Vehicle Choice Reports Consumers Balk at Fuel Economy 'Winners'
4 October 1999
Coalition for Vehicle Choice Reports Consumers Balk at Vehicles on EPA's Fuel Economy 'Winners' ListWASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases the fuel economy ratings for model year 2000 (MY00) cars and light trucks, the 40,000-member Coalition for Vehicle Choice (CVC) points out that the fuel economy "winners" are the least popular because they lack features that consumers want. CVC President Diane K. Steed said, "The small 'gas-sippers' on the EPA's Top Ten Most Fuel-efficient list simply don't meet the needs of most consumers, particularly those with families and active lifestyles. That's why they consistently reject them in favor of more substantial vehicles that offer much better safety, comfort and utility. We don't think there will be any exception to that rule with the new 2000 models." Sales of cars on EPA's Top Ten Most Fuel Efficient list for model year 1999 (using MY98 sales data -- the most recent data available) account for only one percent of passenger car sales and only one half of one percent of overall car and light truck sales. In the light truck category for MY98, the EPA's top ten account for only one half of one percent of light truck sales and only two tenths of one percent of all vehicle sales, reflecting that these vehicles just do not meet the safety preferences or the utility needs of most businesses and consumers. EPA urges consumers to buy higher-mileage cars and trucks because they emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) per mile traveled. CO2 is a non-polluting greenhouse gas, which does not cause smog or air pollution, but which some have associated with potential global climate change (even though the share of global CO2 from U.S. vehicles is minuscule). But most consumers are smart enough to place their bets on reducing known risks like crash injury. And everyone knows that, while larger vehicles may use a bit more fuel, they offer more crash protection than smaller vehicles. In fact, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the largest sport utility vehicles have the lowest fatality rate of any car or light truck. "Because fuel economy is so closely linked to vehicle size, we believe it is irresponsible for EPA to encourage consumers to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles without disclosing the well-documented link between vehicle size and safety," Steed said. "Larger vehicles offer a significant safety advantage in a crash, a fact validated by the laws of physics and virtually every safety study ever done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other safety organizations. Consumers know that car insurance merely protects their investment and liability. Vehicle size is the real insurance policy which may mean paying a little more at the gas pump, but it's a small price to pay to protect life and limb in a crash," Steed said. The hidden story behind the release of EPA's "top ten" is that even those consumers who value fuel economy need not compromise their safety and comfort. Most new cars sold today achieve remarkable fuel economy levels that were unheard of when the term "gas guzzler" was coined. For example, a 1998 four- wheel-drive Jeep Cherokee sport-utility vehicle, Cadillac DeVille, and Ford Taurus station wagon all get better mileage than a 1978 Toyota Corona subcompact car. Virtually all minivans today that can carry a soccer team and all its gear get better fuel economy than the old Volkswagen Beetle. EPA's "top ten models" lack many of the popular safety and comfort options like air conditioning, automatic transmissions, four-wheel drive, antilock brakes, and engines that provide adequate hauling and towing capability. These vehicles may save money at the gas pump, but not enough to offset the loss of other features consumers value. The MY00 fleet is good news for safety, with all cars and light trucks now equipped with dual air bags, which have been "depowered" to reduce risk to children and short-statured motorists. All new vehicles now offer improved side-impact protection measured by crash tests, and, as part of a four-year phase-in, one-fourth of new cars and light trucks will feature improved interior head protection as well. And to help improve child safety, all new cars will feature top