I'm Fuckngrooven in my Hempi shorts.....

[Bezor]

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081013/FREE/810099968/1528/newsletter01

Point of reference, I own a 4-door V.W. GTi gussied up and sold as the Audi A3.  I have the awesome DSG.  This article lists 24.5 on the freeway.   As an owner, I disagree.  I've recorded 34 mpg.  Granted, this mileage is not obtained by pulling on 350Zs or crusing at 80 with an open lane in front and a 540i sniffing your bumper when you decide to flick down a few gears instantly propelling you to 110 mph.  In those instances, the GTI/A3 will give you the reported mpg.  Which is just fine with me. 

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OK, if you insist on panicking at the onset of $4-a-gallon gas, we will join right in. Go ahead, get off the grid, grow your own organic broccoli and wear hemp boxer shorts. But don't give up having fun on the highway! We'll show you how to double your mileage so you can drive around all day like it was 2004 and gas was only $2-something a gallon.

How? Two words: motor cycles. Or is it one word? Remember them? If you can have more fun on pavement than a two-wheeler perfectly matched to your size, shape and ability, well, you probably own a Porsche or something and we salute you. But you can get on a world-class bike for less than $10,000, and an even better bike for $12,000. If you have $16,000, you can get a Ducati 1098 and you just may never come home at all.

We covered basic bikes from across the spectrum and had a darn good time doing it, some more so than others. (Before you start the hate mail, we asked for a Harley, but they were all headed to Milwaukee for the 105th. Happy birthday, Harley-Davidson!)

But bikes aren't the only way to save gas and have fun. We also drove several high-mpg-but-sporty cars and found you can have fun on four wheels, seat four or five and drive out of the showroom for $17,000. You also don't have to spend all that money on leathers, helmet and kamikaze bike insurance. In any case, if you insist on downsizing, don't surrender fun to do it.



2009 CHEVROLET COBALT SS: Frugal fun
BY WES RAYNAL


The SS starts with your basic $15,000 Cobalt and adds General Motors' boosted 2.0-liter Ecotec four from the Pontiac Soltice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline, producing 260 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.

This engine provides plenty of poke, especially once you rev it above three grand. Above four grand, it starts to get a little coarse, though, so between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm seems to be its sweet spot.

The suspension is lowered eight millimeters and modified with 24-millimeter stabilizer bars at both ends, attempting to reduce torque steer. (In our brief test, hard throttle launches could still induce torque steer.) There are new bushings front and rear and a 10 percent quicker 14.8:1 steering ratio. There are vented Brembo disc brakes with ABS and Y-rated Conti-Sport summer tires, and electronic stability control.

GM says the car should return 0.9 g on the skidpad and hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. That's damned respectable, and after the good, hard floggings we gave it, the SS returned a more-than-respectable 24.5 mpg.

Inside, the seats are comfortable, with a nice blend of mesh and other materials that make them look racy. The instrument panel is laid out well, everything within reach. A boost gauge on the A-pillar keeps you abreast of the turbo status. The Cobalt features "no-lift shift," in which the engine-management system controls spark and timing during upshifts when you keep your foot flat on the floor, keeping the turbo spooled up to increase acceleration.

Some of us around here think Chevy's SS badge should still mean something. Ever since GM shoe John Heinricy drove one to an 8:20.59 lap around the Nürburgring's Nordschleife, we've figured this Cobalt does its best to live up to the hype.

SPECS

Price: $23,435

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 25/24.9 mpg

 

2008 DODGE CALIBER SRT4: No normal Caliber
BY JONATHAN WONG


For the Caliber SRT4, Dodge used the formula most carmakers follow when building sport compacts. Start with an affordable car, then add power, better brakes, stiffer suspension, a body kit and presto! You have a pocket rocket.

From launch, there's no mistaking the SRT4 for a normal Caliber. Pull from the 2.4-liter, 285-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder with 265 lb-ft of torque is strong after a brief turbo lag and stays consistent up to redline. The front-drive SRT4 lays down power and controls torque steer better than Mazda's Mazdaspeed 3. The good news is that while premium is recommended, the SRT4 can run on regular at the expense of 10 hp and 20 lb-ft of torque. Not bad for a car that returns 22 mpg following spirited drives.

The SRT4 also is impressive when tossed around, thanks to a lower ride height, stiffer springs, shocks and 19-inch wheels. Under-steer is there for corners, but not severe with the car staying fairly flat and controllable when driven hard. For daily runs, the suspension is forgiving enough for most rough roadways. Our only complaint is an overly weighted steering feel.

