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Old 09-05-2008, 02:14 PM   #9 (permalink)
Gregte
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 117

GMC Sonoma - '94 GMC Sonoma
90 day: 36.97 mpg (US)
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Another advantage big trucks have over our American cars is that the diesel engine is more efficient in producing power than the gasoline engine. this is due to the higher compression ratio that a diesel can and does run at.

If larger engines that didn't have to work so hard were advantageous FE wise then our large engine cars would get better mileage than our small engine cars, but alas the opposite is true. An engine that is working harder is more efficient. For instance, my GMC with its 4 cylinder engine has to work harder than the same pickup with the 6 cyl engine but my smaller, harder working engine, gets better mileage.
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