smart #1 best '08 mpg all-gas usa vehicle?

[mr_Cash]

?

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm

[lhoboy]

The MINI Cooper is 27 city, 36 hwy.

It's hard to believe, but with the exception of the Smart, not much else comes close.

[MicroNut]

Other low consumption vehicles would include:

Toyota Yaris - 29 city / 36 highway / 32 combined
Toyota Corolla - 28 city / 37 highway / 31 combined
Honda Fit - 28 city / 34 highway / 31 combined
MINI Cooper - 27 city / 36 highway / 31 combined

Aside from the smart, these are the only four non-hybrid cars to crack 30mpg combined under the EPA's new 2008 guidelines.

Another benchmark is the EPA's estimated annual fuel cost (which takes into account differing fuel grade requirements). Assuming the smart is rated at 33 city / 40 highway / 36 combined and requires premium gas, you would get:

smart fortwo - $1254
Toyota Yaris - $1310
Toyota Corolla - $1352
Honda Fit - $1352
MINI Cooper - $1458

[Brian7]

The previous(last 6 months) 40+ MPG discussion is what I've been clinging to, hoping that it would be much higher for highway. Now that under 40 closer to 33 MPG in the city is being discussed, I'm very disappointed! What is everyone else thinking?

[SmartBob]

IMHO we'll prolly be above those figures. Also notice that in another post...ALL car's figures are down from 2007 and our Smart is still significantly above the rest.

[Old smart]

Tracking some information from the UK, there seems to be consensus that the 451 smarts will easily exceed their UK/Euro established figures if driven moderately. But they will come in much below them if pushed hard. That we all expect to some degree, but the numbers suggest there can be quite a difference between the two scenarios.

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by Brian7

The previous(last 6 months) 40+ MPG discussion is what I've been clinging to, hoping that it would be much higher for highway. Now that under 40 closer to 33 MPG in the city is being discussed, I'm very disappointed! What is everyone else thinking?

Yes, it is sad that a car, that is 1000 lbs (almost 40%) lighter than its nearest competition, can't bust into the 40s for avg fuel economy.

[propes]

Keep in mind the shift in how the EPA gets its numbers; the 2007 EPA numbers puts the smart into the 40s. The Canadian numbers are what? The 50s? It's all on how you run the numbers.

One of the reviews had a link to how the EPA does its tests (I don't have time to look for it now), part of it, if I read it right, is highway speeds at 80 MPH - my guess something that'll cause a hit on the smart.

[MicroNut]

fishrdnc hit the nail on the head. Driving style is a critically important factor in overall gas mileage.

The new EPA test in particular, is especially unfavorable to small cars. It requires them to be driven, relatively, much harder than their larger counterparts. That may be a realistic representation based on how the average American drives, but it's not representative of what the car could achieve if driven a little more gently.

Small, light weight cars like the smart have the potential to achieve truly outstanding gas mileage, but it does require an adjustment in driving style if you're a typical "lead foot".

[propes]

Here's the tests that are, run according to this site: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/artic...mile-1510.html - there are some graphs and additional information on the actual page.

City Test (FTP75) represents urban driving, in which a vehicle is started with the engine cold and driven in stop-and-go rush hour traffic. The driving cycle for the test includes idling, and the vehicle averages about 20 mph.

Highway Test (HWFET) represents a mixture of rural and interstate highway driving with a warmed-up engine, typical of longer trips in free-flowing traffic. Average test speed is about 48 mph and includes no intermediate stops or idling.

This one will kill the smart:

High Speed Test represents a high speed highway driving cycle up to 80 mph and with higher acceleration rates of almost 3X’s that of the older FTP and HWFET cycles.

Not sure how A/C use will affect the engine and milage on a smart, but could hurt a three-cylinder more than higher-powered engines:

A/C High Temperature Test represents a light mixture of city stop and go and low speed highway driving but in 95 degree F temperatures with A/C on MAX.

City Test under Cold Temperatures represents the exact driving schedule as the FTP75 above but with temperatures of 20 degrees F vs. 68 - 86 degrees F and with the Engine temperature cold soaked before start.