MPG-o-Matic Honda CR-V Review Summary: The CR-V is a best-seller in the crowded five-passenger SUV market, competing against a slew of competitors including the Toyota RAV4, Ford Edge and Escape.
Now in its third generation, the CR-V has come a long way from its humble and boxy roots. The styling is sleek and rounded, while the ride and handling are decidedly car-like. With a 166 horsepower i-VTEC four-cylinder and 5 speed automatic, the CR-V never feels underpowered.
After spending a week and more than five hundred miles with a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid, we walked away thoroughly impressed. Although rated at 40 city / 45 highway miles per gallon (MPG), we were able to easily exceed those numbers, landing 46.2 MPG combined.
Vanquish the thoughts of the tiny lightweight high-MPG Civics of yore (youth) … The roomy 2008 Civic has grown into adulthood and the Hybrid sits proudly at the top of the range.
If you want to buy a new diesel-powered 2008 SUV, you can choose from just three manufacturers in the USA: Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, or Jeep.
Make that three manufacturers and two engines …
While it may be news to many folks, Jeep began offering a Mercedes-Benz diesel option in the Grand Cherokee back in 2007. The combination of a Jeep soul with a Mercedes heart is tough to beat.
The 3.0 liter Mercedes-Benz common rail diesel (CRD) is well-suited to the Grand Cherokee, producing 215 horsepower and a very healthy 376 foot pounds of torque. The torque figures put the diesel on a par with the 4.7 liter V-8 (305 HP and 334 foot pounds of torque) and 5.7 liter HEMI V-8 (330 HP and 375 foot pounds of torque). It’s an even match up when it come to grunt, but when it comes to fuel efficiency, the 3.0 liter CRD shines.
MPG-o-Matic Nissan Altima Hybrid Review Summary: The Altima Hybrid is a mid-sized front-wheel-drive sedan that competes with the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid in the “hybrid that doesn’t look like a hybrid” market.
Hybrid vehicles typically get better gas mileage in the city than on the highway. The Altima is a case in point. The EPA gas mileage estimates for the 2008 Altima Hybrid come in at 35 city / 33 highway. In a week of driving in mid-thirty to fifty degree weather, our gas mileage met those numbers.
MPG-o-Matic Volvo C30 Review Summary: The Volvo C30 is a distinctively styled three-door hatchback that competes with the Audi A3, Mazda Speed 3, Mini Cooper S, Subaru WRX, Volkswagen GTI, and R32.
The EPA gas mileage estimates for the 2008 Volvo C30 come in at 19 city / 27 highway, when equipped with the automatic transmission. Over a number of days of driving, we found those estimates to be a tad low, as we achieved 27.5 miles per gallon in combined driving in twenty to thirty degree weather.