Please pleople, this are ridiculous. How come american cars suck twice as much fuels as the japanese and european ones?
How dare you call this “fuel economy”???? You are the most wasting nation on the face of the earth. get this and stat buying real saving cars. This dispute whether SUV are better or worse that sedans makes me sick.
June 5th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
The use of the Honda SUV as the baseline is not only misleading, but nearly incompetent. Don’t compare a $50,000 hi end unit like the Honda with a Chev Lumina. USe Comparable models from the same manufacturer.
The typical GM SUV (8 cyl) couldn’t dream of getting anywhere near 12 mpg.
I drove a Dodge Durango for two weeks while my Dodge Caravan was in for collision repair and the fuel economy of the Durango was about HALF that of the Caravan.
Don’t forget that as we add safety and pollution control measures to vehicles, we keep reducing efficiency.
June 8th, 2007 at 1:16 am
It is nice know that a lot of people are willing to voice out there concerns and ready to correct false information. Well, automakers keep on thinking of ways to give the consumers the best choices of cars that promote fuel economy. Those cars are making the lead because now-a-days people are getting cars for practicality. I personally choose a car where I could benefit a lot. I’m very much aware that economy keeps on changing. Good if it’s always upwards but worse is downwards. So, even in buying parts for my car, I’m being practical. I love accessorizing my truck but I don’t want to spend so much for it. Actually, I just bought it new Chevrolet Pickup Cargo Net. Anyways, much more than anything, if there is something that could give me fuel economy, I would probably go for it.