2009 LA Auto Show: Fuel economy reality check
Dec 3, 2009 1:59 PM
In the Chevrolet press conference at the LA Auto Show, a representative noted that the Chevrolet Malibu (33 mpg, with four-cylinder engine) and Equinox (32 mpg) were best in class for fuel economy. Of course, these are highway estimates, based on the EPA’s test criteria. But our own real-world fuel-economy tests paint a different picture.
With the four-cylinder Malibu, for instance, we got 25 mpg overall, which includes a mix of city and highway driving--a more realistic everyday figure for most drivers. This is good for a conventional gasoline-powered car, just not best in class. Other four-cylinder cars that got 25 mpg overall are the Kia Optima, Nissan Altima, and Subaru Legacy 2.5i. The four-cylinder Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord (with the manual transmission), and Toyota Camry got 26 mpg in our tests.
But the hybrids and diesels we’ve tested blow all of these away. The Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Toyota Camry hybrids, for instance, got 34 mpg overall. The diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI got 33, and the Nissan Altima Hybrid got 32. And while the somewhat smaller Honda Insight returned a very respectable 38 mpg, it didn’t perform well enough to be recommended. Hence, the true best in class for family cars is the Toyota Prius at 44 mpg. (See our sedan buying advice and ratings.)
In our tests, the four-cylinder Equinox got a 21 mpg overall, the same as several other vehicles in our small SUV category, including the Honda CR-V and four-cylinder versions of the Ford Escape, GMC Terrain (the Equinox’s twin), Mazda Tribute, and Mercury Mariner. Tops in this category among conventional models is the four-cylinder Toyota RAV4 at 23 mpg, followed by the four-cylinder Jeep Compass and Patriot, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, and Subaru Forester 2.5X, all at 22. But, again, the true best in class are the hybrid versions of the Escape, Tribute, and Mariner, all at 26 mpg.
ConsumerReports.org subscribers can access our full fuel-economy results (overall, city, and highway) and ratings for all tested vehicles.
See our complete 2009 LA Auto Show coverage.
—Rik Paul
With the four-cylinder Malibu, for instance, we got 25 mpg overall, which includes a mix of city and highway driving--a more realistic everyday figure for most drivers. This is good for a conventional gasoline-powered car, just not best in class. Other four-cylinder cars that got 25 mpg overall are the Kia Optima, Nissan Altima, and Subaru Legacy 2.5i. The four-cylinder Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord (with the manual transmission), and Toyota Camry got 26 mpg in our tests.
But the hybrids and diesels we’ve tested blow all of these away. The Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Toyota Camry hybrids, for instance, got 34 mpg overall. The diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI got 33, and the Nissan Altima Hybrid got 32. And while the somewhat smaller Honda Insight returned a very respectable 38 mpg, it didn’t perform well enough to be recommended. Hence, the true best in class for family cars is the Toyota Prius at 44 mpg. (See our sedan buying advice and ratings.)
In our tests, the four-cylinder Equinox got a 21 mpg overall, the same as several other vehicles in our small SUV category, including the Honda CR-V and four-cylinder versions of the Ford Escape, GMC Terrain (the Equinox’s twin), Mazda Tribute, and Mercury Mariner. Tops in this category among conventional models is the four-cylinder Toyota RAV4 at 23 mpg, followed by the four-cylinder Jeep Compass and Patriot, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, and Subaru Forester 2.5X, all at 22. But, again, the true best in class are the hybrid versions of the Escape, Tribute, and Mariner, all at 26 mpg.
ConsumerReports.org subscribers can access our full fuel-economy results (overall, city, and highway) and ratings for all tested vehicles.
See our complete 2009 LA Auto Show coverage.
—Rik Paul
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