Fuel Efficient Luxury/High-end cars??

[lesnar]

Are there any fuel efficient high-end/luxury cars that are NOT hybrids??

[JackyGor]

what is your definition of being fuel efficient?

[cipher]

Mercedes diesel
Audi A3 or A4
Lexus IS

[gherikill]

If you are worrying about fuel efficiency. You should not be buying a luxury car.

[brendonp]

If you are worrying about fuel efficiency. You should not be buying a luxury car.

This is a "poor" comment at best... If the OP has the means and desire to purchase luxury car, why not buy something more fuel efficient?

I'd agree with cipher on the Mercedes CDIs (or just about anything diesel). Many other "entry" level luxury cars are pretty good on the highway - the 2L audio turbos are OK on the gas mileage front (think high 30s MPG on the highway), and the BMW 3 series can net you mid 30s MPG on the highway as well (at least in 3L engine form). Oddly enough I just drove a Landrover Freelander 2 (or LR2 as the dealership keeps calling 'em), which actually got 37 MPG on the highway while I was in the midst of a half our long drive. This is probably the best mileage I've ever seen out of a non-diesel "luxury" SUV. The salesguy claimed you could push them into the low 40s on an extended highway trip if you stuck around 120kph, but I have my doubts.

As a comparison, I just checked a Hyundai Accent 3 door, and it has a stated 36MPG average on the highway - roughly the same as the vehicles mentioned above (and worse then "real" Land Rover numbers!).

I think that you'll probably find for city driving, most small econo cars will be better, since they tend not to have as much mass to move around...

[B0000rt]

Mercedes diesel
Audi A3 or A4
Lexus IS

I hope you're referring to the current generation IS, because I've checked the EPA specs on the original IS300 and gets 18/24mpg City/Highway! Horrible IMO for a 3.0L I6 that drives a car that weighs ~3300 lbs.

By comparison a 3.2L V6 CTS gets 18/26mpg City/Highway hauling a 3600lbs car!

[nerdonsite]

what about the Saab 9-5? It does about 10L/100 KM in combined city/hwy driving.

[Andro]

Are there any fuel efficient high-end/luxury cars that are NOT hybrids??

since you said fuel efficient luxury/high end - new Lexus LS 460

[snguy82]

acura csx (2.0L 4cyl)

lexus es350 - the 3.5L suppose to be fairly fuel efficient and fast too.

[ES_Revenge]

Wait for the hydrogen-powered BMW 7-Series? :P

The fact that you can only refuel (the hydrogen section) at like 7 locations in North America might make it prohibitive; that and the cost, LOL.

Plus I don't know about it being fuel efficient or not (don't know how the consumption actually is) but it's like zero emissions when running on hydrogen...

[ES_Revenge]

acura csx (2.0L 4cyl)

LOL. He said high end.

[new_vr]

911 twin turbo gives pretty good fuel economy on the highway. not so much in town though

[thesober]

LOL. He said high end.

LOL, i had a good laugh too!

[afong56]

pretty much what others have said--mercedes diesels, audi a4

otherwise, you're talking hybrid tech, or naught.

[Anessa]

The 8 cylinder 4.3L engine used in the previous gen GS430, LS430, SC430 has pretty decent fuel economy. Better fuel economy than the straight 6 that someone mentioned before.

[KawaiiTentacleBeast]

Corvette Z06.

26MPG combined. Also will go from 0=100 in 5th gear and outrun burning gasoline. :lol:

[mrlooneytoon]

What about a Bimmer?

[3weddings]

DH drives an e320 CDI and we LOVE it!

He commutes from the GTA to Ottawa weekly and even with diesel at .87 (at the Flying J) he can on one tank, go to Ottawa, drive to work all week (Gatineau), drive back to Napanee and fill up for $25.

He logs a total of 1300kms a week on about $40 worth of gas.

Since the e320 doesn't have the oil plug under the car we do our own oil changes with a marine pump and 'suction' the oil out of it. We use Amsoil Euro formula which costs us about $80 every few months.

We are talking about my getting the GL320 CDI for me because of it.

