Why do they build a really good gas mileage car and then have to ask so much for it,it's good for everybody

Answer 1

Two factors are 1) it costs more to make a car that gets superior gas mileage and 2) supply and demand.

Answer 2

There are some fuel-efficient cars that aren't priced out of sight. The Toyota Prius hybrid is not unduly expensive. It's a peppy car with a lot of room and fine feaures. Probably the same goes for the Honda hybrid, but I've not driven one. The Toyota Corolla is a lower-priced car with 41 mpg.

If you're looking for fuel efficiency try economic driving habits. I can get about 20% better mileage on practically anyone's car than they do. I practice economic driving. Most drivers don't consider this way to economy. Just watch the traffic around you. There's a red light up ahead, and a driver is passing you, accelerating still while knowing a stop is inevitable. Why? He isn't thinking ahead. Here are a few tips:

1. Don't accelerate excessively from a dead stop. You don't have to poke, just accelerate modestly, adding accelerator as speed picks up.

2. Try to avoid coming to a dead stop. See that red light a few blocks ahead? Take foot off accelerator as soon as you see it's red. Often it will turn green and traffic ahead will allow you to avoid coming to a stop. It takes a lot of power to climb out of a dead stop.

3. On freeways try to cut ten mph off your cruising speed. Drag increasess to the square of the realtive wind -- double the speed and you quadruple the wind drag. Then there's tire rollinng resistance and other factors. My BMW 7 gets about 4 mpg more at 60 than 70 -- about 8% better, that relates to 24-cents-per-gallon off the price. The difference between driving 70 rather than 80 is even more dramatic. You'll notice little time difference unless on a mighty long trip.

(Driving economically takes more thought -- and a thinking driver is a safer driver.)

4. I don't know why this has to be said, but why don't drivers check tire pressures before they are noticeably low? If your sticker in the door or door post says 30 psi cold, use 32. You'll not notice the difference in ride, and you'll save gas and tires. BUT, JUST CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURE: I'll wager it's several pounds below mfr. specs. Why? because cast wheel leak a teeny bit through porosity. And there's some tendency of air to get out.

I regularly get 18 to 20 mpg on my BMW 7 in town -- that's a mix of city street and freeway. My wife can use the car and the mileage drops to 15.