Sports Cars Offer High Gas Mileage Cure for the SUV Blues

Current and prospective SUV owners seeking relief at the pump may do better by purchasing distinctive, high-performing sports cars instead.

Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) May 27, 2006 -- Several sporty, high-performance automobiles such as the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche Boxster and Lotus Elise can get 28 or 29 miles per gallon on the highway according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), making sports cars a viable choice for those seeking high gas mileage along with style, status, and fun.

In contrast, the similarly-priced Hummer H2 gets at best 13 mpg, according to dealers. A Cadillac Escalade sports utility vehicle achieves only 18 mpg on the highway per the EPA. Even the 4Runner SUV by Toyota -- a company often associated in the minds of the public with good fuel economy -- is rated at just 22 mpg for a two-wheel drive, six-cylinder base model.

But wait -- are we not comparing apples and oranges here? A sports car versus an SUV? These vehicles are purchased for entirely different purposes, right? The comparison is not as far-fetched as it might initially seem, according to Felix Wong, a spokesperson for hi-mpg.org (http://hi-mpg.org).

"Top reasons for purchasing sports utility vehicles include safety, style, performance, fun, a feeling of power, a status symbol," says Wong. "What people forget or don't realize is that sports cars are just as good, or better, in all of those respects, all while being significantly friendlier to the environment and to people's pocketbooks at the gas pump."

Indeed, the sleek, sensuous curves of sports cars are often distinctive and head-turning. Their aerodynamic, no-compromise shapes -- which in addition to low weight help the vehicles achieve high fuel efficiency -- exude a mixture of youthfulness, rebellion, frivolity, and individuality.

In terms of fun, sports cars offer superior handling and many of their owners delight in taking on winding country roads and hairpin corners at higher rates of speeds than they would in an SUV. Many sports cars are also available in convertible form, offering wind-in-the-hair, sun-basked adventures.

Performance-wise, there really is no comparison. A Chevrolet Corvette and Lotus Elise can literally run circles around a sports utility vehicle, capable of accelerating from 0-60 miles per hour in less than five seconds. Even the relatively inexpensive Mazda MX-5 roadster -- with a miserly four-cylinder engine -- can accelerate to sixty from naught in under eight.

But what about safety? Space?

A widespread -- but arguably mistaken -- perception is that sports utility vehicles are safer. The conventional wisdom is that due to their larger mass, SUVs will protect occupants better in a crash.

In fact, sports utility vehicles' higher weight and center of gravity can work against them. Their braking distances are often much longer than those of the lighter-weight sports cars, and their top-heaviness make them more prone to rolling over. It is also easy to imagine that in some situations where evasive emergency maneuvers are required, the nimbler, quicker sports cars have a marked advantage.

Regarding traction, sports cars -- which are predominantly rear-wheel drive -- traditionally have been at a disadvantage in adverse weather conditions, notably snow and ice. Nowadays, technology has mitigated this substantially with advanced tire treads, traction control, and anti-lock braking systems. Some sports cars are even offered with all-wheel-drive such as the 250-hp Audi TT Coupe Quattro, which was afforded a respectable EPA rating of 26 miles per gallon on the highway despite the added weight and efficiency losses from the all-wheel-drive system.

The most significant factor that sports utility vehicles have the upper hand is space. But even then, according to Wong, people make that out to be a larger deal than it needs to be.

"For one thing, there usually are at least two vehicles in a household, especially if one is married with kids," he points out. "Furthermore, how often do you see an SUV going down the highway with only one person in it? I see it all the time."

Indeed, according to the 2004 U.S. Census, 77 percent of workers drove alone to work nationwide while only 10 percent carpooled. (The other 13 percent walked, biked, or took mass transit.) In addition, in some areas of the country such as certain highways in California, two-seat sports cars with two persons can use the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane even in cases where three people are required in other automobiles.

Cargo room is not necessarily as restricted in a sports car as one may think, too.

"I've seen someone open the trunk of his C5 [fifth-generation Corvette and throw a road bike in it -- assembled," says Wong. "Porsche Boxster owners will often tell you their cars can hold a lot of stuff because in their mid-engine cars, there are two trunks -- one in the front and one in the rear. An Audi TT coupe is particularly cavernous with the rear seat folded down, since it's a hatchback."

"Also, there are a vast number of aftermarket options for smaller vehicles, including hitch- and trunk-mounted bicycle racks, roof storage boxes, trailers, etc."

As it turns out, sports cars can be not only fun, but functional and frugal with fuel as well.

About hi-mpg.org:

Launched in September 2004, the hi-mpg.org web site (http://hi-mpg.org) identifies and rates vehicles offering high style, performance, and fun while delivering high gas mileage. Selected automobiles include sports cars, convertibles, coupes, sedans, hybrids, and retro-vehicles from the last 20 years. The web site also offers news relating to gasoline supply issues and pricing along with advanced gas mileage tips. hi-mpg.org is not affiliated in any way with the manufacturers of any vehicle or fuel-efficiency technology.

Contact:

Felix Wong

hi-mpg.org

970-484-8486

http://hi-mpg.org

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