Today’s post is a follow on to my article which compared the estimated gas mileage between America’s and Japan’s top ten most fuel efficient vehicles of 2007. As expected, the most fuel efficient Japanese cars blew away their American counterparts, thanks in part to having more hybrids and by just simply by producing smaller, lighter vehicles.
So, I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and switch gears and look at the types of vehicles American manufacturers do best – trucks and SUVs. I figured that by looking at the types of vehicles American auto makers are best known for, maybe I would be able to find somewhere where the Fords, Chevys, etc., weren’t lagging behind (in terms of gas mileage) in comparison to their Japanese counterparts.
I gathered the following data from fueleconomy.gov, and I tried my best to get both a mid-sized and full-sized truck and SUV for each of the major car companies. Please keep in mind, this data is a generalization and does not take all of the makes and models into account, so take all of this with a grain of salt.
Without further ado, here’s the data:
|
American Trucks |
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| Make | Model | Highway | City |
| Ford | Ranger | 26 | 21 |
| Chevy | Silverado | 22 | 16 |
| Dodge | Dakota | 22 | 16 |
| Ford | F150 | 21 | 16 |
| Dodge | Ram | 21 | 16 |
| Chevy | Avalanche | 21 | 15 |
| Total: | 22.17 | 16.67 | |
|
Japanese Trucks |
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| Make | Model | Highway | City |
| Toyota | Tacoma | 28 | 23 |
| Nissan | Frontier | 25 | 22 |
| Honda | Ridgeline | 21 | 16 |
| Toyota | Tundra | 20 | 17 |
| Nissan | Titan | 18 | 14 |
| Total: | 22.40 | 18.40 | |
|
American SUVs |
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| Make | Model | Highway | City |
| Ford | Escape Hybrid | 31 | 36 |
| Chevy | Trailblazer | 22 | 16 |
| Dodge | Durango | 21 | 16 |
| Ford | Explorer | 21 | 15 |
| Chevy | Suburban | 21 | 15 |
| Total: | 23.20 | 19.60 | |
|
Japanese SUVs |
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| Make | Model | Highway | City |
| Honda | CR-V | 30 | 23 |
| Toyota | Highlander Hybrid | 27 | 32 |
| Honda | Pilot | 24 | 18 |
| Nissan | Pathfinder | 23 | 16 |
| Toyota | 4Runner | 22 | 18 |
| Nissan | Xterra | 22 | 18 |
| Total: | 24.67 | 20.83 | |
According to this data, American trucks get roughly 1% worse gas mileage on the highway and 9% worse gas mileage in the city in comparison to their Japanese counterparts. As for the SUVs, American vehicles get roughly 6% worse gas mileage on the highway and in the city.
As you can see, when it comes to trucks and SUVs, although Japanese vehicles still hold the advantage in gas mileage, the gap between the two countries definitely decreases. But considering trucks like the Ford F150 and the Chevy Silverado are still the best selling vehicles in America, gas mileage for these vehicles still needs to come up – or people need to just stop buying these vehicles.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
The above blog is providing quite interesting and valuable information with regards to
gas mileage between America’s and Japan’s top ten most fuel efficient vehicle. i do have similar kind of website which is providing adequate informatiom on vehicles
Those rankings are way skewed. The Chevy Colorado isnt even listed. The Tacoma @ 28 MPG for highway is only its 2wd drive model. It’s 4wd model is around 21/22 MPG. At least get the data a little more accurate.
I have a 2007 chevy full size truck but the gas mileage is killing me
I am looking at japanese full size I never owned a japanese before
which one should I buy ? oneteam4u@bellsouth.net
If your sitch is like mine, keep the Chevy. Buy a $500 4 cylinder beater, and only use the nice Chevy when the beater won’t get the job done. You’ll likely save a bundle on fuel, maybe enough to help pay for the Chevy. You’ll lose your a$$ if you try and sell the Chevy now, better to take the pain of finishing the truck payoff than the pain of selling at a wallet-smashing loss and not having a truck at all. Even on a trade, you’ll get taken to the cleaners, which will generally negate a large portion (if not all) of the savings from a change to a vehicle with better fuel economy. If you use a truck for everything, moderate your driving, little can change the fact that any truck is heavy, has a heavyweight drivetrain, and punches a big hole through the air. Just by changing *how* I drive just a smidgin, I get on average 4 MPG better than I used to. The old Dad trick, ‘drive like there’s an open cup of hot coffee on the dash in front of you’ works well in town, and keep your speed below 60 MPH on the highway should reward your mileage. Oh yeah… on the Jap trucks: I had a buddy who beat his 4.0V6 Tundra like a red-headed stepchild but maintained it religiously; 17 MPG and 250K miles later, sold it to some victim that’s still driving it today (two years later).
