Autoblog

psarhjinian @ May 7th 2008 1:17PM

No, it's not going to get 35mpg city, but it's certainly going to do much better than it does now. The point was that at ~110hp, the car is still more than adequate for most of what it's owners would use it for. 24mpg combined is not at all bad for a car of this size and power, especially considering what a car of similar specifications was managing in 1982...

...and this is a full-size car that doesn't make many compromises. People seem to be of the opinion that 35mpg isn't possible without resorting to, as you call it, clown cars; it is, but there has to be a reevaluation of what we're deeming acceptable performance. Again, we've been spoiled for power lately, and it's seriously skewed the way vehicles have been marketed. You cannot sell a midsize sedan with a ten-second time without being lampooned, despite the fact we all drove cars that slow for nearly two decades.

Take a look at some European- or Japanese-market cars; even with the difference in mileage testing cycles and units of measure, sub-2.0L gasoline-powered versions of are getting north of 35mpg on average. How do they do this, despite weighing not a not less than their North American equivalent? They've got small engines and gearing that isn't tuned for smoky burnouts at every intersection.

With diesel or hybrid powertrains, it becomes even less of an issue, but only if you keep your performance expectations reasonable.