We like the interior's deeply bolstered seats and the neat performance-data display that calculates 0-to-60-mph times (the SRT4 hits it in 6.1 seconds), brake distances, lateral and longitudinal g-forces and quarter-mile times. With respectable fuel economy and performance not found in the boring base Caliber, the SRT4 is a good way to save on gas costs without sacrificing driving fun.

SPECS

Price: $23,930

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 22/21.7 mpg

 

2008 VOLKSWAGEN GTI: Sweet spot
BY JONATHAN WONG

Want a quick car with a high-tech transmission that gets good mileage to boot? Then look no further than Volkswagen's GTI. VW's sports-compact icon brings a more mature and upscale feel to the fuel-conscious fun party with a forgiving suspension perfect for everyday drives and a quality interior.

Our five-door test car was outfitted with the available six-speed, dual-clutch transmission offering lightning quick up- and downshifts. The quicker gear changes give the DSG-equipped models a leg up on manual-transmission cars in the 0-60-mph department--6.9 seconds versus 7.2 seconds, according to VW. Not blazing quick, but respectable.

We herald the FWD GTI's turbocharged four-cylinder for its broad 200-hp powerband, but also for its healthy 207 lb-ft of torque available from just 1,800 rpm. Prem-ium fuel is required for maximum output, but regular can be used at a slight performance reduction.

The softer suspension yields impressive handling agility and grip around town, but falls short of the Civic Si's sharper abilities at the limit. Our car pushed some when attacking corners on the 17-inch all-season tires, but VW offers an 18-inch wheel and summer tire package to help. Steering offers quick response and is well weighted.

Being a hatchback, it can carry its fair share of cargo, making the GTI a dual threat that'll haul both gear and tail when called upon.

SPECS

Price: $23,590

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 24/24.9 mpg

 

2008 SCION TC: Not just for kids
BY MARK VAUGHN



Amidst all the stories about Scion's marketing strategy and its means for capturing the youth market, it seems we've overlooked one thing: "Hey, this car's fun!" The tC has been on the market since 2005, a lifetime in the segment. Getting back into a tC after a long time away, we were pleasantly surprised at the immediate throttle response. It seemed like there was horsepower all across the tach, not just up around the 6,200-rpm redline, as is the case with many high-output fours.

When we tested this car at the drag strip three years ago, it hit 60 mph in 7.84 seconds. Its 2.4-liter four makes 161 hp and has only 2,932 pounds to pull around. It's practical, too. You can get two kiddie seats in the back and the kids won't kick your seatback. And they'll enjoy the panoramic glass moonroof.

Behind the relatively big (for a sport-compact coupe) interior, there's 60/40 split rear-folding seats that allow you to carry almost everything you need in suburban life. It carried everything we asked of it in our week's stewardship. It's fun and practical, plus the kids will think you're stylin' hip, or whatever term they use nowadays.

SPECS

Price: $17,620

Fuel Economy (EPA): 23 mpg

 

2008 MINI COOPER S: Mini's green performer
BY JONATHAN WONG
Asked to name fun, fuel-efficient cars, everyone in the AutoWeek brain trust put the Mini Cooper atop their lists. The Cooper's tight chassis, quick steering, crisp handling and brisk acceleration have been a hit with us since its arrival in 2002.

That even the S model gets near 30 mpg was great in the $2-a-gallon era, but now, the car's fuel efficiency earns equal billing with performance--it does 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds--and Minis are more popular than ever. Demand exceeds the supply out of England, forcing dealers to take orders for the rest of the year.

We lined up a turbocharged S tester. From the first turn of the wheel, we could not help but grin. Every-thing is dialed in with potent power from the 1.6-liter, 172-hp turbocharged engine with 177 lb-ft of torque. The Mini's eager handling nature makes it a riot rounding corners.

Normal driving is comfortable with solid on-road qualities and a well-built interior. Our minor complaints involve climate- and radio-control foibles.

If fuel economy is a priority, the normally aspirated 118-hp base Cooper is EPA-rated at 32 mpg (versus 29 for the S) and is nearly as much fun. If it's more power you want, spring for the 208-hp John Cooper Works version (29 mpg combined). The Mini convertible has the worst fuel economy in the range (26 mpg combined); the Club-man and Clubman S return the same mileage as their shorter stablemates.

Mini makes the case that fun and fuel efficiency aren't conflicting aims.

SPECS

Price: $21,850

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 29/28.6 mpg

[Otto Puzzell]

That Cobalt sedan's a sleeper.

[Bezor]

That Cobalt sedan's a sleeper.

A recent review on 5thGear tested a version of that chassis and could not reconcile the torque steer.

Sleeper it is especially with the Stage 2 upgrade.