MPG-o-Matic Review Summary: Every once in a while, a car rolls into the driveway that proves just how good things can be … the Audi A6 Quattro TDI is one of those cars. Unfortunately, the A6 TDI isn’t for sale in America, just yet …
Under the hood, the Euro-spec 2007 Audi A6 TDI is fitted with a 3.0-liter V6 direct injection clean diesel engine, producing 233 horsepower (HP) and 332 foot pounds of torque.
The 2009 Jeep Liberty is equipped with a 3.7-liter six-cylinder engine that produces gas mileage ratings of 16 city/22 highway (2WD) and 15/21 (4WD).
Although a manual transmission had been available starting with the 2002 Liberty, all 2009 Liberty models are fitted with a four-speed automatic transmission, exclusively. A more fuel efficient 2.4-liter four cylinder engine was available in the 2003 through 2005 Liberty.
When word slid over the transom that the Opel / Vauxhall Insignia had snatched the European Car of the Year (ECOTY) award from the Ford Fiesta by a single point, we had to go and do some digging.
Both the Insignia and Fiesta romped over the competition, with point tallies nearly 50% higher then the nearest competitor. It’s not hard to see why. The Insignia is a strikingly designed sedan (the body style is known as a “saloon” on the other side of the pond). The Times Online called the sedan “sleek, curvaceous and cleverly proportioned.”
Credit crunch aside, GM is in dire straits due to an insufficient variety of fuel-efficient vehicles for the American market. The irony is that GM designs vehicles in Europe that could help rebuild sales here in America. While the trend is well underway to bring those vehicles to our shores, the pace must be hastened and significant tweaks must be made.
It’s Vegas, Baby! Of all the vehicles at SEMA this year, Baby had to be the most unlikely candidate to appear in a starring role. As the focal point of the award-winning “Oil + Water – The Movie,” this remarkably repurposed biofuel-burning diesel-powered Japanese fire truck traveled more than 21,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina. … Read more
While the mighty little Mazda3 has become quite popular here in the States, there’s forbidden fruit on the other side of the pond. Once again, we miss out on the most fuel-efficient models. It’s no secret that Mazda fits a number of thrifty diesel engines throughout its range in Europe, but American Mazda enthusiasts can only look longingly across the ocean in the hopes that one day those torque-filled penny pinching diesel power plants will find their way stateside.
The Mazda3 made a great impression this past summer, when we took it out on an extended highway run, round tripping to Washington DC. While our Mazda3 MPG review reveals highway fuel economy that far exceeds the official estimates, it can’t hold a candle to the remarkable numbers turned in by the Mazda3 diesel abroad.
Ready to get your blood boiling? We’ve done a bit of research to dig up England’s official estimates for the diesel-powered Mazda3, along with its stable mates …
