Few Advances in Gas Mileage Made by ’90 Models, EPA Finds
Imported cars dominate both the best and the worst categories in the annual survey of automobile gasoline mileage released today by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Overall, auto makers made little gain in gasoline mileage in the 1990 model year although the number of cars--mostly expensive super-luxury imports--that trigger the federal “gas guzzler” tax dropped from 40 car types to 30.
“There is no significant difference in the fuel economy of the top 10 1990 models compared to the top 10 1989 models. Likewise, overall fleet average fuel economy of all cars and light trucks . . . projected to be about the same,” the EPA said in a statement.
Renewed Attention
Fuel economy has gained renewed attention in Congress because of concern over autos’ role in causing global warming and air pollution.
Auto emissions, especially carbon dioxide releases, are a direct contributor to urban smog, which has caused more than 100 metropolitan areas to fail federal air quality standards. Carbon dioxide also is a major cause of the so-called “greenhouse effect” that scientists say is expected to cause a warming of Earth in coming decades.
According to the EPA survey, the mileage leaders were largely foreign-made, with the Japanese dominating that end of the list.
For the fifth straight year the fuel-stingiest car was the Japanese-made Geo Metro, sold by Chevrolet, followed by the Honda Civic CRX, Suzuki Swift and Daihatsu Charade. The Geo Metro XFI model had 53 miles per gallon in the city, 58 on the highway, and 55 overall, the same as last year.
No U.S.-made car made the top 10 list. The Ford Escort had the best mileage of any domestic car with 32 miles per gallon in the city, 42 on the highway and 36 overall.
The car with the worst mileage was the Lamborghini Countach, which got only six miles per gallon in the city and 10 on the highway. Rounding out the list of 10 cars with the worst gas mileage were four models of the Rolls Royce, the Ferrari Testarossa, BMW 750IL, Porsche 928 S4, Audi V8 and Maserati 228.
According to the EPA survey, all but two of the 30 car models subject to the gas guzzler tax are luxury imports. The exceptions are two Cadillac models, the Allante and the larger engine (350 cubic inches) Brougham, which have combined city and highway mileage of 18 and 17 miles per gallon, respectively. They had the worst gas mileage of any domestic car.
Several Chrysler cars that made the guzzler list last year escaped because of mileage improvements in 1990 models. These included the Chrysler TC by Maserati and the Chrysler New Yorker and Dodge Dynasty, successor cars to other Chrysler models that fell under the guzzler tax in 1989.
Taxed European Models
European models that are subject to the tax come from Maserati, Rolls-Royce, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Volvo, Audi and BMW.
The excise tax amounts to a penalty of $500 to $3,850, with the amount increasing as gasoline mileage declines. It was enacted in 1975 to encourage people to buy more fuel-efficient cars.
Auto makers are required to have an average fuel economy of 27.5 miles per gallon for their fleets. Last year officials in the Reagan Administration urged Congress to eliminate the fleet requirements. But the Bush Administration, citing environmental concerns, has urged auto makers to continue pursuing increases in the fleet averages and efforts to rescind the standards have fallen by the wayside.
