New car gas milage?

In my job I drive a wide variety of new cars and light trucks. My observation is that mileage has held mostly constant, while vehicles keep getting bigger, heavier and more powerful. I think if you compared two vehicles of the same size, weight and horsepower, you will find that the new vehicle will get better mileage.

Mileage is only one component of your cost of ownership, as you point out. The biggest cost for a new vehicle is depreciation; for your old beaters depreciation is zero. I say keep your old cars as long as they are reliable enough to meet your needs. But if you need to have a car that you can depend on, new is the way to go.

Actually I'd be shocked if they even knew that. When I bought my Freestyle the salesman insisted it had the "big" 4.2L V6 - same as the base engine on the full size pickups.

Thing gets 17mpg, but that isn't what bothers me. She won't stop drooling over the goofy thing and on top of that, now she won't stay at home either.

Gotta go here, gotta go there. Whoops I forgot the mail; gotta run back to town. She used to drive about 500 miles a year; now the engine never cools off. Geeeze, she's running the wheels off her new toy! :>)

Allan

SUVs
1986 S15 Jimmy 2.8 V6 - 14 MPG average
1995 Chevy AWD Atrovan 4.3 V6 - 13 MPG
1994 Chevy Blazer 4.3 V6 - 13 MPG
1991 Chevy 1/2 Suburban 6.2 diesel - 16 MPG
2001 Kia Sportage 2 liter - 17 MPG
1989 Chevy K5 Blazer 6.2 diesel - 17 MPG
2001 Honda CRV - 2 liter - 18 MPG.

Smaller 4WDs and AWDS
1995 Subaru Impreza AWD 2.2 sedan - 22 MPG
1989 Subaru Justy 1.2 4WD - 29 MPG
1991 Subaru Loyale 4WD wagon 1.8 25 MPG
1986 Subaru Loyale 4WD wagon 1.8 - but with three- speed auto trans - 17 MPG ( a real dog)

Trucks
1985 Ford F250 4WD 6.9 disel - 10 MPG
1994 Ford F250 4WD 7.3 turbo diesel - 13 MPG
1985 Isuzu P'UP 4WD truck - 2.2 diesel - 27 MPG
1992 Dodge W250 4WD truck - 5.9 Cummins - 17 MPG
1982 Chevy K10 4WD truck - 6.2 diesel - 17 MPG
1969 Dodge W200 4WD truck - 318 - 9 MPG

My wife's summer 2WD drive is a 91 Volkswagen Jetta diesel. It consistently gets 50 MPG on the highway - and gets 38 MPG average - climbing mountain roads. My summer driver - when not needing a truck - is a 1981 Chevy Chevette 1.8 diesel and it gets 48 MPG highway and 35 MPG around town. I wish we could drive them in the winter. But, even if we could - the road-salt would quickly detroy them.

I could buy another newer one that might get better mileage, but I can buy lots of gas with 20K :)

In regard to the new ones being better on gas - don't count on it. Many are worse and don't come close to what the Loyales get - especially the ones with the bigger engines. My daughter has a 2005 Subaru Forester with the 2.5 and 25 MPG is the best highway mileage she's ever gotten.

Heck, all they are, are a fancy, dolled-up pickup anyways. :>)

Allan

Reference my post on that damned cat! :>)

Allan