Consumer Reports: Gas Mileage of SUV's, CUV's, Wagons, MiniVans and Pickups - Autochannel (press release)
YONKERS, NY February 9, 2007. If the spring brings increasing gas prices as it often does, Consumer Reports’ Best & Worst SUVs, Trucks, Minivans, Wagons 2007 can help consumers save money by identifying fuel-sipping sport-utility vehicles, pickup... “With more crossovers, hybrids, and car-based SUVs entering the market, it’s now much easier to find an SUV that gets gas mileage similar to a midsized sedan,” said Consumer Reports’ Automotive Editor Rik Paul. For consumers concerned about stretching their fuel dollars, some small SUVs tested by Consumer Reports returned 23-26 mpg overall. Small SUV gas guzzlers, which posted figures as low as 15 miles-per-gallon, include the Kia Sorento LX, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, and the Jeep Liberty Sport. Consumer Reports’ overall fuel economy results are calculated by an equally weighted average of city, highway and one-day trip mpg ratings. CR’s city mpg tests are stop-and-go driving simulations, which have 18 stops, a total of 4 minutes of idle time, and speeds up to 40 mph. CR’s highway mpg tests are run on a section of highway near CR’s testing facility. Five different engineers drive vehicles back-to-back on the same day over a 31-mile route (155 miles total) that includes 26 percent freeway, 11 percent two-lane highway, and 63 percent varied rural roads with corners and mild elevation changes. Source: www.theautochannel.com
