Which is More Important Power or Fuel Mileage?

If you've studied automotive history...well, congratulations! You're among a depressingly elite group of people in today's world. Regardless, if you know your history you know that big changes in the automotive marketplace tend to come in cycles. Two of the most dramatic occurred in the 1960s and the 1970s. In the '60s performance ratcheted up as domestic automakers got into a horsepower war; a war that resulted in the most powerful production vehicles of the era. Then, in the early 1970s, a combination of factors aligned to not only end the horsepower war but punish the combatants (both at the manufacturer and customer level). Between political, environmental and safety concerns it was suddenly much cooler (or at least more socially conscious) to drive a Vega than a 'Vette. In case you haven't already noticed, we're on the brink of a similar shift.

Exhibit A comes from a Wall Street Journal story that has Bob Lutz verbally sparring with politicians and environmentalists ("Which is which?" you may be asking yourself...). Congress wants GM, and every other automaker, to improve fuel efficiency by 4% a year over the next 10 years, while Lutz insists that horsepower sells far more effectively than gas mileage (social consciousness be damned). Who's right? It doesn't really matter because, ultimately, politicians are more powerful than captains of industry (even the really charismatic ones). Lutz admitted in this article that GM has put the rear-drive Impala on hold because it can't predict which way the political and regulatory winds are going to blow over the next five years.


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webguy - 4/11/2007 1:01:06 PM

+1 Boost

It depends how much money you have. You buy as much power as you can afford.

r_driver04 - 4/12/2007 2:38:54 PM

+1 Boost

And you drive as long as you can put gas in the car.

1970toyotamarc - 4/11/2007 1:22:57 PM

-1 Boost

Any mfr that cant provide both with today's technology should go out of business. And they dont even have to necessarily be in the same vehicle, although it certainly is sweet when that combination does happen in a single vehicle, especially if emissions are also curtailed simultaneously (Lexus hybrids).

cl0wn - 4/11/2007 1:30:02 PM

+2 Boost

money should never get in the way of passion.... POWER POWER POWER!

r_driver04 - 4/12/2007 2:39:38 PM

+1 Boost

I bet you ride a Schwinn to work, don't you.

Will_ - 4/11/2007 2:01:33 PM

-3 Boost

"If you buy a GM you can have both ,and style too!!!"

LOL!

Autoegr525 - 4/12/2007 1:30:03 AM

+4 Boost

The 400hp 6.0 liter Corvette gets 30 mpg on the highway.

r_driver04 - 4/12/2007 2:40:51 PM

0 Boost

Got yourself a new bus pass there buddy....am I right?

r_driver04 - 4/12/2007 2:44:47 PM

+2 Boost

Yeah, if you believe that, I've got some swamp land down in FL.

Will_ - 4/12/2007 10:51:43 PM

+1 Boost

I'll say it again:

LOL!

Carboy - 4/13/2007 7:49:55 PM

+3 Boost

Roller, how can u forget the Cadillac Escalade.

njshift - 4/14/2007 8:16:23 AM

+1 Boost

The new corvette is a great example of having both power and fuel economy. Well, highway fuel economy at least. That 6th gear barely sips gas when cruising.

jmrA480 - 4/14/2007 5:19:45 PM

+1 Boost

your comments are both not funny and stupid, they make you look like an Idiot, stop attacking other people and maybe post some useful CAR info, this is a car site after all.

jmrA480 - 4/14/2007 5:20:28 PM

+1 Boost

this is for r_driver

jwink24 - 4/11/2007 1:51:17 PM

+1 Boost

power is great and all, but how often do you get to use all the horses you bought when your in bumper to bumper traffic?

r_driver04 - 4/12/2007 2:43:30 PM

+1 Boost

Roller's got a bus pass that he's itchin to uncorked on somebody. He's never been 90mph in Philly.

BMW995 - 4/11/2007 1:59:38 PM

-1 Boost

If gas is < $3/gal POWER.
If gas is > $3/gal Fuel economy.
Seriously, you might be able to have both with the new engine technologies here now and those coming soon. Direct injection seems to give about 10% better mileage and power, cylinder deactivation may give > 10% mileage increases.
The BMW 335i gives great hwy mileage (30+ mpg) but has explosive acceleration when called upon. The upcoming VW dual supercharged/turbocharged gas engine will have dramatically better mileage and power than the existing engines. Who can complain about the new turbo diesel engines? I haven't even brought up the new performance hybrids.

jasaero - 4/11/2007 2:32:34 PM

+1 Boost

Power!!! Even if gas is $20/gallon and I can afford a fast car that get 10mpg and a slow one that gets 80mpg, I want the choice to buy both even if I can't afford to drive the fast one but maybe several times a year. POWER POWER POWER!!!

bagwell - 4/12/2007 10:12:45 PM

+3 Boost

typical american thinking....

personally I have both POWER (IS350)for weekends and short drives and an Insight 64mpg for my daily commute.

