mpg-o-editor

Tahoe Hybrid

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We’ve just spent a week’s time with a 2009 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid. When the big SUV crept out of the driveway for the last time earlier today, I was still trying to get my head around the target market. While the Tahoe Hybrid delivers significantly improved fuel economy over the conventional version, it does so at a price. At today’s lower gas prices, it would seem that the added cost of the hybrid drive train presents a roadblock to sales. But just hours after giving up the keys to our blue granite metallic test unit, I saw my first Tahoe Hybrid in the wild – and in our town, no less – while performing after-school family taxi duties.

A quick trip to eBay is an indicator of the current level of discounting. At least one dealer was slashing seven thousand dollars off the Tahoe Hybrid’s MSRP. Buyers can also expect another $2,200 off for the federal hybrid tax credit.

It can take a while to get accustomed to driving the Tahoe Hybrid. Stomping on the accelerator pedal from a standing start is an interesting experience, to say the least. In this video, the system is in Auto Stop mode, with the engine off, as it launches.

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27.3 MPG

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The Obama Administration has pulled a number out of its hat, and it’s 27.3 MPG. While it might seem a bit crazy to set a new combined fuel economy standard for the 2011 model year with such short notice, our new President was left with the task by an outgoing administration that failed to implement … Read more

Lexus ES Gas Mileage

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The Lexus ES range proves that a luxurious ride and good gas mileage need not be mutually exclusive. Over the years, Lexus ES gas mileage ratings have hovered in the mid-to-high twenty mile per gallon highway (MPG) range, with a high of 30 MPG in the 2007 ES 360.

2009 Lexus ES 350

All Lexus ES models are equipped with six-cylinder engines in a front-wheel-drive configuration. The displacement has grown over the years, from 2.5 liters in the 1990-1991 ES 250, to 3.0 liters in the 1992-2003 ES 300, 3.3 liters in the 2004-2006 ES 330, and 3.5 liters in the 2007-2009 ES 350. While regular-grade fuel was acceptable in the ES 250, ES 300, and ES 330, premium-grade is recquired in the ES 350.

A manual transmission was offered from 1990 through 1993. The current model is equipped with a six-speed automatic.

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How Did You Get Here?

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My daily routine always includes a check of MPGomatic’s website stats over that first cup of coffee or tea. And seeing that we were out of coffee this morning, tea it was. So I made myself a cup of Earl Grey, sat down in front of the computer, and fired up Google Analytics to check … Read more

Chrysler 300 Gas Mileage

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Reintroduced with great fanfare as a 2005 model, the venerable Chrysler 300 continues to roll in style. Available with a range of engines and in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive, the domestically-available 2012 Chrysler 300’s best gas mileage results come with the the new Pentastar V6 engine achieving a highway rating of 31 miles per gallon (MPG) in rear-wheel-drive form. On the flip side of the coin, the thirsty Hemi-powered 300/SRT-8’s gas mileage earns it an official status of gas guzzler (complete with federal tax).

A highly fuel-efficient version of the 300 is available in Europe, equipped with a Mercedes-Benz 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 engine. While Jeep sold the Grand Cherokee CRD with the same engine here in the States for a brief time, Chrysler has never sold a diesel-engined Chrysler 300 domestically. This is truly unfortunate, as the turbo-diesel 300 is capable of highway mileage in the mid-thirties, with an abundance of torque.

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