We have also found one of the best MB mechanics in the GTA who charges only $80 an hour versus higher dealer rates. DH's glowplugs went last week and incl. parts and labour it only cost us $350!!!!

[Anessa]

Does "DH" mean Desperate Husband? lol

[Evil Techie]

what kind of luxury car?

IS350, ES350, GS350 are all pretty fuel efficient for the amount of power they produce

as for high end, LS460 is pretty fuel efficient for its size and power too

but merc's CDI is still prob the best bet for fuel efficiency if you count in the diesels

[3weddings]

Does "DH" mean Desperate Husband? lol

LMAO....I suppose he could be!!! I actually meant Dear...lol....but he just left so he could 'desparately' be trying to get to Ottawa! haha

[gherikill]

If you want to save the environment, why not buy a Smart Car?

[malaco0219]

DH drives an e320 CDI and we LOVE it!

He commutes from the GTA to Ottawa weekly and even with diesel at .87 (at the Flying J) he can on one tank, go to Ottawa, drive to work all week (Gatineau), drive back to Napanee and fill up for $25.

He logs a total of 1300kms a week on about $40 worth of gas.

Since the e320 doesn't have the oil plug under the car we do our own oil changes with a marine pump and 'suction' the oil out of it. We use Amsoil Euro formula which costs us about $80 every few months.

We are talking about my getting the GL320 CDI for me because of it.

We have also found one of the best MB mechanics in the GTA who charges only $80 an hour versus higher dealer rates. DH's glowplugs went last week and incl. parts and labour it only cost us $350!!!!

Wow. 1300 KMs a week and only 40 bucks of gas? Wow, thats amazing.
Once hybrid technology becomes stronger hopefully it will be just as good.

[ES_Revenge]

DH drives an e320 CDI and we LOVE it!

He logs a total of 1300kms a week on about $40 worth of gas.

I (like others) have no clue what DH means, LOL... Also if it's a CDI I sure hope he's not putting gas[oline] in there!

Diesel stinks up the place period. To me, I'd rather have a gasoline car that gets a quarter the mileage than ever drive a diesel. It stinks up the place! Diesel seriously makes me sick, the smell is so bad. It's disgusting.Who cares if you're burning less fuel per km? If it smells that bad, imagine if everyone were driving diesels? Half the population would drop dead from the smell alone, LOL.

Now yeah give me all the nonsense about how it's NA diesel that's the problem and I say fine, but that doesn't change the fact that you are in NA and the diesel stinks here, quite literally.

[ES_Revenge]

If you want to save the environment, why not buy a Smart Car?
Perhaps because buying a "Smart" Car is one of the stupidest things anyone could possibly do? C'mon this is the RFD, I'm sure most people here know the car is an utter rip off, without a doubt.

Smart car would only be smart if:
a. it were half the price
b. it didn't burn diesel.

The thing is so narrow it's impractical. I nearly dropped one off a rail plate a while ago--that would have been terrible! Death in a smart car! :eek: LOL. Also the diesel engine stinks up the place. What's funny is most diesels have good low-end torque. I have no clue what the hell they are putting in the smart car but you literally have to open the throttle FULLY to get it to even move from a standstill. The car stinks both literally and metaphorically. Period.

[iam_immigrant]

BMW 335i

[malaco0219]

Perhaps because buying a "Smart" Car is one of the stupidest things anyone could possibly do? C'mon this is the RFD, I'm sure most people here know the car is an utter rip off, without a doubt.

Smart car would only be smart if:
a. it were half the price
b. it didn't burn diesel.

The thing is so narrow it's impractical. I nearly dropped one off a rail plate a while ago--that would have been terrible! Death in a smart car! :eek: LOL. Also the diesel engine stinks up the place. What's funny is most diesels have good low-end torque. I have no clue what the hell they are putting in the smart car but you literally have to open the throttle FULLY to get it to even move from a standstill. The car stinks both literally and metaphorically. Period.

I'm not sure about this, but is the Smart car not safe? I hear a lot of comments amongst family and friends feeling the Smart car not to be safe.

