October 13, 2005 To drive a standard SUV from San Francisco to Los Angeles—a 380-mile trip—it’s going to cost you over $60. You could buy a new pair of trail runners for that price.
Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has some solutions to the skyrocketing gas prices. The EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy recently released their 2006 Fuel Economy Guide, a complete list of next year’s most fuel-efficient rides.
At the top of the fuel-efficient list are the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius, hybrids that turn out an estimated 60 miles to the gallon in stop-and-go city driving. Next up are Volkswagen's New Beetle, Golf, and Jetta, all manual diesels that receive around 37 miles to the gallon in city driving.
The Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid 4WD, and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4WD all made the top ten, tying for eighth place. Each vehicle clocks 33 miles to the gallon in the city.
Every vehicle in the study was rated for its fuel economy value in both stop-and-go rush hour traffic and high-speed freeway traffic.
In addition to the obvious environmental benefits related to conserving gas, buying a more fuel-efficient car can also save you cold, hard cash. The Fuel Economy Guide estimates that drivers of fuel-efficient vehicles could save between $300 to $700 a year in fuel costs.
AAA spokesman Justin McNaull agreed.
“Vehicle choice plays a big part of it,” McNaull told Outside Online. “If you’re not going deep in the woods and you’re not trailering a boat, you probably don’t need that full-size truck that gets 15 miles to the gallon.”
For more fuel saving tips, McNaull suggested getting regular tune-ups and oil changes, shopping for the cheapest gas, and driving more efficiently.
“If you’re driving like a New York City cabdriver, going from gas to break to gas, you’re using a lot more gas than you would if you’re driving in a conservative, predictable fashion,” he said.
Average national gas prices reached an all-time high ($3.05 per gallon of regular unleaded) in September, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). This week, the national average hovers around $2.83 per gallon of unleaded. In Hawaii, you’ll pay over $3 a gallon.
As for that trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, it’ll only cost you about $20.35 in a gas-electric hybrid Honda Insight.
A complete list of the most fuel efficient cars and trucks can be found on the EPA’s Web site at. www.epa.gov
