Average US fuel economy, getting better but still bad.

[nemo]

Some interesting statics from EPA data 2010 numbers were projections from 2009.

adjusted fuel economy
2008 21 mpg
2009 22.4 mpg
2010 22.5 mpg


No so good.

[Bill in Houston]

Wow. Whereas in my neighborhood, a bus is available for every kid to ride, even those who live 2 blocks from the school.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

The [Fiat 500] Twin Air (Petrol) is claimed to have 68 mpg combined - although some people question if it can do that in every day motoring.

On Spritmonitor, NONE of the users are beating the official EU rating -
4.1L/100km or 57.4 MPG (US).
The closest is a Swiss hypermiler, and ecomodder member, savefuel.
Overview: Fiat - 500 - Spritmonitor.de


See his other FE tests :
User savefuel - Spritmonitor.de

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by euromodder

On Spritmonitor, NONE of the users are beating the official EU rating -
4.1L/100km or 57.4 MPG (US).
The closest is a Swiss hypermiler, and ecomodder member, savefuel.
Overview: Fiat - 500 - Spritmonitor.de


See his other FE tests :
User savefuel - Spritmonitor.de

So no sponsorship then ?

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

I really doubt that a lumbering engine of this type, or even a reduced in size version for cars would make an attractive car for a lot of people. It would be reliable - see how many Merc 300Ds are still around going strong - but would only be something an enthusiast would seek out.

I can't see a 500 with only 35 MPG, but the bog-standard petrol 500s have pretty old-ish engines - kind of automotive porridge to be honest, like the MINI Cooper non-S.

A 1.3 Multijet (Diesel) will make 67 combined (imp) MPG and the Twin Air (Petrol) is claimed to have 68 mpg combined - although some people question if it can do that in every day motoring.

But if someone wants to sponsor me for a year, I'll long term test a TwinAir and see if its possible for an ecomodder member

The US version obviously gets the shaft as usual. The US Fiat 500 is rated 30mpg city 38mpg highway

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

The US version obviously gets the shaft as usual. The US Fiat 500 is rated 30mpg city 38mpg highway

What is the engine, I suspect the 1.4 ?

That engine dates back to the ark, or in FIAT terms - the Uno - which was a decent car in the day.

EDIT: The day was 1986...

[zonker]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

The US version obviously gets the shaft as usual. The US Fiat 500 is rated 30mpg city 38mpg highway

I assume the US model is heavier due to the 5mph bumpers and the gazillion airbag system thats fitted here.

I am geeked over the 500's 1.4L multi air engine. The head design and multiair valve acuation system is novel and a real gem, and I would think capable of getting higher mpg numbers.

Remove a few lbs of curb weight, tweak that multi air system, and hypermile drive it, and you might have a 50mpg runner...

Or just say screw it and find an old Geo Metro XFi lol.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by zonker

I assume the US model is heavier due to the 5mph bumpers and the gazillion airbag system thats fitted here.

I am geeked over the 500's 1.4L multi air engine. The head design and multiair valve acuation system is novel and a real gem, and I would think capable of getting higher mpg numbers.

Remove a few lbs of curb weight, tweak that multi air system, and hypermile drive it, and you might have a 50mpg runner...

Or just say screw it and find an old Geo Metro XFi lol.

AFAIK the US and European 500s are the same - no impact bumpers or extra airbags. The fact that FIAT are selling it in the US does bring up the possibility of Ford importing the KA ?



They are the same car underneath.

[zonker]

I loved the previous generation Ka and was sad they never offered it here.

As for the 500, I recall that our base version weighs 2360lbs and the 1.4L EU model is 2046 lbs.

a couple blurbs from various publications about our version:

Legal requirements forced many changes to the 500. For example since European plates are wider and shorter than ours, Fiat had to re-engineer the front and rear fascias to accommodate American license plates. Engineers also had to rework the A-pillar trim due to differences in crash safety standards, and increase the size of the windshield wipers to meet US guidelines requiring more windshield coverage. And of course the infamous “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear” warning had to be added to US-spec side mirrors in order to meet federal regulations.

Some changes satisfy consumer demand rather than legal requirements. Americans tend to travel longer distances than Europeans, so all US 500s will have cruise control, which is not standard on European models. Americans tend to enjoy slurping sodas and coffee on the go, so Fiat also increased the cupholder size for US cars. Most importantly, Fiat has never offered a true automatic transmission on the 500 in Europe, since Europeans still favor manual transmissions. But Fiat decided that for the 500 to be a success in the States, it needed a conventional automatic.

Changes for the United States include:

* Redesigned body structure for increased strength
* Retuned suspension
* Over 20 hardware modifications/additions for improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH)
* New four-wheel anti-lock disc brake system (ABS) with redesigned front calipers
* Larger 10.5-gallon fuel tank
* New gearing for the five speed manual transmission and a new six speed automatic
* Use of a MAP sensor instead of a mass airflow sensor
* Upgraded heating and cooling system for North American climate extremes
* Redesigned driver and front-passenger seats with a new armrest and seat cushion
* Easy-entry system designed into the new front seats
* New steering wheel controls and revised steering calibration to increase stability at highway speed (against crosswinds)
* Revised stability control with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), anti-lock brake system (ABS) and traction control systems (TCS) to control all four wheels in response to yaw and steering input; this system attempts to understand and carry out the driver’s intent.
* New BOSE® Energy Efficient Series premium audio system features six premium speakers and a subwoofer

[zonker]

heres the fiat 500 i'd jump to have...