gas mileage

Toyota Corolla Gas Mileage: 1979 – 2013

by

Gas mileage has always been a big part of the Toyota Corolla’s appeal. First introduced in 1968 as a modest two-door subcompact, the Corolla has grown remarkably in stature and sales, with 30 million sold from inception through 2005. It is now in its eleven generation. Although the Prius hybrid basks in the limelight of fuel efficiency at Toyota these days, the Corolla remains an economical and reliable choice.

While the Corolla’s gas mileage peaked in the 1984 model year, a clean used Corolla of any vintage can be an excellent choice for folks on a tight budget. The 2013 Toyota Corolla delivers 27 city / 34 highway miles per gallon (MPG) when equipped with a five-speed manual transmission and 26/34 with the four-speed automatic.

We spent a week with the Corolla a few years back and walked away with a solid understanding of what continues to make this car so popular after all these years. Check out our 2009 Toyota Corolla review

Read more

Toyota RAV4 Gas Mileage

by

First introduced in the mid-1990s, the Toyota RAV4 is one of the most popular small SUVs in America. An affordable price and good gas mileage have kept the RAV4 at the top of its class. A 2.0 liter four-cylinder was the sole engine choice through 2003, when the displacement was bumped up to 2.4 liters.

The 2008 Toyota RAV4 produces acceptable gas mileage figures for a small SUV, with highway ratings in the mid 20s. The current RAV4 is available with a 2.4 liter four-cylinder or a 3.5 liter six-cylinder engine in both 2WD and 4WD variations. All 2008 RAV4s are equipped with automatic transmission (a manual gearbox was last offered in 2005).

We spent a week with the RAV4 and came away with some interesting observations. Check out our Toyota RAV4 Review:

Read more

Chevrolet Malibu Gas Mileage

by

Dig out your Beach Boys CDs and find your favorite flip flops. The Chevrolet Malibu is an iconic American car, dating back to the 1960s. The Malibu originally sprung to life as an offshoot of the classic Chevy Chevelle muscle car, evoking rays of California sunshine.

While the sun set on the Malibu in the mid-1980s, it rose again in the 1997 model year. It’s clear that Chevrolet is seeking to regain those glory days with the latest redesign, and fuel efficiency is part and parcel in the effort. While the 2008 Malibu delivers acceptable gas mileage figures for a family sedan – with the highest ratings produced by the Malibu Hybrid at 24 city / 32 highway – there’s still plenty of room for improvement in the MPG category.

Chevy Malibu Hybrid review:

Read more

Chevrolet Impala Gas Mileage

by

The modern Chevy Impala produces respectable fuel economy for a large sedan. When equipped with either the 3.5 or 3.9 liter six-cylinder engine, the roomy Impala’s gas mileage rating falls between 27 and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. Results with the 5.3 liter V-8 (last available in 2009) aren’t anything to sneeze at either, with a rating of 16 city / 24 highway. The Impala is a big, comfortable ride that’s conservatively priced and well suited to soaking up the highway miles.

A significant number of E85-capable FlexFuel Impalas were produced over the years. While these older engines were not optimized to achieve great fuel-efficiency with E85, the ability to run locally-produced ethanol may be advantageous in certain locales and instances. With the proverbial still in your shed, you can enjoy big (domestic!) car comfort without sending your fuel dollars overseas.

While all the chrome, the two-tone paint and the fins may be long gone, the Chevrolet Impala is still a king of the open road and a true slice of Americana, with a long and storied past that dates all the way back to the 1950s. And ready-or-not, the latest update might just bring back memories of the performance-oriented Impala SS.

Although long overdue for a platform and design update, the 2012 Impala offers significantly more power as well as a slightly higher level of fuel-efficiency, as it continues to offer FlexFuel-capability. The addition of a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission in the 2012 Impala promises to deliver 18 MPG city / 30 MPG highway with conventional regular unleaded gasoline.

The 2012 Impala’s 3.6-liter V6 is rated at 300 horsepower (HP), a significant jump from the previous model’s 211 HP 3.5 and 230 HP 3.9 V6 engine choices. Needless to say, we look forward to road tripping Chevy’s big four-door sedan in the near future.

Read more

Dodge Caravan Gas Mileage

by

Dating all the way back to 1984, the Dodge Caravan is America’s longest running and best-selling mini van. Together with its corporate cousins, the Plymouth Voyager and the Chrysler Town and Country, the Caravan ruled the market for many a year.

Although current Dodge Caravans might not be notable for exceptional gas mileage, the introductory year boasted remarkable mile per gallon figures. While under-powered, the spartan 2.2 liter four-cylinder 1984 manual transmission models were rated at 36 and 37 miles per gallon on the highway. (Fuel efficiency was very much on the nation’s mind in the early eighties.)

Gas mileage took a back seat to comfort early in the Caravan’s run. Today’s considerably more plush 2008 Dodge Caravan offers MPG ratings in low to mid twenties on the highway, and can be equipped with 3.3, 3.8, or 4.0 liter six-cylinder power plants. What about the cup holders, you ask? We’ll have to get back to you on that.

Read more