ECONOMY CARS: Shaken, Not Stirred

I’m just back from a good old fashioned road trip. Our family of four drove 1200 miles in our new RAV4, safely and economically. Safely in that we had no “incidents”, economically in that we went from the 20 mpg of our old Windstar Van, to nearly 30 mpg with the RAV4. Thanks to last summer’s Cash for Clunkers, we drove in the near luxury of a relatively new vehicle, and saved precious dollars in fuel expense. We felt good about having helped the economy and the environment. So everything was peachy, right? Well, not quite.

On this extended trip, we experienced first hand the sacrifice that is made by trading to economy. We were shaken and stirred. Regardless of design and technology, the short wheelbase that comes with economy vehicles translates to shortcomings on the highway. At the end of our 500 mile drive, mostly on interstate highways, the whole family was exhausted. We were shaken by every expansion joint, stirred from each frost heave, and swayed after hours of wind buffeting. We realized that we had sacrificed comfort for fuel economy.

Another sacrifice also became evident. Our “greener” vehicle needed to stop to refuel. In the past, our Windstar’s 26 gallon gas tank would take us door to door, with some gas left over. Now, despite the RAV4’s more miserly manners, its comparatively miniscule 16 gallon tank could only manage half of our 500 miles. Valuable travel time was needed to refuel, at inflated interstate gas prices. It seems like a small thing, but it’s a sacrifice just the same.

Is there a vehicle that can deliver the best of both worlds; fuel economy and smooth highway driving? Mid-sized, four cylinder cars like the Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry would probably offer compromise with less sacrifice. On the other hand, we’ll be passing them next winter with our four wheel drive engaged.

We have no reservations about our decision to downsize. After all, how often do we drive 500 miles in one day? With normal driving, we get to enjoy the fuel and operating savings throughout the year. The RAV4’s tighter suspension, shorter wheelbase, and lighter weight; all of the items that contribute to the jostling on the highway, are actually the things that make the RAV4 so much fun to drive and park around town. So, we’ll shake a bit on an occasional road trip, but we will not be stirred from the handling and dollar savings that our RAV4 offers. We think that the good far out weighs the bad. We may have been shaken, but we are certainly not stirred.

MaineAutoMall.com Auto Blog

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