CarConnection’s let it slip that Ford is about to bring its Transit Connect van here to the States. CC’s blog states that the Transit Connect will be “will be pitched as an alternative to the Dodge Sprinter.” Half a Dodge Sprinter, more like it. The Transit Connection might be angular and relatively tall, but it’s small when compared to the hulking Sprinter …
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
Thirty miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway isn’t too much to ask. As the chart below shows, the 30 MPG car isn’t a rarity in America these days. Alas, it’s not nearly as common as it was 25 years ago. Looking back at the lists of high MPG cars built in the early 1980s might be a surprise to some, for the lists were long and the fuel efficiency ratings were high. The 30 MPG car was not an oddity back then … it was more part of our nation’s mindset.
The tremendously popular Ford Taurus was first introduced in 1986 and is one of Ford’s best-selling automobiles of all time. While the Taurus took a slight vacation from the Ford line up, it’s back for the 2010 model year with a vengeance. The 2008 Ford Taurus sedan (shown below) is equipped with a 3.5 liter six cylinder engine and achieves acceptable gas mileage for a family-sized sedan. The front wheel drive version delivers 18 city and 28 highway miles per gallon, while the four wheel drive version hauls down 17 city and 24 highway.
The compact Ford Focus was introduced to America in 2001 and underwent a restyling in the 2008 and 2012 model years. The domestic 2013 Ford Focus is powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 160 horsepower (a 20 HP bump over the previous model). The Focus SFE is the most fuel-efficient model in the 2013 line up, achieving gas mileage ratings of 28 city and 40 highway miles per gallon, as it benefits from improved aerodynamics and low-rolling-resistance tires. The Focus Electric first appeared in 2012 (albeit in limited quantities) and the performance-oriented Focus ST was added in the 2013 model year.
We spent a week test driving a 2012 Ford Focus and were extremely impressed. Check out our Ford Focus review: