MotorWeek TV and Cars.com Feature Fuel Economy Face-Off

[usbseawolf2000]

Prius, Insight, Fusion, Jetta TDI, Audi A3 TDI and Smart ForTwo Put to the Test

"We hear a lot about fuel economy these days, but we wanted to know which cars deliver fuel efficiency without compromising power and performance" said John Davis, MotorWeek host and executive producer. "MotorWeek, and members of Cars.com's editorial staff, got behind the wheel of three hybrids, two clean turbocharged diesels and a compact car to find out what's behind the fuel economy numbers."

MotorWeek and Cars.com took six cars with the highest government fuel economy ratings to the mountains of Western Maryland for a typical weekend family outing. The gas sippers tested were the 2010 Toyota Prius, 2010 Honda Insight, 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 2010 Audi A3 TDI, and the 2009 Smart ForTwo.

"We found the Prius, in the end, offered a really top-notch interior, a peppy ride and great mileage," said Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief of Cars.com. "There were several close competitors, but the Prius's new look and frugal ways won us over."

The full report airs on MotorWeek episode 2902. Here are the results of the MotorWeek and Cars.com Power & Economy Drive by the numbers:

Car	Type	Drive mpg	EPA mpg
2010 Toyota Prius	hybrid	49.2	50.0
2010 Honda Insight	hybrid	40.5	41.0
2010 Audi A3 TDI	diesel	38.2	34.0
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI	diesel	36.2	34.0
2009 Smart ForTwo	gasoline powered	35.3	36.0
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid	hybrid	32.9	39.0

Updated source:
http://sev.prnewswire.com/auto/20090...8092009-1.html

[a priori]

I'll confess I'm shocked by the initial report. When I read "[B]ut we wanted to know which cars deliver fuel efficiency without compromising power and performance," I was certain that MotorWeek was looking for zip, not sip. And I really wasn't expecting a balanced approach.

Perhaps I'm a bit jaded?

[Tideland Prius]

Diesel fans will note that the TDIs were the only ones that beat the EPA ratings

[bwilson4web]

I'm with you ... totally shocked. I've seen their past reports. They deserve a good 'talking too:'

Dear Motorweek,

We the undersigned 2010 Prius owners are shocked, shocked to see you report what we are getting everyday with our cars. Other automotive press writers have constantly amazed us with their ability to get horrible hybrid performance so in defense, we've begun to 'reverse engineer' their testing protocols.

We are used to seeing abysmal highway numbers that can only be achieved by exceeding 75 mph, a common posted speed limit. These high-speed tests often exploit a 70-75 mph knee in the performance curve of some hybrids to the detriment of the same cars that can run 70 mph with excellent mileage. Then there are the coincidental weather reports of high winds and exceptionally cold temperatures that seem to happen just when our hybrid rides are to be tested.

As for city driving, there is the Connecticut 'ridge runner' route that starts half-way up, going up over the ridge top and then stops half-way down the next valley ... and turns left or right for a block and then back up and over the ridge. That is the only way we can replicate City mileage that makes walking look attractive (can a Honda Insight actually get 29 MPG????)

Then there are the notorious, single car tests that appear to always work best for the cars the writers like but in the absence of a standard or reference vehicle. To read a single Prius or other hybrid report without equivalent class vehicles ensures whatever is written won't be worth the effort taken to read. But who hasn't seen "Top Gear" and the 17 MPG Prius?

So here you come and offer a fleet report, multiple cars doing the same thing on the same day. Your results amazingly match what we Prius owners have been seeing for years and years. In fact, some of us have mapped our car performance, warts and all, and used this to avoid 'the bad places' that automotive reviewers seem like blue flies to revelle in.

If Motorweek and cars.com keep this up, fair automotive journalism, we'll have to stop pounding our keys in outrage and experimenting with our hybrids. We may actually become fans of your publications and shows ... and all of our fun at the outrage motivated investigations will subside.

Yours,
The Prius Posse

Over the top? Too obvious? Need to include a CNW Marketing reference?

Bob Wilson

[Mystic]

I just checked my local listing and that episode of Motorweek will be on this Saturday. Gotta check it out.

Michael

[rfruth]

Shouldn't the Camry hybrid be in the mix (been a few years since major revision so not fair) ?

[DaveinOlyWA]

the Fusion's dismal numbers are surprising. the Diesels numbers are to be expected because they do excel as long as they stay out of town. without reading the article i can predict the course run was mostly highway with little or no stop and go driving.

well actually, if the link had worked, i might have read the article

[rfruth]

I don't know how they got 32.x MPG in a Fusion hybrid unless they used the dashboard MPG estimate without resetting it first ...

[SageBrush]

The Insight result pains me.

[AussieOwner]

Originally Posted by DaveinOlyWA

well actually, if the link had worked, i might have read the article

Likewise - the link did not work for me either. They may have pulled the full report until after the show airs, so we may have to wait for a couple of weeks to actually see the report.