Car Average MPG Ratings

I am always irate with the average US consumer who buys ridiculously inappropriate cars for "prestige reasons" and then wastes gas driving around in them. A motorcycle can get you 50mpg. A Honda Insight hybrid car can get you 63 mpg!! Now let's look at what the average US person - who then complains about the high cost of gas - is choosing to drive.

Note that people could get standard cars to increase mileage - but most choose to buy automatics. Because it's "easier". Only 17% of cars now on the road have standard transmissions. In fact people pay MORE to get an automatic!

RANK  VEHICLE                      MPG     2005           2004      2004 RANK  % Change
1     Ford F-Series pickup          13  189,408        209,021      1          -9.4
2     Chevy Silverado-C/K pickup    17  159,321        147,337      2          +8.1
3     Toyota Camry                  25   98,504         96,180      4          +2.4
4     Dodge Ram pickup              15   89,057        102,845      3         -13.4
5     Toyota Corolla                29   81,658         75,125      7          +8.7
6     Honda Accord                  24   77,371         83,231      5          -7.0
7     Chevrolet Impala              23   64,328         72,624      10        -11.4
8     Ford Explorer                 17   62,586         83,602       6        -25.1
9     Nissan Altima                 25   61,468         63,029      17         -2.5
10    Honda Civic                   35   59,255         73,149       9        -19.0
11    Ford Taurus                   23   55,114         68,679       8        -19.8
12    GMC Sierra pickup             18   50,869         43,771      19        +16.2
13    Chevrolet Trail Blazer        17   47,558         61,675      11        -22.9
14    Jeep Grand Cherokee           17   47,114         48,899      18         -3.7
15    Ford Focus                    28   46,666         48,161      14         -3.1
16    Chevrolet Malibu              28   45,792         28,989      N/A       +58.0
17    Ford Escape                   22   44,099         41,194      N/A        +7.1
18    Chrysler Town & Country       22   43,849         31,049      N/A       +41.2
19    Ford Econoline                17   42,466         41,334      N/A        +2.7
20    Ford Mustang                  23   42,261         36,339      N/A       +16.3

As far as SUV ownership goes, only 1% of US households have more than 5 people. All the rest of those households can fit into station wagons and sedans. Are we sure that 99% of the US population is buying the best MPG vehicle they can? The average household is 2.6 people. That means a sedan would work perfectly, and give super high fuel economy.

I've been annoyed about this issue for as long as I have been an adult driver. People in the US whine about their "high gas prices" when we have some of the lowest prices on the planet. England sees prices of $6/gallon. How about we Americans start actually driving high MPG vehicles, using public transportation, and driving motorcycles?

How About Ethanol?
"Doubling the average car's fuel efficiency would cut gasoline needs in half, while converting all of the nation's corn production into ethanol would only satisfy 12 percent of current needs." Read Full Article on Ethanol

Why Doesn't the Government Do Something?
"On March 31, 2003, NHTSA issued new light truck standards, setting a standard of 21.0 mpg for MY 2005, 21.6 mpg for MY 2006, and 22.2 mpg for MY 2007." DOT Car Mileage Report. Apparently people don't care - they buy the worst vehicles they can get their hands on. Yes, it annoys me.

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