<TABLE class=cdbgtext cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=0 width=560 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>Frugal doesn't have to mean boringor slow.
BY JARED HOLSTEIN, <!-- photo -->October 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>If fun means converting your clunker Mercedes diesel to burn french-fry oil or eking out that extra mpg in your Prius, good on you, sirs. Fun around here still feels like acceleration, be it longitudinal or lateral.
Green vehicles and performance are not mutually exclusive, however: Means of propelling vehicles sans spark plugs hold tremendous go-fast potential. Electric motors produce 100 percent of their torque at 0 rpm, which means instant throttle response, and they can produce acceleration from a standstill to challenge any internal-combustion engine. One new electric vehicle, the Tesla roadster, demonstrates this attribute with a claimed four-second 0-to-60-mph time. Nothing is emissions free, as the chances are that if you live in the U.S., coal was burned to produce the Teslas juice, but this argument will carry less weight if more renewable energy sources are rolled into the grid.
Diesels share electric motors penchant for torque production, especially when turbocharged. In places like Italy, where gasoline costs more than $6 a gallon, over 90 percent of Mercedes and BMWs sold have turbo-diesel engines. Although the American populace quivers with memories of the awful, weak, stinky diesel VWs, Mercedes, and GMs foisted on us in the 80s, the reality is that diesels have been powering the rest of the world in economical, environmentally responsible, and dare we say sporty form for more than a decade since.
Diesel performance is no oxymorona diesel-powered streamliner recently went 350 mph, and a diesel dragster has covered the quarter-mile in less than 8 seconds. A Ferrari Enzo, by comparison, requires 11. The BMW 535d (d is for diesel) makes 268 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, streaks to 60 about six seconds, and will hopefully be available in the U.S. in 2008, once BMW starts selling diesels here.
The massive diesel clouds of yesteryear have been swept clean with better diesel fuel and hosts of new technologies. And diesels just consume less than their gasoline counterparts: The most fuel-efficient combustion-engine vehicles for sale (but not in the U.S., of course) are all diesels, including the Lilliputian Smart Fortwo cdi and Fiat Punto JTD, which each dish out more than 60 mpg.
Eight of the 10 cars on this list use good ol gasoline. Most are fuel efficient by virtue of being small and light, but many also use cutting-edge engine technologies, such as variable cam timing, that help with efficiency and power production. Given the number of performance-oriented hybrids and diesels in the pipeline, gasoline-powered cars might be in the minority if we were to rewrite this list in 10 years. For now, youll just have to settle for being a green enough enthusiast.
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<TABLE class=cdbgtext cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=0 width=560 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><!-- author --><!-- photo --><!-- issue --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>Tesla Roadster
EPA fuel economy: 135 mpg equivalent (mfrs est)
Tesla Motors, of San Carlos, California, hot-wired with cash from tech visionaries like the founders of Google and PayPal, have brought the first viable electric sports car to the market. The Lotus-built, fully electric wonder promises a four-second 0-to-60-mph time and a 250-mile range, and the company claims the first run of 100 cars has already been sold. Examples should arrive in moneyed ZIP codes by mid-2007. The car is based on the venerable Lotus Elise chassis, but motivation comes from a three-phase, 248-horsepower electric motor and 6831 lithium-ion batteries. Should the car prove profitable, the company has alluded to the possibility of a more affordable (under $50K) four-door vehicle.
Mazda MX-5
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 2225/30
When Mazda launched the Miata roadster in 1989, the car wasnt much of a departure from the Lotus Elan it emulated, aesthetically or spiritually. The original Miata was light, compact, uncomplicated, and an all-around pleasure, but unlike the Lotus, affordable. Mazdas little convertible did not age gracefully, however, packing on pounds and dollars. The all-new, third-generation 2006 model, however, brings the Miata full circlemore generous proportions, similar weight, more power from a 170-horsepower, all-aluminum 2.0-liter engine, and plenty of that back-road mojo that made us fall in love the first time.