[seftonm]

Try a biodiesel blend if you don't like the smell of pure petroleum diesel. I found that I got used to the smell of diesel exhaust after a while and now don't mind it. I used to like the smell of gasoline but now that I don't use it, I don't like the smell as much.

I have no clue what the hell they are putting in the smart car but you literally have to open the throttle FULLY to get it to even move from a standstill.
There is no throttle on diesel engines.

[BartBandy]

My TSX does 8.5L/100km in mixed driving. I think that is quite good.

[ES_Revenge]

There is no throttle on diesel engines.

Touche. Diesels have no air throttle so the throttle is a fuel throttle... I could argue it's still a throttle but I won't bother--I should have simply said you have to mash the pedal to the floor to get it to move. And this is entirely true--you do have to put the gas pedal to around 80-100% of travel to get the "Smart Car" to even inch forwards. I've never been in a car like that before but such is the case with the so-called smart car.

Throttle or not, the Smart Car is a POS. Period.

[ES_Revenge]

I'm not sure about this, but is the Smart car not safe? I hear a lot of comments amongst family and friends feeling the Smart car not to be safe.

Crashwise the Smart Car is indeed safe. People think it isn't because of the size, but it is a pretty safe car. In fact in front-end collisions the Smart Car is safer than many cars that are a lot larger than it.

When I was talking about the width of the car is was rather more of a rant because the plates that adjoin rail cars (to drive the cars off) are set apart such that it is indeed possible to put the really narrow Smart Car off on one side. When you're on the 2nd level of a rail car and the drop down is a fair amount you definitely don't want to fall off a plate! The plates are fine for every other car out there, including the Mini. But the Smart Car? It's so narrow you have to worry about it being on, on both sides before going over every junction. (What saved me from falling off was the fact that only one wheel was off and the other three held it on, and the fact that the car is RWD and I was able to reverse okay.)

The above has absolutely no bearing on real life driving of course, but to me it's just another thing that ticks me off about the car. Honestly IMO it's the worst modern/new car on the road today and that's all there is to it.

[CompWizrd]

Touche. Diesels have no air throttle so the throttle is a fuel throttle... I could argue it's still a throttle but I won't bother--I should have simply said you have to mash the pedal to the floor to get it to move. And this is entirely true--you do have to put the gas pedal to around 80-100% of travel to get the "Smart Car" to even inch forwards. I've never been in a car like that before but such is the case with the so-called smart car.

Throttle or not, the Smart Car is a POS. Period.

stock engine is a 40hp diesel, with a fair amount of weight.. 0-60 is something like 19 seconds.

now, if you get them modified, you can get double the power, at a slight cost of milage, but even then they're not performance vehicles by any means.

now, if you had the money and time and boredom, you can do what they did with the smartuki.. 180hp motorcycle engine in a smart... 0-60 of 4.2, quarter mile of 12.4

[malaco0219]

Crashwise the Smart Car is indeed safe. People think it isn't because of the size, but it is a pretty safe car. In fact in front-end collisions the Smart Car is safer than many cars that are a lot larger than it.

When I was talking about the width of the car is was rather more of a rant because the plates that adjoin rail cars (to drive the cars off) are set apart such that it is indeed possible to put the really narrow Smart Car off on one side. When you're on the 2nd level of a rail car and the drop down is a fair amount you definitely don't want to fall off a plate! The plates are fine for every other car out there, including the Mini. But the Smart Car? It's so narrow you have to worry about it being on, on both sides before going over every junction. (What saved me from falling off was the fact that only one wheel was off and the other three held it on, and the fact that the car is RWD and I was able to reverse okay.)

The above has absolutely no bearing on real life driving of course, but to me it's just another thing that ticks me off about the car. Honestly IMO it's the worst modern/new car on the road today and that's all there is to it.

I personally like the idea, but I think the car is too small for my liking..

[Spray]

Definately would have to go to saab for this one. I used to get 32 MPG easily when driving decently.

[malaco0219]

Definately would have to go to saab for this one. I used to get 32 MPG easily when driving decently.

