The CAR WIZARD shares which vehicles TO Buy & NOT to Buy for Fuel Economy

[@houseofno]

Ford Excursion - will pass anything except a gas station. Eight mpg isn't fuel mileage that's a fuel leak.

[@umad42]

Used to have a Dodge Ram 1500, think it was a 95, great truck, loads of power, comfy seats, nice long bed, 13 mpg. I understand the pain of Excursion owners lol

[@bennettmonumentco.4791]

Grew up in a 00' Excursion, it was Diesel though. My dad made the right choice there! Great diesels in that era, before Ford stopped using diesels from International.

[@altafari]

I have a 1997 Nissan that was getting 15mpg. There was a hole rusted in the gas tank. Replaced the tank back to 22mpg, its a 4x4.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

Charlie Bennett The 6.0 Powerstroke is crap.

[@jeremyorr7469]

Get the 7.3l

[@DanielJaegerFilms]

Definitely get a 7.3 diesel if you want an excursion. The 5.4 is gutless and the V10 guzzles fuel like crazy.

[@TheTubaMan2]

Unfortunately, everyone else agrees with you. Supply is low, demand is high. $$$

[@atx-cvpi_99]

And the 6.0 is a turd.

[@robertbetz2933]

Yup! V10 is a great motor but gets horrible MPG a 6.0 can be reliable....after you dump about 8k into bulletproofing and repairs which at that point you just spent enough money to get a solid 7.3 truck

[@austinwilliamson2920]

@James Rubicon even an old Chevy tbi 350 or 454 could beat a ford v10

[@scottlawless8854]

You don't buy an excursion for gas mileage for sure. True the 5.4 is gutless, but with 300k, a life almost entirely spent on and off oil leases for the last 10 years in 4 different states...that 5.4 2V has given me ZERO trouble, still on the original trans, and 15 avg on the highway. Meanwhile, my buddies that opted for the 7.3 in theirs (and city life) have spent a chunk of change having their trans rebuilt, turbos, etc. If you pull, then yeah, totally agree the 7.3 is the only way to go. But if you are hauling a lot of weight onboard and don't have the need to drive like a dumba$$, the 5.4 2V runs pretty much forever (and fires right up in 10 degrees lol). To each his own but mine has definitely made me far more money than it will ever cost me...

[@eddstarr2185]

Believe It! Wizard, I used to own a 1973 Continental Mark IV. After a tune-up the car averaged 6 to 8 mpg! People regularly came up to me to say how beautiful the car looks parked in my driveway. I would usually reply, "yes, I'd rather look at it than drive it". And no, I wasn't joking!

[@b52murph]

About 20 years ago I owned a '78 Continental 4-door. Factory 460 had a blown rod, so we swapped the engine with a 460 from a '68 Conti complete with a pre-smog, pre-Nixon era four-barrel carb. The gas gauge went down almost as fast as the speedometer went up...maybe 4-5mpg on a good day?

[@eddstarr2185]

@@b52murph Patrick Bedard @ Car & Driver Magazine back in the 70's used to joke, "Lincoln owners looking for better gas mileage often trade up to a Motorhome RV!". Even the GMC Motorhome of 1978, with the Toronado 455, got better mileage than the Lincoln Town Car.

[@lesfaust9634]

I had a 69 mark 3, with no pollution controls, ,I got about 9 miles city and 13 on the highway, but you also have to figure the car weights almost 3 tons with 370 hpr

[@Biskawow]

captain world here - 8 U.S. MPG = 29.40 Liters per 100 km

[@ceylontea5877]

I did too but that time gas was 99cents gallon

[@JoeLindell]

I was shopping for a car in 2016. Started looking at used Prius. For about $2,000-$3,000 more than a loaded Prius, I got a used 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited. Now it doesn't get Prius mileage, but it gets 35 MPG in town, 40+ on the road, but it's big and comfortable and loaded with features -- heated and cooled seats, radar cruise, navigation, etc.. In addition it's been very reliable. I haven't spent a dime on unscheduled maintenance.

