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Chevy Volt – 2008 NY Auto Show

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At MPGomatic, we take a different tack when it comes to covering industry events like the big trade shows. At the huge venues the press are often herded around like a flock of hungry … well … reporters. (If there’s a conference around lunchtime, you’ll find the herd at the feed trough.) Rather than succumb … Read more

Daryl Hannah’s 30+ MPG Biodiesel El Camino Goes Up On eBay

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Here’s your chance to drive a mean, green high-MPG celebrity-owned collectible machine. But you need to act fast. Daryl Hannah’s flat black biodiesel-powered 1983 Chevrolet El Camino just went up for auction on eBay (where you’ll find a healthy assortment of photos).

A stroke of fate allowed us to catch up with Daryl just before her primered pride and joy hit the block.

Bring up the topic of diesel-powered Cowboy Cadillacs with most gearheads and they’ll only tilt their heads and look at you funny. Chevrolet produced diesel El Caminos for two brief years in the early 1980s. Only true aficionados know that a tiny percentage of 1983 and 1984 El Caminos were equipped with Oldsmobile 350 diesel engines. Alas, Chevy’s experiment was not a sales success … largely due to the fact that the Oldsmobile 350 diesel fitted in the El Camino limped by with a rating of just 105 horsepower and 200 foot pounds of torque … rather anemic, when compared to a strong Chevy V-8.

It was the remarkable mile per gallon (MPG) ratings that created the diesel El Camino’s appeal, of course. 22 city / 33 highway MPG was nothing to sneeze at. All you need to do is take a look at the mile per gallon ratings of today’s pickup trucks to realize … it still isn’t.

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Chevrolet Cobalt Gas Mileage

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The compact Chevrolet Cobalt was introduced in the 2005 model year, replacing the long-in-tooth Cavalier. The Cobalt pulls down highway gas mileage ratings in the low to mid thirty mile per gallon (MPG) range. From 2005 through 2007, the supercharged Cobalt SS, proudly carried the Chevrolet banner in the compact racer wars. The supercharged model fell out of the lineup in the 2008 model year.

The Cobalt shares its platform with the Chevy HHR and Pontiac G5

The 2008 Chevy Cobalt is available with two DOHC four cylinder ECOTEC engines: a 2.2 liter producing 148 horsepower (HP) and 152 foot pounds of torque, and a 2.4 liter producing 171 HP and 167 foot pounds of torque. Both engines are red lined at 6500 RPM. While the 2.2 liter gets by with regular unleaded fuel, premium is recommended for the more powerful 2.4 liter. The 2.2 liter is found under the hood of all models, with the exception of the Cobalt Sport Coupe and Sedan (formerly known as the Cobalt SS). In addition to the 2.4 liter engine, the Sport Coupe and Sedan are fitted with four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes. (All other models are anti-lock, but with front discs and rear drums.)

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Chevrolet Aveo Gas Mileage

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The subcompact Chevrolet Aveo was introduced in the 2004 model year and redesigned for 2006. The Aveo produces respectable gas mileage ratings, with highway ratings of 34 miles per gallon (MPG) for manual transmission-equipped 2008 models. Although it carries Chevrolet badges, the Aveo is built by Daewoo, a subsidiary of General Motors, and is imported from South Korea.

The Chevy Aveo is available in both four-door (shown above) and five-door configurations. All models are fitted with a 1.6 liter DOHC four cylinder engine that produces 103 horsepower and 107 foot pounds of torque.

We spent a week with the hatchback version and came away with some interesting observations. Check out our 2009 Chevy Aveo5 Review:

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Best Gas Mileage Four Wheel Drive

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Need a four wheel drive with the best gas mileage? Get ready to downsize. None of the best gas mileage four wheel drives (4WDs) are jumbo-sized sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

Simply put, the aerodynamics and vehicle weight of the bulkiest SUVs cause gas mileage to suffer, leading to many a painful transaction at the pump. The trick is to get small(er), lighter, and more slippery. Credit Subaru for getting the ball rolling with popularizing economical 4WD drive passenger cars in the early days. Since 1997, every vehicle Subaru’s offered in America has been all wheel drive.

These days, it’s not just Subaru. There are plenty of four wheel drive choices that are neither truck nor SUV. And forget the notion of pint-sized economy cars. You’ll find a generous helping of 4WD luxury from manufacturers including Audi, Volvo, Cadillac, and Lexus … in fact, you’ll find many of their offerings in the 2008 list of best gas mileage four wheel drives.

Purists will gladly share that there’s a difference between four wheel drive and all wheel drive (AWD). And surely there is … but for a great many folks, it comes down to two simple questions: will it go in the snow and will I go broke feeding it?

At the other end of the spectrum, the little Suzuki SX4 delivers plenty of bang for the buck, by combining the best four wheel drive gas mileage with a low sticker price (for those who don’t just think miles per gallon … but miles per dollar.)

Along with its corporate cousins, the Ford Escape Hybrid proves the exception to the rule as the highest all around mile per gallon (MPG) four wheel drive vehicle. If you can’t get a great deal on an Escape Hybrid at your local Ford dealer, take a look at the Mercury Mariner Hybrid. And if you happen to live in Southern California, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid HEV might be an option … as long as you’re able to snag one of the 350 Tribute HEVs built for this test market.)

2008 Best Gas Mileage Four Wheel Drives

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