{"id":50344,"date":"2012-05-31T08:30:24","date_gmt":"2012-05-31T12:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=50344"},"modified":"2012-05-31T07:59:29","modified_gmt":"2012-05-31T11:59:29","slug":"eco-models-arent-worth-the-money-finds-consumer-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2012\/05\/eco-models-arent-worth-the-money-finds-consumer-reports\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cEco\u201d Models Aren\u2019t Worth the Money, Finds Consumer Reports."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Despite great mileage, Consumer Reports pans the new Toyota Prius C.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hoping to squeeze every last mile out of a gallon of gas?\u00a0 Automakers have been launching a flood of new \u201ceco\u201d models designed to do just that.\u00a0 But a new report warns that the minimal extra mileage isn\u2019t worth the hefty price tag \u2013 which in some cases would require as much as 38 years of driving to recover in terms of lower fuel costs.<\/p>\n

The new study by Consumer Reports raises questions about a variety of conventionally powered Eco models, such as Ford Focus SFE, Chevrolet Cruze Eco and Honda Civic HF. But it was also skeptical of the benefits promised by some hybrid models, such as the new Toyota Prius C which, it declares, \u201cis fuel efficient, but not a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Your Trusted Source!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The problem is that the savings are offset by hefty initial premiums averaging between $500 and $800 above standard models.\u00a0 But in some cases, the savings on fuel may be as little as $20 per year.\u00a0 And, in some cases, consumers wind up sacrificing further in terms of cheaper interiors and poor road dynamics.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
It would take 38 years for the savings on fuel to cover the added cost of the Chevy Cruze Eco model.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Chevy Cruze Eco is a prime example, according to CR researchers.\u00a0 The special model undergoes some aerodynamic \u201ctweaks,\u201d and gets low rolling resistance tires \u2013 which add $800 to the price tag when compared to the similar Cruze LT.\u00a0 But even then, fuel economy increases just 1 mile per gallon, to a mid-pack 27 mpg in the City.\u00a0 Highway mileage jumps 4 mpg, to 40.<\/p>\n

For the typical owner, that would yield just $20 a year in savings for the typical driver clocking 12,000 miles a year and paying $4 a gallon \u2013 and require a 38-year \u201cpayback\u201d to recover the Cruze Eco\u2019s added cost.\u00a0 Savings would be a little better, the non-profit publication added, for those who do a lot of highway driving.<\/p>\n

The Honda Civic HF also tacks on another $800 to cover the low rolling resistance tires, rear spoiler and sealed underbody that reduces aerodynamic turbulence.\u00a0 That results in a 3 mpg jump in the compact model\u2019s mileage, to a combined 33 mpg.\u00a0 But even then, annual mileage savings are a modest $135, meaning a 6-year payback period \u2013 which is longer than most Americans keep a new car.<\/p>\n

And the magazine gave the overall driving dynamics of the Civic HF a poor review, which \u201cplaces it near the bottom\u201d of all small sedans.<\/p>\n

The magazine was much more upbeat about the \u201csolid feel\u201d of the Ford Focus SFE \u2013 short for Super Fuel Economy \u2013 which gets flush hubcaps, a rear spoiler and those higher-mileage tires.\u00a0 The SFE package gets a 3 mpg bump, to 31 mpg Combined, which Consumer Reports estimates would save $145 annually.\u00a0 The package only costs $495, so payback is a shorter 3.5 years.<\/p>\n

While CR has often praised Toyota\u2019s original Prius hybrid model, the magazine\u2019s report is far less kind to the new Prius C, the compact addition to the expanding Prius \u201cfamily.\u201d\u00a0 While the new model\u2019s City mileage rating of 37 mpg is \u201cstellar,\u201d the trade-off is significant in terms of the overall look and feel of the vehicle.<\/p>\n

At a list price of just $20,850, the magazine declared, \u201cdrivers will get what they pay for. This subcompact hatchback, which is related to the lackluster Toyota Yaris, suffers from a stiff ride, very noisy cabin, slow acceleration, and cheap-looking interior trim.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overall, the Prius C\u2019s test score, said Consumer Reports, puts it slightly under its chief competitor, the mediocre Honda Insight, and is too low for us to recommend the model.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Want to save money on gas? A number of automakers now offer “Eco” models that offer aerodynamic tweaks, fuel-efficient tires and other enhancements. But the higher price tags aren’t justified by the general minimal savings in gas, according to a new study by Consumer Reports — which also labels the new Toyota Prius C “fuel efficient, but not a deal.” More from TheDetroitBureau.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"make":[],"post-state":[],"category_old":[151],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50344"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50344\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50344"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=50344"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=50344"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=50344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}