Here are the Environmental Protection Agency's fuel economy ratings for selected 1991 model cars, vans and light trucks. _ Times staff writer David Dahl contributed to this report.įuel economy ratings for selected 1991 models The industry estimates cars that get better than 40 mpg account for less than 3 percent of sales, while the luxury cars that make up the worst mileage performers are far fewer in number. None of the 10 vehicles achieved more than 12 mpg in city driving.Īccording to industry figures, those worst and best performers account for only a small fraction of the vehicles likely to be on the nation's highways. The others were two variations of the Honda Civic, two versions of the Suzuki Swift, the Daihatsu Charade and the diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta, all with mileage estimates of between 37 mpg and 49 mpg in the city and 43 mpg to 52 mpg on the highway.Īt the other extreme were the Lamborghini Diablo, five versions of the Rolls-Royce, two BMWs and a pair of Ferraris. Using the adjusted EPA figures, more than half the cars listed showed a fuel economy of less than 22.5 mpg with the average mileage for passenger vans and 4-wheel drive speciality vehicles coming in at less than 20 mpg.įour of the 10 cars with the best fuel economy were variations of the Geo, a Japanese-built car sold through General Motors. Increasingly popular passenger vans, speciality vehicles and trucks also are excluded. The EPA list includes only 35 cars subject to a gasoline 'guzzler' tax that kicks in for cars getting 22.5 mpg or less and in the case of the Lamborghini Diablo amounts to $3,200.įor tax purposes, only the raw fuel economy test scores are used, not the lower EPA figures that are adjusted through a mathematical formula to better reflect actual driving conditions. In between are about 1,000 models and variations of models of cars, trucks and vans. It's the consumer that's been demanding it in the last few years,' argues Ray Turk, the Nissan salesman at Herb Gordon AutoWorld in suburban Maryland where Walsh was shopping.Īs in previous years, the 1991 models reflected a wide range of mileage from the minicompact Geo Metro that gets 58 mpg on the highway and only slightly less in city driving, to the luxurious two-seater Lamborghini Diablo that guzzles at 9 mpg on city streets. 'It's not the industry pushing performance. 'The performance cars are the higher-priced cars and the ones with more options and more profits.'īut those in the auto business say they're only giving the customer what he or she wants. 'They want to sell speed instead of fuel economy,' said Clarence Ditlow, head of the Washington-based Center for Auto Safety. Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen and a frequent critic of the auto industry, accused automakers of pushing 'bigger engines, more muscle and acceleration which they call performance' instead of trying to make cars more fuel efficient. President Bush had threatened to veto the bill if it had cleared Congress and there was formidable opposition in the House as well. Connie Mack, R-Fla., voted to permit debate to continue. Bob Graham, D-Fla., voted with the bill's supporters to end the debate. Richard Bryan's bill was blocked when supporters failed to muster the 60 votes needed to end debate on the legislation and avoid a filibuster by opponents. The vote ended any chance the bill will pass this year. The Persian Gulf crisis has prompted renewed efforts in Congress to require automakers to improve fuel economy.īut Tuesday, the Senate voted 57-42 to block legislation that would require automakers to dramatically increase the average mileage of their fleets to 40 mpg by 2001, a 40 percent increase from today's average of about 28 mpg. 'We really haven't talked about mileage,' Webb said. 'When we travel we want a good-size car and lots of trunk space,' said Webb, a retiree who says the Marquis fits the bill although its city mileage is a thirsty 17 mpg. The EPA said the 1991 models about to be introduced average 28.1 mpg, a shade higher than last year, but no better than figures for 1987.ĭown the road from where Walsh and her young son eyed the Nissan that gets 18 mpg in the city, John Webb and his wife looked over a Mercury Grand Marquis _ a big car with a V-8 engine and a cavernous trunk. Over the last five model years, the average fleet figures have been stuck at about 28 mpg.

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