This isn’t right. The best fuel mileage from a small pickup is the Ford Ranger with 21mpg. It’s matched by the Mazda, but the Mazda is a re-badged Ford Ranger. Toyota Tacoma comes in below the Ranger.
The best fuel mileage from Standard Sized Pickup trucks is the Dodge Dakota. It’s matched by the Misubishi Raider, but like the small pickups, the Mitsubishi Raider is a re-badged Dodge Dakota. The second most fuel efficient in this class is the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra, which for the most part are basically the same. Third place in the Honda Ridgeline.
The most fuel efficient SUV is the Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner Hybrids. This (again) is matched by the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, with is a re-badged Ford Escape. Next in line is the Jeep Compass and the Jeep Patriot.
Here’s the proof: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestworstEPAtrucks.htm
Look it up.
I used to own a 2000 GMC Sierra. I traded it in on a 2007 Toyota Prius. I have to admit that i do miss my truck, but will never again waste my hard earned $ putting it in the gas tank! Unless you need a truck for work, lose the bigger is better stigma, and buy a fuel efficient car. I am currentley getting over 40 mpg in the winter and over 50 mpg in the summer. It was hard for me to leave my truck, but i had to do it for my pocket book and the enviroment.
why do japanese make cars with better gas mileage
What I dont get is we are the best country in the world, and have some of the smartest people in the world. That being the case why cant we make our vehicles better. Better gas mileage. If they figured out how to do that, they might be able to save the American Auto Companies, and more people might start buying american again.
How can I decrease the daily fuel economy in my car, Chevrolet Blazer 1990? I don’t like japanese cars, because they are less sure than american cars. But I want to spend less gasoline, because I want to keep the environment of our planet.
the data listed is misleading you have almost all compact trucks in japanese trucks and and full size trucks just about in domestic trucks, at least compare full size to full size. thats like saying comparine a scooter to a haybusa!
Lukas, most Japanese trucks tend to be compact. While there are compact American trucks, like the Ford Ranger, most American trucks tend to be full size.
The best comment I’ve seen in all of these postings is the one about Dad driving. Driving like you have a cup of coffe on the dash. I drive right lane, speed limit and watch these morons rush from light to light, having to stop at each light and waiting while the cars separate at the green lights. I drive a 99 Bonnevile, 28mpg summer, 150,000 still original brakes, just checked them and they still have ample pad. I get over 30 cruise on the hiway.
The way you drive has a MAJOR effect on mileage and the truth is that most Americans either don’t know that or don’t care.
I am 41, I have had both US and Japanese trucks.
The Japanese trucks by far have been more reliable, and less expensive to own for the long term then any US made vehicle. Why? Labour times for repairs on the US models is higher. Fuel Economy is horrid. They had Larger displacement engines with crude 1950′s Valve train technology. The parts they buy are always tendered out to the lowest bidder, and honestly they are built to make a buck with no regard for owner. Japanese have VERY high standards. Most US cars can’t even get a foothold into Japan because the majority don’t even pass their standard Safety test (too many initial quality defects) I currently drive a GMC Sierra and the 4.3 V6 was horrendous on fuel, so I installed a 2.4 DOHC mitsu engine, Aisin Warner 4 speed transaxle (from a mitsu truck) and replaced the rear end axle ratio with somthing a little more normal. At 2800 RPM @ 60mph my truck gets 32 mpg unloaded and towing a 3500 lb boat I get 26 mpg.
The 4.3 was getting me 12 city and 14 highway.
Ironically I notice little difference in performance. WHY can’t GM Ford and Chrysler offer a 4 cyl Full size, sad when you have to build it yourself