Compact car MPG shootout - "50 litre challenge"

[MetroMPG]

Which of these compact cars will go furthest on 50 liters (13.2 US gallons), driven in a convoy over the same route & conditions?

The web site CanadianDriver.com is holding a competition to find out just that.

(Links are to vehicle specs @ CanadianDriver.com)

• Ford Focus
• Honda Civic
• Hyundai Elantra
• Kia Spectra
• Mazda3
• Mitsubishi Lancer
• Nissan Sentra
• Pontiac Vibe
• Suzuki SX4
• Toyota Corolla
• Volkswagen City Golf

Note: this is an actual contest for $150 in free gas open to Canadian residents at http://www.canadiandriver.com/articl...lenge-2008.htm

The web site will be running this fleet of cars over a predetermined route next weekend, with results to be posted the following week.

The fly in the ointment is we're not told in advance which cars are equipped with manual vs. auto transmissions. Surprisingly, when the web site ran a similar contest in 2005, half of the vehicles supplied by the automakers came with slushboxes.

In the previous contest, the vehicles were driven "normally" - with A/C on, brisk acceleration, passing other traffic, etc. The majority of the routes however, were secondary highways in Ontario, which means a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph).

The Civic won that year, travelling 1022 km on 50 L, followed by a Corolla at 911 km.

My money's on the Civic again this year.

[TheDon]

no diesels.. pffft

[MetroMPG]

Could be wrong, but I don't think there are any diesels available in the compact segment.

[TheDon]

probably not for that market.

[Frankenstipe]

My money is on the Corolla, but that's just because I don't like Civics. But yeah the Civic will probably win.

[MetroMPG]

I'm surprised they're not doing a subcompact MPG shootout.

[SVOboy]

Hurry up and enter, darin!

[MetroMPG]

So, the contest was held, and the winner...



The new Corolla - with the automatic transmission - came in first (or was last to run out of gas) at 4.9 L/100 km (48 mpg US).

It was followed closely by the Civic (manual transmission) which got 5.3 L/100 km (44.4 mpg US).

The Corolla ran out of fuel after 1017 km, the Civic ran out at 947.

3rd place was the Pontiac Vibe (automatic transmission) @ 854 km (5.9 L/100 km / 39.9 mpg US).

The thirstiest car in the test, a Suzuki SX4, went 637 km before it had guzzled all its fuel.

Full results: http://www.canadiandriver.com/50litre/main.htm

[tasdrouille]

Woot, my car was the best of the 2 liters! Still far from the Corolla though. If I push it carefully on the highway I can get it just below 5, but the Corolla got 4.9 and they sure were not hypermiling...

[MetroMPG]

Not at all - driving 10km/h over as a rule!

Edit: I shouldn't say "not at all" - they did use some technique: careful acceleration, smooth transitions. Probably better than average.