Autoblog

When we had our First Drive in BMW's new X6 Sport Activity Coupe, we didn't get the opportunity to really measure fuel consumption, since the vehicles were gassed-up when we got behind the wheel and were then refuelled during our lunch break. A glance at the on-board computer of the '35i we drove on the long route through the mountains indicated about 13.5 mpg which is nothing to write home about. The other day, BMW sent us the preliminary EPA numbers for the X6 which came in at 15/20/17mpg city/highway/combined for the turbo six cylinder model. The 404hp turbo V-8 completed the test cycles with ratings of 13/18/15mpg. When the two-mode hybrid version of the version of the X6 debuts in 2009, it will be combined only with the V-8 engine. With an expected 25 percent improvement overall, the X6 hybrid should hit about 18-19mpg combined.


[Source: BMW]

Whether you call it "premium," "super unleaded," or even "high test," it all means the same thing -- the most expensive gasoline at the pump. In a somewhat counterproductive trend, the skyrocketing cost of fuel is forcing automobile manufacturers to use smaller and more powerful engines, often with forced-induction. Unfortunately, these engines require higher octane... the distinguishing feature of premium fuel.

Kelley Blue Book has been following the trend and according to their analysis, there were 166 vehicle models that required premium fuel in 2002. This year, that number is up to 282. While some automakers only require premium for their highest performing models, companies like BMW call for premium fuel across their model range.

While there is no advantage to running premium fuel in an engine that doesn't call for it, you should run the higher octane fuel in a powerplant designed for it (if in doubt, check the owner's manual, or the inside of the fuel filler door). While nearly every late-model high-performance engine on the road can handle a slightly lower octane rating without damage, don't skimp when filling up as your fuel economy and horsepower will suffer (yes, it will likely negate any savings at the pump).

[Source: USA Today]

Detroit's sharp intake of breath over the very real possibility of increased federal fuel economy standards apparently doesn't include Chrysler's voice. CEO Robert Nardelli has told The Car Connection that rather than waste lots of time and energy opposing the likely increase to a 35 mpg fleet average, Chrysler will put its head down and get it done. Attaining the goal will not be without pain, however. Cuts will be made, and the books are still in the red.

There is hope, though, if Chrysler and parent Cerberus Capital can stick it out. A new contract with the UAW eases some of the automaker's financial burden, allowing that money to be plowed into development of more fuel efficient vehicles. There's a new two-mode hybrid system, co-developed with Daimler, GM, and BMW, which should help lift the fleet average without Chrysler abandoning their bread and butter moneymakers. With a lineup heavy in less-frugal vehicles like SUVs, trucks, and minivans, Chrysler's acknowledged the holes in their product mix and will set about plugging product into the voids. First up is the new Journey, the company's first crossover vehicle. The CUV segment is red-hot right now, so having a model to sell is a plus. Having a good model that will continue to sell well is an even bigger plus. At this point, Chrysler's facing an uphill climb.

[Source: TCC]

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Earlier this month, Volkswagen of America showed off the oldest VW diesel in the U.S., a 1977 diesel Rabbit residing in California. Today it revealed the second half of its search, the highest mileage VW diesel in the U.S. This one is a 1986 Jetta Turbo Diesel owned by Syl Schmid of Blue Rock, Ohio. It's racked up over 562,000 miles in its lifestyle and has the weary odometer to prove it. Not only that, but Schmid has records to prove that the car has consistently achieved over 50 mpg throughout its lifetime. Take that, Prius! Just don't ask about its particulate emissions, though. For its longevity, the car has won its owner a six-month lease for VW Touareg V10 TDI.

Having owned two 1986 VW Jettas in my lifetime, both gas-powered, I can attest to VW's amazing find from central Ohio. Schmid's Jetta even has its original drivetrain and muffler! Both of my Jettas needed new exhaust systems thanks to the corrosive effects of Cleveland's salting strategy in the winter, so to hear a fellow Ohioan has made it through over twenty winters with the same exhaust is just incredible.

