8 Roomy Alternatives To Gas-Guzzling SUVs

Scion xB

Base price: $15,750 - $15,750
Mileage: 28 mpg Hwy, 22 mpg City

The tough, lovable Scion xB has become an even more viable SUV alternative with its recent redesign. There's more interior space and more useful cubbies in which to toss random stuff. It's also more enjoyable to drive day-to-day.

It retains its center-mounted gauges, which are surprisingly easy to get used to. Plus, it has a funky radio with animated graphics you can select

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[ratcityreprobate]

I know that the Feds changed the mileage calculations this year and all cars mileage numbers declined, but haven't the Scion's mpg numbers dropped substantially since it was introduced? Has Toyota been supersizing it?

[fillou]

I had a mazda protege5 with a hatchback, manual gear, I bought it in 2002 for 21000 bucks, sold it 5 years later for 11.000 bucks. BEST RESALE VALUE it had 85.000 miles, mint exterior and interior condition because the car was high quality built.A friend bought a Malibu at the same time, after 4 years it started falling apart and spent more time at the dealership to get fixed.
Now I got a Mazda 3 hatchback, I get a great value, great price, enough room for 4 people + luggage and I get 35-38 mpg as I got a MANUAL gear with a 4 cylinder. Funny and sad how people in the Usa are obsessed with useless V6 engines on sedans ...

I also love to watch american people at the red light stumping on their brake even when their car is stopped because they all drive automatic cars and don't put it back in neutral while they wait at a red light : so they even consume more gas at a red light with their automatic gear. One advise : put in back in NEUTRAL when you wait 5 minutes at a red light

[avraamjack]

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Those 8 vehicles are wimpy , claustrophobic triumphs of marketing.
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If you want fuel ellicency and size get a Mercedes/Freighliner/Dodge Sprinter.
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25 MPG and 500 cubic feet of storage.
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http://www.dodge.com/en/2008/sprinter/
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[fillou]

We had those in Europe for more than 30 years ... Funny that americans just found out about this type of vehicles ...

[avraamjack]

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We have been sorely deprived by domestic offerings.
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Because of import tariffs, it is cheaper for Mercedes to build the Sprinter cargo van in Europe, disassemble it, ship it to the USA and have Chrysler reassemble and sell it. They still sell all they can send over even with the huge premium they charge because the GM/Ford options are dung.
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That might change in 2010 when Nissan starts producing a competitor in the USA.
.l
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[dadw5boys]

Are they stll testing for the miles per gallon average with 100 octane gas THAT WE CAN'T BUY?

[deepintheheartoftejas]

Why would higher octane gas have any effect on a car that runs fine on low octane? You do know what the octane rating system is for, right?

[KillTheMessenger]

Prius: 47+mpg. Beat that.

[ErnestineBass]

The Prius is a wonderful auto, but I remain disappointed by Toyota's failure to raise their American fleet numbers across the board.

Why do Asian and European versions get almost TWICE the mpg of those produced and sold in the American market?

[UnbiasView]

Because the American dollar is worthless, use your head.

[KillTheMessenger]

I think you are wrong on pretty much all counts. Toyota sells every Prius they make immediately. Sales are production limited, even at a time when US car sales are down big time.

The US version gets basically the same gas mileage as the European and Japanese versions. Theoretically you could hypermile a US Prius just as well as you can the other versions. In practice, however, if you tried it on a typical US freeway, an aggressive SUV driver changing lanes without looking would drive you off the road or the highway patrol officer will issue a $250 ticket. Neither are worth the fuel savings. I rather buy another gallon of gas than be dead, any day.