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' List
WASHINGTON, 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