Hint: It's Not the Prius
That's the title of the cover story in AutoWeek this week. Results?
1. VW Jetta TDI -- 49.9MPG (EPA Hwy 42MPG)
2. Toyota Prius Hybrid -- 42.0MPG (EPA Hwy 51MPG)
3. Honda Accord Hybrid -- 33.9MPG (EPA Hwy 34MPG)
The Jetta was their favorite car to drive irregardless of mileage as well and was running B20 (20% vegetable oil) - corrected for 'petro-fuel-MPG' it would calculate out to 62.4MPG.
Why this country doesn't get on board with very simple decades-old diesel technology baffles me. I run B20 all the time (10 cents less than reg gas today). We have only one fuel station in Michigan with B100 (100% vegetable oil) and my car runs great on that when I can get to that station.
All the manufacturers in Europe have similar diesel power plants that account for over 1/2 of all passenger vehicle sales. GM/Ford/Chrysler could all do the same. Easily. Instead, they're producing complicated stop-gap technology that doesn't work all that well and hasn't been selling well after the initial novelty factor wore off.