EnnNorak - 4/11/2007 2:35:20 PM

0 Boost

It is possible to have your cake and eat it. Take the Buick Lucerne for example: it can be ordered with a 300 h.p. Cadillac Northstar DOHC V8 which provides plenty of power with very reasonable fuel consumption. I only wish that GM would make the Lucerne a RWD car and clone the seats for it from the Mercedes S-Class.

no1listensanyway - 4/11/2007 8:00:02 PM

+3 Boost

I have the current 3.6 in my CTS. It is on of the best engines GM makes. It even takes regular gas.

r_driver04 - 4/12/2007 2:47:07 PM

+1 Boost

What game!!! They're getting their butts handed to them by the Japanese and Europeans. They're trying to bring European platforms over to the States disguised at lame Saturns and crap to stay afloat. Who are they kidding.

jmrA480 - 4/14/2007 5:26:36 PM

+1 Boost

I would say power and Style are the most important. Gas mileage is way down on the list.

If your buying a 50k+ car and worrying about MPG, you probaly shouldn't be buying the car.

izfuney - 4/11/2007 3:25:45 PM

+2 Boost

Hmm that question is a bit like saying what do want ot have "food or water" :)
A bit of both. I guess the optimum point would be where to have enough power so that the car is able to make the most of its chasis and the fuel efficiency is such that i dont have to pay for that power when i am not using it.
Practically the above means a tall 6th gear for cruising, and a stinging bee of a NA engine ..( make mine the 2.2l 4 from the S2K or the 3.3l from the M3)

indoctrin8ed - 4/11/2007 4:48:32 PM

-1 Boost

If you're a US typical citizen: It's neither - it's about safety, (thus size). Then fuel economy, then power, unless you're a Texan, it's about the TRUCK, then the size of the tires on the truck, then power, then maybe fuel economy.

If you're a Hollywood celebrity, it's power. They all prefer their leer jets over their Priuses. They may talk about their Priuses so that they can appease the idiot public and appear that they actually care about the environment so they make more money so they can afford more jet setting. The “carbon footprint” of the typical Hollywood actor is DOZENS times that of the typical American.

But if you're like me, you give a rats ass about this global warming nonsense and give me as much horsepower as you can in as nimble of a package that will deliver it. I don’t care if its gas, kerosene, or wood pellet powered, as long as I can get it on my way to work. And I'd pay $15 a gallon to do it if I had to. I'm an enthusiast. Gas is such a small % of the cost to own my vehicle that it's almost irrelevant. Our types do not make even a small dent in the overall gasoline/emissions/carbon/whatever equation.

Agent63 - 4/11/2007 6:16:58 PM

+1 Boost

The best scenario is having a lot of power coming from an engine that has good fuel mileage and at the same time producing now emissions. One day... One day..

mini22 - 4/11/2007 7:54:01 PM

0 Boost

I would like to believe that the technology is there for a Ferrari Enzo to get 35 to 40 MPG on the HWY.You should be able have both excellent power and good fuel economy. The Porsche 911 and Cayman/Boxster models get in the high 20's on the highway. So perhaps we're not that far away.

mini22 - 4/11/2007 7:55:00 PM

+2 Boost

One obvious way to get this is lighter weight.

AMGC55 - 4/11/2007 10:40:17 PM

+3 Boost

www.teslamotors.com

TESLA ROADSTER

0-60 in 4 sec
100% Electric
Take THAT!

bagwell - 4/12/2007 10:16:08 PM

0 Boost

humm an electric car that can be fueled from a renewable resource (SOLAR POWER), it'll never work - the oil companies will (have) already put a stop to it!

S4cabriofoxone - 4/11/2007 11:43:35 PM

+3 Boost

POWER!!!

Why get an A6 with 255hp and 18mpg when you could have my S4 with 344hp and 16mpg?

Or any other "bread-and-butter" luxo sedan for that matter.

Gas prices don't affect me directly, because fortunately I can afford them and then some, but I would like to own a more efficient vehicle... someday... in the very distant future...

woood - 4/11/2007 11:53:24 PM

+1 Boost

BOTH!!!!

matt635 - 4/12/2007 7:48:07 AM

+1 Boost

70% Power , 30% economy.

enthusiastx11 - 4/14/2007 8:32:21 PM

+1 Boost

another comment from an articulate man of refined tastes.

enthusiastx11 - 4/14/2007 8:33:14 PM

+1 Boost

and we don't even know the fuel economy or performance of the LS600 yet...

XYZZ - 4/13/2007 6:21:48 AM

0 Boost

it's NOT that difficult to have power AND decent mileage.

just have a TALL final drive ratio. and ACCEPT downshifts will be necessary if/when you want to jump from CRUISE to hyperdrive!

the Lexus LS has that philosophy behind its EIGHT speed tranny. corvette does too with gearing in top gear. other examples exist.

the low mileage HOT cars get low mpg 'cuz they don't want to have "mushy" feel in top, with tall gearing.

enthusiastx11 - 4/14/2007 8:35:59 PM

+1 Boost

you can have reasonable fuel economy and power.
just look at the incredibly fast twin turbo inline six in the 335i.
20 city/29 highway and 4.8 seconds to 60.

njshift - 4/14/2007 8:11:40 AM

+1 Boost

Power will always be more important then gas mileage.

jmrA480 - 4/14/2007 5:34:54 PM

+1 Boost

2nd that, unless gas gets to $75 a gallon.

DieselRules - 4/15/2007 11:04:47 PM

+1 Boost

I'm with Bagwell: a VW TDI for commuting, and an Audi twin-turbo A6 for fun (with Eibach springs and Koni shocks).
BTW: my 2-ton Quattro with 6-spd gets 24 MPG overall ... not too shabby for a German Muscle car with 165,000 miles on it!

truckmen - 4/16/2007 4:38:27 AM

+1 Boost

Both!