Year: 2008

Today’s Unwanted SUVs Tomorrow’s Collectibles?

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Take a ride down the stretch of highway past your local auto dealers and you’re bound to see rows of unwanted new and used SUVs clogging the lots. Yesterday’s darlings of automotive indulgence are today’s pariah. But could they be tomorrow’s hotly sought after collectibles?

Dealers are slashing prices to move SUV inventory, and there’s been an unprecedented drop in value. While a good number of Americans still love their big SUVs, the sheer cost of filling the tank has eroded the enthusiasm of many.

For some folks, however, the drop in SUV prices has created a buying opportunity. For those with financial resources, the cost of gasoline is a minor expense and the current fire sale represents a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Carpe diem. It’s time to stock up and save.

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Tire Inflation

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Putting all political posturing aside, it’s foolish to downplay the importance of proper tire pressure. Simply put, a properly inflated set of tires allow a vehicle to operate as it was designed. When one or more tires are under-inflated, performance is negatively effected; the vehicle’s ride and handling will suffer, along with its gas mileage.

The term “where the rubber meets the road” directly applies to this issue. A properly inflated tire provides the optimum contact patch (the section of rubber that touches the road surface). An under-inflated tire, on the other hand, has a larger contact patch with increased rolling resistance. More friction where the rubber meets the road means your engine has to work harder, thus lowering fuel efficiency.

Straight line friction’s just part of the equation. Poor handling is an even larger culprit.

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Acura Gas Mileage

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Over the years, Acura has achieved a well-earned reputation for fuel-efficiency among the premium imports. Highway gas mileage for the current RL, TL, and TSX lines run from the mid to high twenty mile per gallon (MPG) range. Although the 2009 Acura TSX (shown below) produces solid MPG ratings for a performance-oriented vehicle (20/28 with the five-speed automatic and 21/30 with the six-speed manual transmission), a much more fuel-efficient diesel option is waiting in the wings.

2009 Acura TSX

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Chevy S10 Gas Mileage

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The compact Chevrolet S10 pickup truck premiered as a 1982 model and was replaced by the Colorado after the 2004 model year. When equipped with the most fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine and manual transmission, the S10’s gas mileage ratings floated in the high twenty mile per gallon (MPG) highway range for much of its run. For a time in the 1980s, the S10 could be ordered with a 2.2 liter four-cylinder diesel engine.

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Toyota Corolla MPG Review

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Toyota Corolla MPG-o-Matic 2009 Toyota Corolla Review Summary: The 2009 Toyota Corolla competes with the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Ford Focus, and Chevy Cobalt, among others in the highly competitive compact market and slots in between the Yaris and Camry in Toyota’s lineup.

Under the hood, all Corolla models with the exception of the XRS are fitted with Toyota’s 1.8 liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i four cylinder engine, which produces 132 horsepower (HP) and 128 foot pounds of torque. (The more powerful XRS is equipped with a beefier 2.4 liter, producing 158 HP and 162 foot pounds of torque.)

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