anchorages for child-seat tether straps as standard equipment. The new model year is good for the environment too. All new cars and light trucks for the past four years have met strict new Federal tailpipe emissions standards ("Tier I"), which makes them 97% cleaner than vehicles of the 1960's, and has contributed to dramatic improvements in air quality. In fact, AAA just released a study showing that air quality has improved dramatically since the 1970s, will continue to improve, and that cars and light trucks have become so clean they contribution to the remaining air pollution is only 24%. New vehicles also have air conditioning systems free of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's). About half of the MY00 models will meet the even-stricter "National Low Emission Vehicle" ("NLEV") standards, an ambitious voluntary program by automakers to cut emissions to cut emissions by more than 99%, which will help guarantee continuing improvements in U.S. air quality. "These new safety and emissions features tend to add weight and reduce fuel economy," Steed noted. "But most consumers agree that safety and clean air are far more important than a small improvement in fuel economy." Steed, a former administrator of NHTSA, the federal agency responsible for motor vehicle safety and setting fuel economy standards, is credited with creating the impetus for the current high level of safety belt and child safety seat use in the U.S., and was the first to significantly reduce deaths and injuries caused by drunk drivers. She believes the EPA fuel-economy list is useful information for consumers if kept in perspective, but regrets that advocacy groups (for whom achieving unrealistic fuel economy levels is an article of faith) use it to mislead the public and downplay the safety trade- offs involved. The CVC is a non-profit organization representing more than 40,000 groups and individuals working to preserve Americans' access to safe and affordable cars and light trucks capable of meeting diverse personal and professional transportation needs. CVC members include automotive, insurance, consumer, farm, construction, recreation, law enforcement, seniors and safety organizations. For more information, visit CVC's website at http://www.vehiclechoice.org (See attached top ten sales charts.) MY 1999 EPA Top Ten Most Fuel Efficient Cars (using MY98 sales data -- the most recent data available) Make/Model Engine Transmission City Highway Units Size/No. of MPG MPG sold in Cylinders MY 1998 Chevrolet 1.0 liter M5 44 49 10816 Metro (61 CID)/3 Chevrolet 1.3 liter M5 39 43 2623 Metro (79 CID)/4 Suzuki Swift 1.3 liter M5 39 43 1323 (79 CID)/4 Honda Civic 1.6 liter M5 36 44 9225 HX (97 CID)/4 Honda Civic 1.6 liter AV 34 39 2272 HX (97 CID)/4 Toyota Paseo* 1.5 liter M5 29 35 718 (91 CID)/4 Toyota Paseo 1.5 liter M5 29 34 549 Convertible* (91 CID)/4 Mitsubishi 1.5 liter M5 33 40 9170 Mirage (91 CID)/4 Toyota Tercel 1.5 liter M5 31 39 3643 (91 CID)/4 Honda Civic 1.6 liter M5 32 37 41,873 (97 CID)/4 Total Sales 82,212 *MY97 data (MY98 not available) Total MY98 EPA top ten most fuel efficient passenger car sales: 82,212 % of all MY98 car sales: 1% % of all MY98 vehicle sales: one half of 1% Total MY98 Passenger Cars Sold - 8,108,366 Total MY98 Light Trucks Sold - 7,252,673 Total MY98 Vehicles Sold - 15,361,039 MY 1999 EPA Top Ten Most Fuel Efficient Cars Make/Model Engine Transmission City Highway Units Size/No. of MPG MPG sold in Cylinders MY 1998 Chevrolet 1.6 liter M5 25 28 2316 Tracker (97 CID)/4 2WD Convertible Suzuki 1.6 liter M5 24 26 312 Sidekick (97 CID)/4 2dr 2WD Suzuki 1.6 liter L4 23 24 389 Sidekick (97 CID)/4 2dr 2WD Chevrolet 1.6 liter M5 25 27 2801 Tracker 4X4 (97 CID)/4 Convertible Suzuki 1.6 liter M5 24 26 393 Sidekick (97 CID)/4 2dr 4X4 Toyota RAV4 2.0 liter L4 24 29 578 Soft top 2WD (122 CID)/4 Toyota RAV4 2.0 liter M5 24 29 5517 2WD (122 CID)/4 Toyota RAV4 2.0 liter L4 24 29 20801 2WD (122 CID)/4 Toyota RAV4 2.0 liter M5 24 29 405 Soft top 2WD (122 CID)/4 Suzuki 1.6 liter L4 23 24 466 Sidekick (97 CID)/4 2dr 4X4 Total Sales 33,978 Total MY98 EPA top ten most fuel efficient light truck sales: 33,978 % of all light truck sales: one half of 1% % of all vehicle sales: two tenths of 1% Total MY98 Passenger Cars Sold - 8,108,366 Total MY98 Light Trucks Sold - 7,252,673 Total MY98 Vehicles Sold - 15,361,039