MPG-o-Matic Review Summary: Every once in a while, a car rolls into the driveway that proves just how good things can be … the Audi A6 Quattro TDI is one of those cars. Unfortunately, the A6 TDI isn’t for sale in America, just yet …
Under the hood, the Euro-spec 2007 Audi A6 TDI is fitted with a 3.0-liter V6 direct injection clean diesel engine, producing 233 horsepower (HP) and 332 foot pounds of torque.
Audi pulled the cover off their shiny new plug-in hybrid A1 Sportback concept this week at the Paris Auto Show.
The five-door sub-compact four seater is fitted with a 150 horsepower (HP) 1.4 liter TFSI engine along with an electric motor, which drive the front wheels through a S Tronic dual-clutch transmission. Needless to say, this isn’t your Aunt Emma’s pokey hybrid. The A1 Sportback’s 27 HP electric motor delivers an extra 110.6 foot pounds of torque during acceleration, and can provide a very respectable range of 62 miles when driven at low speeds in full-electric mode. Leave it to Audi to build a hybrid that can both crawl and fly. The simultaneous drive provides the A1 Sportback with the ability to reach 62 miles per hour (MPH) in 7.9 seconds, with a top speed of 124 MPH.
The diesel-powered Audi A6 TDI presents quite a compelling package … one that we can dream of getting here in America, quite possibly in the near future. It’s tough to argue with a 3.0 liter direct injection V6 diesel producing 332 foot pounds of torque and 233 horsepower … especially when it delivers 23.5 miles … Read more
No other manufacturer does all wheel drive (AWD) quite like Audi. When fitted with a four cylinder engine, the 2008 Audi A4 Quattro sedan and Avant Quattro wagon rank among the most fuel efficient all wheel drive vehicles sold in America. The 2.0 liter AWD A4’s gas mileage ratings of 28 miles per gallon (MPG) set a high mark for luxury four wheel drive. And if you want a convertible top to go along with your all wheel drive and great gas mileage, the A4 Cabriolet Quattro just might be your ticket. Heck, it might be your only ticket …
US-spec 2008 Audi A4 s are fitted with either a 2.0 liter intercooled turbocharged four cylinder engine, producing 200 horsepower and 207 foot pounds of torque or a 3.2 literDOHC V-6 engine, producing 255 HP and 243 foot pounds of torque. Engines can be mated with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions (in Multitronic or Tiptronic form).
Audi has a made a substantial investment in diesel technology of late, and it should come as no surprise that the company is set to unleash a series of torque-laden diesels upon America in the very near future. The A4 is fitted with a range of TDI diesel engine variations abroad, in both four-cylinder and V-6 configurations. Gobs of torque, fuel efficiency, and a unique level of luxury are bound to spell success.
Need a four wheel drive with the best gas mileage? Get ready to downsize. None of the best gas mileage four wheel drives (4WDs) are jumbo-sized sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
Simply put, the aerodynamics and vehicle weight of the bulkiest SUVs cause gas mileage to suffer, leading to many a painful transaction at the pump. The trick is to get small(er), lighter, and more slippery. Credit Subaru for getting the ball rolling with popularizing economical 4WD drive passenger cars in the early days. Since 1997, every vehicle Subaru’s offered in America has been all wheel drive.
These days, it’s not just Subaru. There are plenty of four wheel drive choices that are neither truck nor SUV. And forget the notion of pint-sized economy cars. You’ll find a generous helping of 4WD luxury from manufacturers including Audi, Volvo, Cadillac, and Lexus … in fact, you’ll find many of their offerings in the 2008 list of best gas mileage four wheel drives.
Purists will gladly share that there’s a difference between four wheel drive and all wheel drive (AWD). And surely there is … but for a great many folks, it comes down to two simple questions: will it go in the snow and will I go broke feeding it?
At the other end of the spectrum, the little Suzuki SX4 delivers plenty of bang for the buck, by combining the best four wheel drive gas mileage with a low sticker price (for those who don’t just think miles per gallon … but miles per dollar.)
Along with its corporate cousins, the Ford Escape Hybrid proves the exception to the rule as the highest all around mile per gallon (MPG) four wheel drive vehicle. If you can’t get a great deal on an Escape Hybrid at your local Ford dealer, take a look at the Mercury Mariner Hybrid. And if you happen to live in Southern California, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid HEV might be an option … as long as you’re able to snag one of the 350 Tribute HEVs built for this test market.)
2008 Best Gas Mileage Four Wheel Drives
