[Hazwaste]

Everybody enjoy driving your new Toyota Priuses (Prii?).

[Crimson Elephant]

So basically you won’t be able to buy Corvette or a muscle care? I assume they have to make a truck allowance....

[svcw]

Seems like they should be close. I get 30 mpg on the freeway in my 2005 PT Cruzer. Now it is a 5 speed, which does give you a bit higher mileage.
My old neighbor has a Prius and he only gets 40 and the car is a slug.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

“Everybody enjoy driving your new Toyota Priuses (Prii?).”...

Yeah!....Those Priuses should hold up real well when runover by Mexican semi-trucks with bad breaks....

[xcamel]

Nothing I ever want to drive...

[Yo-Yo]

Is this the same California who in 1990 mandated that 10% of all cars sold in that state be Zero Emission Vehicles by 2003?

[Paladin2]

I bought some 2005 VW Jtta TDIs. They get just slightly less than 50 mpg and are fun to drive and useful, though small. All of this 35 mpg stuff is laughable. I would get 44 mpg in my 1997 Neon on the highway in the summer. The domestic industry is a joke when it comes to fuel economy.

[Billthedrill]

Wouldn’t it be easier just to repeal the laws of physics?

[antiRepublicrat]

The Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and Smart Fortwo are currently the only cars with an EPA combined rating of better than 35 mpg

A VW Jetta/Golf diesel gets 32/41, that has to be better than 35 combined.

[CA Conservative]

Just some quick math to consider:

Assuming that the average car now gets 25 MPG combined, this would be an increase of 10 MPG. If the average miles driven in a year is 12000, that would mean a savings of 138 gallons per year. If the car is owned for 5 years, that is a savings of 690 gallons of gas. The article states that the changes will add at least $3000 to the price of the car. If the car is financed for 5 years at 8%, that is a total price increase of $3649.00.

Therefore, in order for the owner to recover the additional cost of the vehicle, the cost of Gas would have to average $5.29/gallon for the 5 year period...

[The Great RJ]

These vehicles must be part of Pelosi’s no kids program as they could hardly accommodate a child's car seat, soccer gear or the other kids stuff parents have to haul.

[McLynnan]

I get 35 mpg highway if I set cruise control at 62 mph in a Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix clone). I’ve gotten as much as 30 mph in town when I follow all the rules about accelerating slowly, coasting to a stop, timing the lights, etc. Problem is I’m too impatient to drive like that very often and going 62 on Texas highways when they’re busy will get you killed.

[count-your-change]

Better get used to your one cyclinder Briggs and Stratton.

[IOWAfan]

I looked at the Prius, but it was too dramatic of a change for me.

Burned on my final Ford - bought my first Toyota (Corolla) last year and I get about 35MPG normally - if it’s all highway, I can get almost 40MPG (not a hybrid)

[Knute]

My 2002 Saturn SL has been averaging 35mpg since the time I bought it. 10 gallon gas tank, usually 340-360 miles between fillups. 5 speed manual transmission. Saturn had a 1.9 liter 4 cylinder in 2002. They upsized it to a 2.2L for the Ion line which replaced the SL. 160K miles and counting!

I’ll buy a newer car when I find one that compares

[RayChuang88]

Not necessarily.

Several automakers are working on a technology called homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), which promises just over 20% improvement in fuel economy compared a conventional gasoline engine of the same displacement. They've all said HCCI engines could enter production by 2011.

Take for example the upcoming 2011 Ford Fiesta, which will probably get 32 mpg city/40 mpg highway (EPA 2008 test) for the five-door hatchback based the 1.6-liter Sigma engine with variable valve timing and Ford's new Powershift six-speed dual-clutch transmission. When the HCCI version of the same engine becomes available we maybe talking 38 mpg city/48 mpg highway (EPA 2008 test), which is diesel-like fuel economy without the diesel emission headaches!