When word slid over the transom that the Opel / Vauxhall Insignia had snatched the European Car of the Year (ECOTY) award from the Ford Fiesta by a single point, we had to go and do some digging.
Both the Insignia and Fiesta romped over the competition, with point tallies nearly 50% higher then the nearest competitor. It’s not hard to see why. The Insignia is a strikingly designed sedan (the body style is known as a “saloon” on the other side of the pond). The Times Online called the sedan “sleek, curvaceous and cleverly proportioned.”
Credit crunch aside, GM is in dire straits due to an insufficient variety of fuel-efficient vehicles for the American market. The irony is that GM designs vehicles in Europe that could help rebuild sales here in America. While the trend is well underway to bring those vehicles to our shores, the pace must be hastened and significant tweaks must be made.
The 2008 Pontiac G5 delivers the style and the miles, not to mention that all-important iPod jack. Every model of the G5 scores solid gas mileage figures, with highway ratings in the low-thirty mile per gallon (MPG) range.
The Pontiac Vibe is a front-wheel-drive five-door hatchback that shares much of its underpinnings with the Toyota Matrix. The compact Vibe delivers solid gas mileage figures, with highway mileage in the low thirty mile per gallon (MPG) range.
The Saturn Aura’s gas mileage ratings are at the top of the chart of the most fuel-efficient American-made family sedans. The Greenline Hybrid sets the high mark for the Aura range, with 32 miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway, while the base Aura XE follows closely with 30 MPG highway. Alas, when it’s all said and done, Aura gas mileage falls significantly behind the segment leading Toyota Prius.
The 2008 Saturn Aura is available in four levels of trim, each with a specific power plant.
Aura XE – 2.4 liter DOHC four cylinder engine, producing 169 horsepower (HP) and 160 foot pounds of torque, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Gas mileage ratings: 22 city / 30 highway MPG.
Aura XE V6 – 3.5 liter V6 engine, producing 219 HP and 219 foot pounds of torque, mated to a four-speed automatic. Gas mileage ratings: 18 city / 29 highway MPG.
Aura XR (shown above)- 3.6 liter V6 engine, producing 252 HP and 251 foot pounds of torque, mated to a six-speed TAPshift automatic. Gas mileage ratings: 17 city / 26 highway MPG.
Aura Green Line – 2.4 liter four cylinder engine with hybrid propulsion, producin 164 HP and 159 foot pounds of torque, mated to a four-speed automatic. Gas mileage ratings: 24 city / 32 highway MPG.
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.)
Credit crunch aside, GM is in dire straits due to an insufficient variety of fuel-efficient vehicles for the American market. The irony is that GM designs vehicles in Europe that could help rebuild sales here in America. While the trend is well underway to bring those vehicles to our shores, the pace must be hastened and significant tweaks must be made. 