[Source: Volkswagen]

In a survey of 30 congressional districts in the Midwest and Southeast, it was "found that nearly nine out of ten voters want mandatory increases in fuel efficiency." In fact, to be specific, they want the House of Representatives to pass the same CAFE standards as the Senate passed two months ago: 35 mpg for cars and trucks by 2020, and chose that over a slightly less strict competing bill. Even more startling: 85% of the respondents wanted compliance brought up to 2018.

Having said that, we can't help but think the results are slightly skewed. If the survey question wasn't entirely loaded, there were at least a couple of rounds in the cylinder. Essentially, respondents were asked to agree with one of two statements: carmakers should not have to make cars with better gas mileage because if they do it will make everything worse for America and you won't be able to buy an SUV, or, carmakers should have to make cars with better gas mileage because it will make everything better for America and you'll save money and we won't rely so much on foreign oil. Let me see...

According to the survey, voters apparently saw no negative consequences from mandating higher CAFE standards, with up to 81% believing that vehicles would remain just as powerful, just as safe, workers wouldn't lose their jobs, and the need to innovate would invigorate the economy. There is undoubtedly a desire for more fuel efficient vehicles, with a lot of room on all sides for the various parties to come up with workable solutions that benefit the most and harm the least. There could also, however, be surveys that do a better job of highlighting that fact.

[Source: Green Car Congress]

As our colleagues over at AutoblogGreen note, with all the lobbying going on this week for and against tougher fuel economy standards, it's been tough following who's for what and what's good for whom. Regardless, the debate came to end late yesterday when the Senate agreed to a portion of the new energy bill that calls for raising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard to 35 mpg by 2020 for both cars and trucks. The current CAFE standard is 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.5 mpg for trucks.

The new bill is a compromise of sorts, as a proposed annual 4% increase in the CAFE standards after they reach 35 mpg in 2020 was scrapped along with a $29 billion tax package that would have paid for tax breaks for producers of alternative fuels and owners of plug-in hybrids.

All is not over, as the larger energy bill will continued to be debated today, and then the bill will move over to the House of Representatives. If it passes through the House, there's no guarantee the president won't strike it down with his veto pen, as he's already stated he does not approve of specific mileage numbers. Nevertheless, yesterday's 65-27 vote was somewhat historic considering how effective the auto industry has lobbied against raising CAFE standards for decades.

[Source: Automotive News, AutoblogGreen]

Honda has decided to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleges its odometers were racking up miles too fast. The automaker says odometers on some 6 million Hondas affected by the suit were accurate to within 3.75% on the high side. The NHTSA doesn't regulate odometer accuracy, and the only industry standard is a voluntary one set by the Society of Automotive Engineers that says odos should be within +/-4%. While the car's affected by the suit fall within that range, Honda recognized that its customers expected their odometers "would be based on zero," and they weren't.

The settlement will lengthen the warranty mileage of affected vehicles by 5% and Honda will pay lease-mileage penalties incurred by owners, which is expected to cost the automaker around $6 million. If you own a 2002 to 2006 Honda or Acura bought between April 12, 2002 and November 7, 2006, then you're eligible for the benefits of the settlement.

The lawsuit also prompted lawyers to test the odometer accuracy of other vehicles. It was found that on average domestic vehicles were nearly perfect in their odo accuracy, while Toyotas actually racked up fewer miles on the clock than they did in reality. Nissans, however, didn't fare as well, and a new class-action suit has been filed on behalf of Altima owners who say their odometers are counting the miles 2.5% to 3% faster than they should.

[Source: USA Today]

Thanks for the tip, John!