[@sejembalm]

I have heard good things about the Avalon. Here's a review: - 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited is IN THE DRIVE kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJfPoWCvo9WGbJI

[@RickWright66]

Own a 2005 lesabre for the last 7 years. Amazing car! I replaced all suspension components... and bearings all around....flawless! Love it! 173k so far

[@Raptor3388]

Hey gas is also $1.80 in France ! ...per liter :(

[@Jason-fp7vi]

Wow, the highest I remember it here in Ontario Canada was $1.40 in the 2008 recession. 1.80 would be awful, it's no wonder you guys like to drive fuel efficient diesels

[@Jason-fp7vi]

@Last Name First Jesus... Didn't even consider that. I feel like a fool for ever complaining about Canada's gas prices

[@MrKnutriis]

lol

[@vibingwithvinyl]

Roughly the same here in Finland, about 1.5€ per liter.

[@tuneskramer69]

In the Netherlands same price as France, if you convert liters to gallons and the euro to dollar conversion. We pay almost $10 bucks a gallon

[@dougfromsoanierana]

The Gen2 Prius does have one costly quirk: there’s a bladder in the gas tank (designed to reduce emissions) that can collapse over time and limit how much gas you can get in the tank. I can only get about 6 gallons at once in my 2008 Prius (when I should get 11+). The only fix is a complete replacement of the gas tank, which is an $800 part and lots more in labor. So if you are looking to buy a Gen2, find a way to verify it holds a full tank.

[@losthighway53]

I'll throw my hat in the ring. I absolutely LOVE my 05 Crown Vic. Base model with a 3 speed. 18-20 city, 22.5 -24 highway with 600,000 to damn near a million mile reliability engine wise. And parts are DIRT CHEAP😁

[@jrodigan5]

I have a 1996 Lincoln Town Car with 300k miles and it still gets 27 mpg highway. Panther platform FTW!

[@Derek8487]

Next car I get I'm considering one of those or the mercury version. Preferably owned by an old person who took care of it

[@Escobar224]

Those cars are build like tanks, it’s a shame they stopped making them.

[@carsontoopes837]

Best I got was 26.8 in my 94 town car, and my vic got 390 miles on 7/8 of a tank

[@kevinlimo696]

I've had lots and lots of the Lincolns of the age. An 86 and 87, very close to your numbers. 96 98 99(limo) 01(reg&limo) that get the same numbers. As well as 01 F150 with 5.4 that get just shy your numbers. What I truly like is the interchangeability of parts and ease of service.

[@ElliottAlvis]

I own a 2008 Prius that I ALSO bought from EuroAsian Bob. It’s been one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Proud to have a car that the Wizard approves of.

[@kevinshort3943]

My Dad looked at a Prius a while ago (quite a while ago actually), and the mpg wasn't any better than a good diesel.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Your Prius is Wizard approved, that should make it worth more 😷

[@ElliottAlvis]

@Clif Bradley 😂😂😂

[@nautilusshell940]

I'm disappointed there's no H2 Hummer!

[@juki6377]

i love my 2008 prius but i'm getting a bit bored :/ its also rubbish to haul stuff the hatch is too small

[@angryshoebox]

In 2008 during the recession those used Geo/Chevy Metros were popular, selling for like $7k or $8k at the time.

[@wingracer1614]

I knew a guy that had a used up, ragged out one that had been sitting for a couple years. When the gas prices got nuts, he threw a new battery in it, cleaned it up as best as he could, got it running and sold it for 3k. Before that he at best could have got a couple hundred bucks in scrap for it.

[@CouchMan88]

I noticed all the Tahoe's and Suburban's parked in driveways during that time are back on the road now too. Now everyone is buying SUV's again too. Of course the mileage isn't as bad as they used to be in SUV's but just wait until gas goes up again.

[@Browningate]

Imagine how many miles you'd have to drive in a year to make up the difference. People are irrational. But, when you need an excuse to buy a new car and justify it to yourself, that'll do just fine.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

2003-05 Honda Civic Hybrids were $17k. Now they are $3k. They were really bad about the hybrid batteries.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

@@CouchMan88 I really doubt it because electric cars are coming. Americans will continue to drive Tahoes and Suburbans for years to come no matter if it’s powered by gasoline or electric. Today’s Tahoe and Suburban gets 20 mpg on the highway with the 5.3 EcoTec3 V8. The Silverado with the 4.3 EcoTec3 gets 23 mpg.

[@matthewwolfe4509]

Wizard, as a Saab owner your Saab comments cut me deep. My 2.3 9-5 can pretty easily hit 30mpg and honestly, it's one of the easiest cars I have worked on.

