Honda Leads U.S. in Fuel Efficiency within 2019 EPA Report

Honda is a smaller company than Toyota, and they had to lick their wounds after the battery issues with their early hybrids. Being cautious with introducing new hybrids here, where fuel prices are still low, and not rushing like last time, is for the best overall.

 

$2.34 in Myrtle Beach- 7-17-19. NEVER too cheap. 2010 Toyota Corolla

 

Its NOT just large non-efficient vehicles. Sub-teen thousand dollar priced gas cars that deliver 40+MPG are viable alternatives to hybrids. With haughty car dealers charging retail plus for their hybrids, I'll buy low-ball cars..... every time.

 

No one wanted to comment on my point, so I'll make a Case in Point:
Just got 44MPG in our sub-teen thousand dollar Elantra. Yeah, yeah. The $30,000+ hybrid drivers(driving smaller cars than mine) sniff & say that's awfully low. But my trip, included Mt. Rainier, 4700foot Cayuse Pass, 5500 foot Chinook Pass, down to Yakima, Yakima Canyon, back up to Snoqualmie Pass & to home. Not bad for a cheap car that was sued by leadfooters (for low MPG), who wouldn't learn to featherfoot.

 

Great job, litesong. Clearly you made smart vehicle choices.

To all... Just drive less if you can manage it. It's not about high MPG bragging rights but more about putting out less CO2 and other pollutants. Lifestyle choices matter. I make personal sacrifices to make up for less ecologically thoughtful actions of the people in my life, e.g. my siblings and their/our extended family.

 

! paid a bit less than $21K for my $25K Monroney 2015 Prius in April 2015. I guess if you buy a hybrid at the wrong time ( when fuel prices spike ) ,
you will pay more. I don't do that stuff. But recently , I have been thinking about a "simple" car : no hybrid system , no turbo , no automagical transmission.
Cheap to buy , cheap(er) to repair , cheaper to insure. Something like the Mitsubishi Mirage.

 

I had a homely 1979 Plymouth Champ(Mitsubishi-Dodge Colt). Priced under $5000, it served me well, for work, trips around the western U.S., on mountain logging roads to wilderness hikes...... & it avoided repairs well. Had a standard 2 (intake & exhaust) valves per cylinder PLUS a small 3rd intake valve. The small intake valve would activate under low rpm, low load conditions(keeping the large intake valve closed). It was advertised, that the little intake valve swirled the fuel/air mixture better at low rpm for more complete burning. At the time, when 30-35MPG was considered pretty good MPG, the Plymouth Champ gave 40+MPG, even as high as 46-47MPG. Once, a two tank, 1000 mile run gave slightly over 50 MPG. Yeah, the Mitsubishi served me very well.

 

People getting 40-50 MPG(more?) cannot be lumped into the groups getting 10MPG, or 15MPG or even 20MPG. The people getting the low MPG, just don't care about CO2 or waste. Oh, the people getting low MPG stutter, that they have a large family & they NEED the big vehicle for this or that. Most large vehicles seldom have large numbers of people & most of the time, have one person. Its like pick-ups. The larger & newest pick-ups don't carry much, but it is the little pick-ups that carry the most.

 

Everyone is different in beliefs and priorities and in their personal or family's needs. It is in keeping with this forum's pseudo-motto of "getting the best MPG in whatever you drive" to discuss ways to improve. You and I can try to not be part of the problem through our personal choices and I believe that we do. When you reach the point of diminishing returns with one approach, you have to look at things differently to see how to improve. Driving less was just one suggestion for those who have the freedom to do so.

We can't do anything about those who buy inefficient vehicles for simply moving one person from point A to point B.

 

Driving less is difficult for me , but I do try. In about 18 months when/if I retire , I will be driving a LOT less.
Probably 20K/year less.

 

My work broke me down, so I can't run, bicycle, or hike much. My work also only gave me a small retirement. But, without health, I can still DRIVE, at high MPG & so I drive to my interests...& I keep driving. Who can shout, "FREEDOM"!

 

AND , for those married folk , driving means you can sometimes "escape" from your spouse for a few hours(days)
when needed. Who can shout "SANITY" ?

 

Could not afford a CUV, SUV, a decked out car or a Starbuck's fluff drink. Fortunately, I never wanted any of that crud.