chevrolet

Best Gas Mileage Four Wheel Drive

by

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

Read more

Chevrolet Uplander Gas Mileage

by

The Uplander – Chevrolet’s “Family Sport Van” – was introduced in the 2005 model year. While the Uplander’s styling falls somewhere between minivan and crossover SUV, all wheel drive is not an option on the current model. The 2008 Uplander’s gas mileage ratings of 16 city and 23 highway miles per gallon (MPG) are squarely in line with its competition, both inside and outside of GM. (The Uplander shares its platform with the Buick Terraza, Pontiac Montana, and Saturn Relay.)

The 2008 Uplander is fitted with a 3.9 liter V-6 engine that produces 240 horsepower (HP) and 240 foot pounds of torque. E85 FlexFuel capability is optional. The Uplander seats seven with the choice of second-row removable modular bucket seats or removable captain’s chairs. While leather trimmed seats are available for the first and second row, the kids stuck way back in the third row are out of luck.

Read more

30 MPG Cars

by

Thirty miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway isn’t too much to ask. As the chart below shows, the 30 MPG car isn’t a rarity in America these days. Alas, it’s not nearly as common as it was 25 years ago. Looking back at the lists of high MPG cars built in the early 1980s might be a surprise to some, for the lists were long and the fuel efficiency ratings were high. The 30 MPG car was not an oddity back then … it was more part of our nation’s mindset.

Read more

Chevrolet Colorado Gas Mileage

by

The mid-sized Chevrolet Colorado was introduced in 2004 as a replacement for the Chevy S-10 to compete with the Dodge Dakota. Gas mileage ratings for the Colorado are solid for a mid-size pickup, with the standard engine delivering 24 miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway. The Colorado is twin of the GMC Canyon and a close cousin of the Isuzu i-Series; all three trucks are built in the same plant in Shreveport, LA.

The 2008 Chevrolet Colorado is fitted with a 185 horsepower (HP) 2.9 liter inline four cylinder as standard equipment. The Colorado’s optional 3.7 liter inline five cylinder engine produces a healthy 242 HP. While a diesel engine is not currently available in the Colorado, a fuel-efficient 16-valve DOHC intercooled 3.0 liter turbo diesel inline four cylinder engine is available in the Isuzu D-Max pickup truck overseas. It would not be unreasonable to expect to see this engine appear under the hood of the Colorado and its corporate cousins in the near future, as highway gas mileage could easily eclipse 30 MPG. Would America buy a diesel Colorado? In a heartbeat …

Read more

Chevrolet Tahoe Gas Mileage

by

Introduced in 1995, the full-size Chevrolet Tahoe is a true American SUV. Granted, the Tahoe’s gas mileage ratings, have never been something to write home about … until now. 2008 might just mark the dawn of a new era, with the Tahoe Hybrid offering a remarkable 50% improvement in city gas mileage ratings over the standard models. It isn’t just a case of bolting in an electric motor and a bank of batteries. Chevy dropped the Tahoe hybrid’s suspension, made aerodynamic tweaks to the hood and front end, and put some components on a diet to ease the load on the two-mode hybrid system. (Both the hood and tailgate are lightweight aluminum.)

The estimated gas mileage for the Tahoe Hybrid (shown above) is 21 city / 22 highway in 2WD trim, and 20 city / 20 highway for the 4WD model. The Tahoe Hybrid is slated to ship in early 2008.

The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe is available with four engine choices, dependent on model. The two-wheel-drive LS comes standard with the 4.8 liter Vortec V-8, while the LT1, LT2, LT3 and LTZ are equipped with one of two versions of Chevy’s 5.3 liter Vortec V-8. The Chevy Tahoe Hybrid is fitted with a hefty 6.0 liter Vortec V-8 along with the two-mode hybrid electric propulsion system. (And you were expecting a wimpy little engine?)

Twenty miles per gallon in the city is be a good start for the Tahoe Hybrid but there’s plenty of ground to make up. An equivalent boost in highway mileage would be more than welcome. Continuing the effort to lighten the big SUV and dropping the 6.0 liter gasoline-burning V-8 in favor of a more economical turbo-diesel would be likely next steps.

Read more