[@musicalbenjiman]

My 2016 Corolla S is easy on the wallet. I compute gas mileage at the station with a calculator, and I get 35 in the city and 40 on the road. The computer measuring the fuel economy is optimistic in the city and self-deprecating on the highway. 0-60mph is 10 seconds, which is manageable in all but the most relentless traffic. Interestingly, it seems to be an intelligent drivetrain. When I drive spiritedly for a while, it is more responsive but the mileage drops 1 mpg or 2; when I go back to gramps mode it slowly creeps back up to optimal mileage.

[@steinfeld.motors]

I have a 2008 Volvo S40 1.6 Turbodiesel. it's basically the beautiful version of the Ford Focus from back then (same chassis, platform, suspension etc, but SO good lookin). I was sceptical about the "small" motor, and it's not great performance-wise, but I get about 50 MPG combined, so it always puts a smile on my face when I'm fueling up :)

[@TheCoopMan]

15:22 I’ve owned 2 suburbans with 454s, 1 with an 8.1 vortec and a v10 excursion. This Is exactly how I felt with each one. I love the power from big blocks. And although I say I plan on bad mileage, it ends up being death by a thousand pinpricks. Yes I can bid gas into a job as a independent contractor. But you can’t bid in grocery runs and cruising around town. At 7-8 mpg, that stuff adds up way faster than you think. I didn’t want to hassle with diesel. But I finally broke down and bought a mid 2000s Duramax. Even with repairs, I’m still ahead with gas mileage counted in.

[@drunkenhobo8020]

I'd like to hear a Wizard's "Buy/Not Buy" on vehicle safety. May have experience from ones that have come into the shop almost totalled from a 5 mph bump, or things that have been in serious collisions and haven't had a dent on them. Things like land yachts look safe but they fold like paper bags in crash tests.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

Drunken Hobo Chevrolet Aveo is a don’t buy. They are not reliable and they are not even safe in a wreck. Datsun 280Z is a don’t buy because of the Car Wizard’s personal experience. Volvos are synonymous for safety so it’s almost always a buy.

[@drunkenhobo8020]

@@atx-cvpi_99 I couldn't buy one even if I wanted to. Chevrolet pulled out of the UK market as their sales were so terrible. You know it's a bad car when even the British won't buy it!

[@atx-cvpi_99]

Drunken Hobo And the Australians quit buying Holdens as soon as GM slapped the Holden emblem on a Daewoo. There’s a reason why GM left Australia and New Zeleand except for specialty cars like the Corvette. After 2017, sales plummeted even more.

[@pablopicaro7649]

BMW I3 total when birds poop on it

[@taunusv4power]

@@drunkenhobo8020 pssst! Vauxhall is Chevrolet!

[@jacobcritser8859]

One of my friend's mom had a 2008 Prius and just in 9 years racked up 398,000 miles before the battery went out and other then that everything still worked on it! They might be hated but they are great cars.

[@eliwilson3902]

My friend has a jetta TDI and we all worship that car. It's a manual transmission, it was an Arizona car so it's rust free, over 200,000 miles and makes turbo sounds. He's had it for around a year and he claims he's never getting rid of it. He also went almost 10,000 miles without an oil change and you'd never even know it.

[@ironymatt]

Oil changes don't make a noticeable difference in performance, but you'll notice when you have to spring for a new engine prematurely because the bearings are shot and the valves are all fouled to oblivion. It's a lot more critical to change the oil in the TDIs, that's what makes them run forever. Diesel doesn't burn as clean as gas, so deposits build up faster.

[@jhorvat8478]

1.9tdi VW do 4.4l on 100km on open road, 5.5l on 100km city(driven 2.3 milion km regular service).. touareg 2.5tdi R5 7l on 100km open, and 12.5l on 100km city(driven 300k kilometers regular service)

[@SIXPACFISH]

No, you won't notice if you don't change the oil, but the car sure will! You will not like how your engine expresses its displeasure in being neglected.

[@timothykeith1367]

@@ironymatt The TDI engines get varnish on the valves and pistons if you don't change the oil on schedule, definitely reduces the life of the motor.