The Alé from Fuel Vapor Technologies is the first actual entry for the Automotive X-Prize that we've come across. For those that need a refresher course, the X-Prize Foundation is the organization that got a private plane into orbit by dangling some big bucks at the end of a stick. The Automotive X-Prize will similarly offer a large amount of cash money for the car that can run the cleanest and longest on a tank of gas. While the rules haven't been finalized nor the amount of prize money announced, you can follow the Foundation's progress at its blog. The Alé has been designed with the Automotive X-Prize in mind, and as such the three-wheeler can achieve 92 mpg. But it's not one of those completely impractical MPG whores that sacrifices all performance and practicality for that kind of mileage. It does 0-60 in under 5 seconds, runs a 12.9 second quarter mile, and corners at 1.7g! The Alé is powered by a four cyinder gasoline engine that uses a patent-pending fuel vapor system that literally allows it to run on fumes. According to its inventor, George Parker, most gas engines run on an 14.7:1 to air to gasoline ratio. The Alé uses a ratio of over 20:1, allowing it to stretch the amount of miles it can extract from a good old gallon of go juice. It's also extremely slippery and weighs only 1,300 lbs. The Ale is a front-wheel drive car, meaning the two front wheels are very busy both powering and steering this mega mileage trike. Who knows how it handles or if its relatively outrageous claims are true, as it's trapped inside a crowded SEMA hall at the moment. Hopefully we'll hear more about the Alé in the coming days as the Automotive X-Prize challenge progresses.

Check out a full gallery of pics after the jump.

Saturn has announced that its new 8-passenger crossover called the Outlook will have an MSRP of $27,990 for a two-wheel drive model and $29,990 for an all-wheel drive XE model. Uplevel XR models will start at $30,290 for two-wheel drive and $32,290 for all-wheel drive. All models will get General Motors' 3.6-liter VVT V6 that produces 270 hp and 248 ft-lbs. of torque in the base XE and 275 hp and 251 ft-lbs. of torque in the XR thanks to a dual exhaust system. Both engines are paired up with GM's new six-speed automatic transmission, which from what we've heard is a slick shifter. We also now know you can order up your Outlook with options like ultrasonic rear parking assist, a power lift gate, remote start, heated windshield washer fluid, a DVD entertainment system and DVD navigation.

For those concerned that a 8-passenger crossover might be a fuel hog, you'll be surprised to learn that the EPA estimates for the Outlook aren't that bad. Saturn tells us that two-wheel drive models should get 18 mpg city/26mpg highway and four-wheel drive models 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway. We do expect the Outlook to eventually offer a V8 underhood, at which time those numbers will drop considerably. However, GM has a lot of technology available of which the Outlook could potentially avail itself, including a two-mode hybrid system that will be introduced in the Tahoe soon. Such a system would presumably work in the Outlook and its platform mates, the GMC Arcadia and Buick Enclave, returning better fuel mileage than the Tahoe hybrid thanks to its lower weight. Seems like this type of large vehicle would also be a prime candidate for a light-duty diesel engine.

GM and Saturn are certainly being very aggressive with the Outlook's price, which we expect will be the least expensive of the three Lambda-based models. The Saturn Outlook's $28,000 base price is low enough even that people considering a Ford Edge, which starts at just below $26,000 for a two-wheel drive model, will likely be attracted by the Outlook's extra row of seats.

You can check out GM's full press release on the Outlook's pricing after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy released Tuesday the 2007 edition of the government's Fuel Economy Guide, and Toyota and Honda models dominate the top of the rankings, with seven of the top ten fuel economy ratings, led by Toyota's Prius. Ford Motor was the only American automaker to crack the top ten, with three of its Ford and Mercury hybrids.

Here are the ten best, in order:
1. Toyota Prius
2. Honda Civic Hybrid
3. Toyota Camry Hybrid
4. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD
5. Toyota Yaris (manual)
6. Toyota Yaris (automatic)
7. Honda Fit (manual)
8. Toyota Corolla (manual)
9. Hyundai Accent (manual) tied with the Kia Rio (manual)
10. Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD tied with the Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4WD

While the gas-sipping Prius topped the list with EPA economy numbers of 60 mpg city and 51 mpg highway, the much less expensive gas-only Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit turned in very impressive numbers (34/40 and 33/38, respectively for the manual transmission versions).

Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the report is the seeing the EPA categorize the Aston Martin DB9 as a "minicompact," the Bentley Azure as a "subcompact," and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti as a "midsize" car. (All three posted worst-in-class numbers, by the way.)

Lots more info at the government's fuel economy website, here.

[Source: EPA]