| HONDA AND TOYOTA OFFERED U.S. CONSUMERS THE | | | | to private equity firm Cerberus Capital |
| HIGHEST average fuel efficiency of 2007 model | | | | Management, was the lowest rated with 18.3 |
| year vehicles, the government reported | | | | mpg, a mark that has been unchanged the past |
| Wednesday. The average fuel economy for 2007 | | | | three years. The figures were calculated for |
| vehicles was 20.2 miles per gallon, the same | | | | the first time based on test methods devised |
| as 2006 vehicles, the Environmental | | | | to better reflect driving habits and provide |
| Protection Agency said in an annual report | | | | a more realistic estimate. The new tests led |
| that used new testing procedures. For | | | | to a 6 percent decrease in fuel economy |
| individual vehicles, the test results are | | | | averages compared to past estimates using old |
| included on window stickers in dealer lots. | | | | testing criteria, the EPA said. |
| The agency said the overall results marked an | | | | |
| increase compared with 2004 vehicles, which | | | | Among vehicle type, passenger cars averaged |
| averaged 19.3 mpg. | | | | 23.4 mpg in 2007 -- unchanged from 2006. SUVs |
| | | | averaged 18.1 mpg, an increase of 0.3 mpg, |
| Honda Motor Co. had the highest fuel economy | | | | and pickups were unchanged at 16.2 mpg. EPA |
| of any manufacturer with 22.9 mpg, a slight | | | | Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said the |
| decrease compared with its 2006 lineup. | | | | findings were evidence that "automakers are |
| Toyota Motor Corp. posted a 22.8 mpg average | | | | answering |
| for its 2007 vehicles compared with 22.4 mpg | | | | |
| the previous year. Toyota's average was | | | | President Bush's call to improve fuel economy |
| helped by the gas-electric Prius hybrid, | | | | and decrease our nation's dependency on |
| which had the highest combined fuel economy | | | | foreign oil." But the figures underscored |
| of any passenger car with 46.2 mpg. South | | | | complaints in Congress that the auto industry |
| Korea's Hyundai Motor Co., which includes Kia | | | | has failed to rapidly ramp up production of |
| vehicles, improved to 22.7 mpg for 2007 | | | | vehicles that can get more miles on a gallon |
| vehicles, followed by Volkswagen AG with 21.4 | | | | of gas. The Senate approved legislation in |
| mpg. Nissan Motor Co. showed the largest gain | | | | June that would require automakers to build |
| of any automaker during the past year, | | | | more efficient vehicles; the measure is |
| improving 0.6 mpg to 20.6 mpg. General Motors | | | | pending in Congress. |
| Corp. led domestic automakers with 19.4 mpg, | | | | |
| followed by Ford Motor Co. with 18.7 mpg. For | | | | With more consumers driving larger vehicles |
| the third straight year, Ford's Escape hybrid | | | | than a generation ago, overall fuel |
| had the highest fuel efficiency of any light | | | | efficiency has made little progress. The |
| truck with 29.7 mpg. | | | | current fleet is less efficient than the new |
| | | | vehicles produced in 1981, for example, and |
| DaimlerChrysler AG, which recently completed | | | | well below the peak of 22 mpg in 1987. |
| the sale of a controlling stake in Chrysler | | | | |