Hyundai I40
 

OK, So I'm watching the womens world cup soccer and in the background is the Hyundai I40 signs here and there. So I'm wondering what those Europeans are doing with the Sonata...Same car, different place...Right?

Well, shucky darn Jim Bob, they done made a wagon out of it. Put a 1.7L turbo diesel in it, and they get

55MPG!!!

Are you kidding??? We Americans are fookin stoopid not to demand that cars like this be available to us. A large, safe, comfortable car getting....did I Mention... 55MPG!!??!!?

We get all wet brained about 40MPG. Somthin ain't right here.

http://i52.tinypic.com/2h36etd.jpg

Don't be fooled. The fuel economy tests for urban/extra urban in europe overstate the EPA test by a wide margin. For example a Prius is rated at 3.9L/100km combined in Europe or 60 US mpg. The EPA says the exact same car gets 50mpg or 17% less. So you can take that 55mpg and call it. 45mpg in the US cycle. Diesel fuel is 10% more expensive than 87 octane so you would only have to managed 40mpg with a gasser to match the per mile fuel cost of the diesel. Is it still worth the extra expense of the diesel engine and emissions control equipment? I'll take a Sonata hybrid over that slow diesel contraption any day. The wagon body is tempting but a Sonata wagon is on the way so next year. And of course threes always the prius which has had a wagon/hatch body for 2 generations now.

More fun facts
Base Insight $18,970
Base Prius $23,520
Base Jetta TDI $23,765
Sonata Hybrid $$25,795
1.7 CRDi 115PS 5dr Blue Drive £16,500 before VAT ($26,329) OUCH!

$26k for a car that gets to 60 in 13 seconds and sounds like a tractor. Where do I sign up? LOL

I bet that crease makes her a helluva handler! :eek:

That's what makes it so much harder to gain hypermiler status (20% over) in a European car that doesn't have an EPA rating :o

Hi guys,

We have several Diesels here in the UK that will easily do 60 plus mpg in real world careful driving, I can vouch for this, but... do remember a UK gallon is 9 pints, not 8 as yours are, so factor this in :)

regards

Paul