Which Saab? What year?

[*pgguy*]

Is there any fuel efficient luxury/high-end car(s) that uses regular gasoline?

[gilboman]

My TSX does 8.5L/100km in mixed driving. I think that is quite good.

not really for the small engine and low power. the TSX has mpg figures on par with a lot of V6's with a lot more power on tap

[BD006]

not really for the small engine and low power. the TSX has mpg figures on par with a lot of V6's with a lot more power on tap

How is that low power for a naturally aspirated 2.4L?

[Spray]

My 1999 9-3 Turbo. Although a 9-5 Aero will get pretty close to the same depending on how you drive it. They really are fuel sippers, but can get right on that power when you need them to.

My friend just drove his 9-5, with his wife, kid and luggage out east, at an everage speed of 140. He totalled around 28mpg the whole trip, pretty incredible for a 250HP turbo if you ask me.


Which Saab? What year?

[gherikill]

Is there any fuel efficient luxury/high-end car(s) that uses regular gasoline?

The only luxury car that takes regular gasoline that I know of is the Lincoln MKZ.

[malaco0219]

My 1999 9-3 Turbo. Although a 9-5 Aero will get pretty close to the same depending on how you drive it. They really are fuel sippers, but can get right on that power when you need them to.

My friend just drove his 9-5, with his wife, kid and luggage out east, at an everage speed of 140. He totalled around 28mpg the whole trip, pretty incredible for a 250HP turbo if you ask me.

I wonder if the current Saabs are just as fuel efficient? I don't know anyone that drives a Saab, but i really like the styling of the current 9-3, and wonder if it's fuel efficient.

[Spray]

I'm pretty sure the 210HP 9-3 is a great fuel sipper as well.

I wonder if the current Saabs are just as fuel efficient? I don't know anyone that drives a Saab, but i really like the styling of the current 9-3, and wonder if it's fuel efficient.

[gilboman]

How is that low power for a naturally aspirated 2.4L?

low power relative to other cars with similar or lower fuel consumption was what i meant along with high fuel consumption for the size of the engine

[TenzoR]

LS600H

it's a hybrid :lol:

[*pgguy*]

The only luxury car that takes regular gasoline that I know of is the Lincoln MKZ.
Really? Guess if you can afford a luxury car, then you can afford premium gas >:(
How about any older fuel efficient luxury vehicles that uses regular gasoline? Perhaps 2001--> ?

[malaco0219]

I'm pretty sure the 210HP 9-3 is a great fuel sipper as well.
Yea most likely.
What're Saab known good for?

[KevC]

Yea most likely.
What're Saab known good for?

"different" styling. Used to be *very* different, but now I guess market pressure has caused them to look like pretty much every other european sports sedan.

They make nice turbo i4 and fwd cars.

[Spray]

Saab is pretty well known for safety as well, and cars with nice low end torque for passing.

[Anessa]

Yea most likely.
What're Saab known good for?

Very stylish 5 door cars. Their Sportcombis are some of the better looking 5 doors out there.

[ES_Revenge]

Is there any fuel efficient luxury/high-end car(s) that uses regular gasoline?
Most all of them can run okay on regular gasoline. Unless the engine has really high compression or has forced induction, usually it won't harm anything either. The engine management will just ****** the spark. So long as you don't get any detonation (i.e. "knock" or "ping") then you're not harming anything. However with the spark ******** the engine will not be outputting as much power as it would with higher/more appropriate octane gasoline (as the spark will be advanced).

The end result (sometimes even seen on cars that are supposed to run on 87 octane, btw) is sometimes that going cheaper on gasoline is actually outweighed by a decrease in fuel economy. Now this completely differs from car to car, so it's always something to try out (drive a few tankfuls on 87, drive a few tankfuls on 91 and do the calculations).

But no matter what you do you're definitely getting less power/performance out of the engine if it were designed with a "minimum 89" or "minimum 91" octane fuel. As I said though provided the engine doesn't run into detonation, then a lot of cars out there meant to run on "premium" can run just fine on "regular", with the caveats above.