What is so great about crossovers.?

Question

I was looking at mileage and I remember getting over 40 mpg city and 44+ hiway when I was younger in a Chevette. I think it was a 1.3L. The engines on the crossovers (the smaller cars) are about the same size but they are boasting 28, 32 mpg. What's up with that?

Answer 1

I used to own a chevette.  It was a 1.6L engine.  You are mistaken about the MPG.  Maybe you are thinking just fondly of your past.

About the new crossover, it as much to do with the weight of the car - not just the engine side.  After all it takes energy to move mass around town.

good Luck...

Answer 2

just cross ove rthe bridge

Answer 3

quite obviously the car industry is failing us.

Answer 4

A "crossover" is supposed to be a cross between an SUV and a car.  In my day, we had a name for these things - cars.  They are glorified station wagons, which may or may not have all wheel drive.  It's essentially a marketing gimick to make you think that you bought an SUV (and charge you near SUV prices) when you didn't.

I suspect when you say "crossover" you mean "hybrid".  Your Chevette was very light weight - similar in weight to a Toyota Prius (actually a Prius is slightly heavier and a bit bigger), which gets ~60MPG.  Your figure of 44MPG seems a little high, but I don't recall exactly what chevette got, so I'll take your word for it.  Manufacturuers have it in their heads that Americans want SUVs, so they have been making hybrid SUVs, which get the MPGs that you quote.  None of them burn E85 Ethanol (which to me is crazy - people who buy hybrids are the same people who like to buy E85 - duh).

A hybrid has a smaller gas engine, which runs a generator.  It then has batteries, which drive an electric motor.  The gas engine, when it runs, runs full blast (which is its peak efficency), and shuts down when the battery is charged.  It may actually kick in and assist the electric motor under certain conditions.  By running the engine at peak efficency, you get higher MPG.

Answer 5

I don't know where those came from. I think they're ugly.

Answer 6

Ha when I read the question I thought you were talking about Fan fictions. Ha shows I know nothing about cars.