Mazda 3
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 2528/3135
Its not surprising that two vehicles on this list are from Mazda, a company that attempts to pack fun into every vehicle they sell. The Mazda 3 four-door sedan, inexpensive enough to be snapped up for rental fleets in the compact category, defies its $14,390 price tag with communicative steering, nimble handling, and an interior that appears to be from a car costing $10K more. Two engines are available, but the smaller and more efficient 2.0-liter generates 148 horsepower, more than sufficient for rewarding driving especially when coupled to a manual transmission.
BMW 328i
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 2021/2930
Talk about having it all: style, luxury, comfort, performance, and, yes, fuel economy. Despite a published highway fuel-consumption figure of 30 mpg, several C/D staffers have done better than that in mixed driving, and we arent pussy-footin types. The secret is BMWs new, light, and efficient 3.0-liter inline-six, boasting a magnesium-and-aluminum block and Valvetronic variable valve lift and producing 230 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque. The 328i is about as plush as a base model can geta virtuosic handlerand scampers to 60 mph in a claimed 6.2 seconds. Just as enjoyably, you can thumb your nose at your do-gooder neighbors because the car is ULEV II certified for emissions and gets better fuel mileage than the vast majority of mid-size sedans.
Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTec
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 27/37 (mfrs est)
Theres a reason Mercedes places a BlueTec badge on the back of E320s and nothing that includes the word dieselthe company is trying to purge our collective mind of softly contoured Mercedes rattling their way to 60 mph in 24.7 seconds while inking the width of freeways with putrid oil smoke. And Mercedes is right to do so, because the new 3.0-liter V-6 mill is, according to the company, the worlds cleanest diesel, packing more emissions-technology jargon than a coal-gasification plant. Using a variable-geometry turbocharger, four-valve heads, and third-generation common-rail direct injection, it also produces 400 lb-ft of torque between 1600 and 2400 rpm and accelerates only slightly less rapidly than its gasoline-powered E350 sibling. Fuel consumption: 37 mpg on the highway, two ticks better than the hybrid Honda Accord, and 27 mpg around town.
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Kia Rio5
PA fuel economy, city/highway: 2932/3538
As long as you pay heed to the old Porsche 911 owner adage, never lift, the Kia Rio5s 110-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder can get you into corners fast enough to enjoy relatively precise steering and a surprisingly sporty chassis. That lack of displacement also encourages combined fuel mileage in the 30s. A starting price of about $14K includes six airbags, a CD player, and air conditioning, for a satisfying, small on the outside, big on the inside, versatile and economical five-door wagon.
Lotus Elise
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 24/29
The Elise is perhaps the purest street-legal driving experience money can buy in America, and at 1980 pounds, its the lightest car sold here. Powered by a Toyota 1.8-liter four-banger making 190 horsepower, the Elise marries miserly consumption with gut-churning performance. Well, miserly in theory, anywaymileage is more a function of man than machine, as the Elises power band only gets interesting at 6300 rpm and stays ornery until 8500 rpm, encouraging frequent flagrant throttle positions. Time spent on the big (fun) cam lobes is time spent on lobes built for power, not efficiency, but even flogged heartily, the Toyota mill cant help but sip.
Honda Civic Si
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 23/32
The sportiest Honda Civic, the Si, is also unsurprisingly the least fuel efficient. It gets mileage similar to competitors like the Mini Cooper S, but it makes more horsepower and is quicker. For the purists, it is the only naturally aspirated four-cylinder in a compact car making near 200 horsepower. Unlike the Elises peaky Toyota mill, the Sis K20 also has plenty of around-town grunt in addition to an 8500-rpm song. Honda does front-wheel-drive handling maybe better than anyone, and the Si, now available in four-door form as well, is no exception.
Volkswagen GTI
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 2325/32
The reborn VW GTI returns a 6.4-second 0-to-60-mph time as well as very respectable fuel mileage, a happy marriage made possible by its direct-injection 2.0-liter engine. This no-performance-penalty technology has been embraced by VW/Audi, a company that combined it with turbocharging and equipped no less than five models with this engine. Direct injection sprays fuel directly into the combustion chamber at high pressure, yielding better atomization and precise fuel delivery, particularly at part-throttle, which pays dividends in fuel efficiency. The EPA drive cycle that netted the above figure, however, doesnt include the kind of driving antics this car inspires that result in a cherry-red, glowing turbo and lesser fuel economy.
