[paul8488]

Originally posted by Dodge Drivin' Paul@Jun 12 2004, 02:17 PM
This means that their statistics are worthless, because by bringing trucks into the average, the figures for the cars are going to be skewed.

you're right. an average that covers such a large population doesn't mean much. if 95% of the vehicles sold in 2003 were subcompacts there'd be a problem, but there's no information on the breakdown of the types of vehicles sold. i'd be more interested in seeing what the average weight of vehicles was in each class. DDP's examples suggest that perhaps things aren't so bad.

does anyone know how significant an effect less weight can have on fuel economy? does shedding 100 lbs from a car make a noticeable difference? where can the most impact be made with regards to fuel economy? engine displacement? aerodynamics? transmission gearing? weight savings? GM seems to have it figured out with the impala and malibu... over 40 mpg sure impresses me for decent-sized V6 sedans. i'm just curious to know where auto manufacturers can get the best bang for their buck when aiming for fuel efficiency.