Entries from August 2011 ↓

2011 Hyundai Elantra Review

MPG-o-Matic 2011 Hyundai Elantra Review Summary:
The 2011 Hyundai Elantra is the value play in a crowded category, from its 100,000 mile powertrain warranty through a range of features not commonly found in most compact cars. With 40 miles per gallon (MPG) highway the new norm for the class, it takes more than just mileage to compete in the segment.


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How Does Ethanol Affect Gas Mileage?

You don’t have to go far to hear folks complaining about how the current level of ethanol content in unleaded gasoline has affected the gas mileage in their vehicles. Today’s gasoline contains approximately ten percent ethanol, for the most part, and is referred to as E10. Finding “ethanol-free” gasoline at a common service station has become increasingly rare, at best.

Ethanol contains approximately 33 percent less energy than gasoline. If you were to run 100 percent ethanol (E100) in your vehicle, you’d expect to take a 33% hit to gas mileage.* (Theoretically, since you can’t legally run 100% ethanol.) With E10, it’s a 3.33% penalty. Seeing that you can’t buy E0, there’s not much you can do about it.

At some point, we hope to perform dyno and real-world tests to document the drop in gas mileage. With “pure” pump gas nearly impossible to find, we’ll likely have to buy expensive street-legal racing fuel.
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2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Review

MPG-o-Matic 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Review Summary: SUVs are particularly well-suited to clean diesel engines, with their gobs of torque and legendary fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, American auto manufacturers have been hesitant to commit to diesel SUVs, other than a handful of short-lived exceptions. The luxurious diesel-powered 2011 VW Touareg TDI hammers home the facts, with a cruising range born for the open road.


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