Gas Mileage

It's really quite simple.

If you want high gas mileage, you buy a small, light car with a small, light engine. This is true across the entire spectrum of automobiles, from the SmartCar and the hybrids to the Hummer. If the car and engine are small and light, the car is a high-gas-mileage wonder.

But not wonderful enough.

I have a problem with hybrids being described as "alternative" fuel vehicles. They're not. They burn gas, just like my car. The gas runs the engine, which drives the wheels and charges the battery to provide electrical assistance when you need an extra shot of power: pulling away from the stop light, or passing on a grade. They DO get good gas mileage, though. Why? THEY HAVE SMALL ENGINES.

That will change somewhat when plug-in hybrids become common. Then the hybrids really WILL have an alternate fuel: coal, water, uranium, wind, sunshine--all the ways we create electricity. But because of the state of battery technology, they will still need the gas engine, because battery power doesn't have the range. For now.

So let's look at the numbers. The Toyota Prius hybrid is the top of the heap at 46 MPG. Next the Honda Civic hybrid at 42 and Nissan Altima hybrid at 34.

Color me unimpressed. My 11-year old 1998 Saturn SL1, with seating for 5, 140K miles, STILL GETS 35 MPG in my day-to-day driving. How does it do it? IT HAS A 96HP ENGINE.

I think it's ridiculous that I could get that kind of performance USED in 1999, but can't buy it today new. Not EVEN from Saturn.

After all, good gas mileage is like sex: it's not how fast you get there, IT'S HOW LONG YOU LAST! ;-)