Honda Fit
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 3133/3738
Theres a reason the Honda Fit has been the bestselling car in Japan: Its really good. Attractive, inexpensive, fuel efficient, spacious, and fun, its a package with few compromises. The Fit, Hondas most inexpensive car, won our seven-car Cheap Skates comparison test (May 2006), with the title the go-kart of economobiles. The Fits spirited 1.5-liter VTEC engine makes 109 horsepower and despite an available five-speed automatic, is happier when mated to the five-speed manual. The Sport model, which comes with alloy wheels and a slightly stiffer suspension, whipped through our lane-change test faster than a Corvette Z06.
[Car & Driver]
BY JARED HOLSTEIN, <!-- photo -->October 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>If fun means converting your clunker Mercedes diesel to burn french-fry oil or eking out that extra mpg in your Prius, good on you, sirs. Fun around here still feels like acceleration, be it longitudinal or lateral.
Green vehicles and performance are not mutually exclusive, however: Means of propelling vehicles sans spark plugs hold tremendous go-fast potential. Electric motors produce 100 percent of their torque at 0 rpm, which means instant throttle response, and they can produce acceleration from a standstill to challenge any internal-combustion engine. One new electric vehicle, the Tesla roadster, demonstrates this attribute with a claimed four-second 0-to-60-mph time. Nothing is emissions free, as the chances are that if you live in the U.S., coal was burned to produce the Teslas juice, but this argument will carry less weight if more renewable energy sources are rolled into the grid.
Diesels share electric motors penchant for torque production, especially when turbocharged. In places like Italy, where gasoline costs more than $6 a gallon, over 90 percent of Mercedes and BMWs sold have turbo-diesel engines. Although the American populace quivers with memories of the awful, weak, stinky diesel VWs, Mercedes, and GMs foisted on us in the 80s, the reality is that diesels have been powering the rest of the world in economical, environmentally responsible, and dare we say sporty form for more than a decade since.
Diesel performance is no oxymorona diesel-powered streamliner recently went 350 mph, and a diesel dragster has covered the quarter-mile in less than 8 seconds. A Ferrari Enzo, by comparison, requires 11. The BMW 535d (d is for diesel) makes 268 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, streaks to 60 about six seconds, and will hopefully be available in the U.S. in 2008, once BMW starts selling diesels here.
The massive diesel clouds of yesteryear have been swept clean with better diesel fuel and hosts of new technologies. And diesels just consume less than their gasoline counterparts: The most fuel-efficient combustion-engine vehicles for sale (but not in the U.S., of course) are all diesels, including the Lilliputian Smart Fortwo cdi and Fiat Punto JTD, which each dish out more than 60 mpg.
Eight of the 10 cars on this list use good ol gasoline. Most are fuel efficient by virtue of being small and light, but many also use cutting-edge engine technologies, such as variable cam timing, that help with efficiency and power production. Given the number of performance-oriented hybrids and diesels in the pipeline, gasoline-powered cars might be in the minority if we were to rewrite this list in 10 years. For now, youll just have to settle for being a green enough enthusiast.
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<TABLE class=cdbgtext cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=0 width=560 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><!-- author --><!-- photo --><!-- issue --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>Tesla Roadster
EPA fuel economy: 135 mpg equivalent (mfrs est)
Mazda MX-5
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 2225/30
Mazda 3
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 2528/3135
BMW 328i
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 2021/2930
Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTec
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 27/37 (mfrs est)
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Kia Rio5
PA fuel economy, city/highway: 2932/3538
Lotus Elise
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 24/29
Honda Civic Si
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 23/32
Volkswagen GTI
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 2325/32
Honda Fit
EPA fuel economy, city/highway: 3133/3738
[Car & Driver]