[@Mikey-xz4vn]

Owned a Mk4 Jetta TDI with the manual - can confirm, great gas mileage (and during the years I owned it diesel was often _cheaper_ than regular unleaded)

[@frles3003]

For european viewers, when it comes to 1.6 litre VW Gold/Bora/Passat from roughly year 2000-2006, be very wary of the transmission cause the stock one apparently has a flaw that can cause it to fail spectacularly. There was huge amounts of money to be made for aftermarket dealers by selling new transmissions for those engines with certain reinforced components cause the failure rate of the stock transmissions were so high. I am not sure if the 1.6 was sold in the US, but if they do, they might have the same issue.

[@cnorton1us]

I bought a 1987 Chevy Sprint brand new for $6400, it was the predecessor to the Geo Metro. On the highway I measured 52 mpg, and that was going 65+ mph across NY state where it wasn't all that flat. With the 5-speed stick the 48 HP from the 3 banger actually was reasonably peppy. The car it replaced was a '77 Dodge Monaco with the 318 cid V8, 2 bbl carb and 3-speed auto; that old beast would do 18 mpg on the highway. With a 25 gallon tank it was expensive to fill up, but it'd go a long way before needing a refill. I was most surprised by the Town Car. Sure, I expected it would be bad, but 4 mpg?!? Dang, are you sure it wasn't just pouring out on the street? It sounds like you could watch the gas gauge drop whenever you floored it!

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

Honorable mention for gas guzzler, Lexus IS300. Here's a car that is the size of a Toyota Corolla but its rated at 16 city/22 highway, and "requires" premium fuel. Its a fun car to drive, great handling, RWD, the 2JZ inline six makes decent power and sounds AMAZING, but damn its hard on gas for being a tiny car. I used to have a similar SC300, same 2JZ engine/5 speed manual, that did 18 in town, 23 highway. Mainly though its the cost of premium fuel that ate me out of house and home(.50 to $1 a gallon more), I drove that car pretty hard so I never chanced it with regular.

[@ivanf4023]

11:00 The Prius Prime has a Li-Ion battery. The Prius (regular 2nd gen, 3rd gen, 4th gen) have NiMH battery packs. They're all 200V packs but the MaH is drastically different (obviously).

[@danielkramer8586]

I read recently that the AWD version of the 4th gen uses a NIMH battery, but the others use a Li-Ion.

[@simonwelch9092]

VW 1.9 TDi engine is very good. I've had a few cars that used that engine. Economy is great and isn't affected with the aircon switched on. I didn't get any horrible surprises with any of them.

[@timothykeith1367]

I'd like to swap the 1.9 TDI into my '83 Dodge Rampage trucklet.

[@jmi5969]

I'm not that confident (15-year-old Golf Plus with 1.9 PD diesel and 6-speed DSG). My long-term average is under 5.5l/100km (43 mpg US) but that's mostly summer country driving. In the city it climbs to around 25-30 mpg US. Underpowered for the weight of the car, but still feels very solid and robust.

[@FabiWann]

The 1.9 VAG TDI is one of the most reliable diesel engines ever. It runs forever.

[@Fit4C]

Jesus loves you alot trust in His death 4 salvation and be saved from eternal hell

[@PiotrusNazwiskowy]

1.9 TDi is most meh and boring engine in the world.

[@bradleykurtz5536]

“Two-juar-egg” My first car was a 2002 Volvo S80. That 4,500 lbs tank with 165,000+ miles got 22/30 MPG. I was so impressed by it’s fuel economy and it also had a massive fuel tank. I’d get 500 miles on a full tank...but it also took premium fuel, so there’s that. Recently, I bought a 2019 Toyota Prius. I live at elevation in Colorado and am averaging 54.2 MPG after about 7,800 miles on the odometer. It gets a little over 500 miles on a full tank and only costs about $16-18 to fill up every 1-1/2 week.

[@davylah]

Hey Wizard, I own a 2005 VW Bora (Jetta in the USA) It has the 130bhp TDI engine and returns 70mpg through the summer. I paid the equivalentof $900 for it and love it to pieces!

[@rysterstech]

Are the smaller TDI engines reliable compared to something like a civic

[@MattBlack6]

2009 Hyundai i30 1.6lt turbo diesel. Get 53mpg highway and no worse than 37mpg in the city flogging it with the aircon running and on very hot days. I'm guessing they're not for sale in the USA. Great car, in 11 years it's had one $300 repair to power steering and that's it, just servicing. Service interval is 12 months/ 15,000km (9300miles)

[@ChevyJoe57]

I once got about 21 mpg in my 1986 AMC Eagle with the 4.2 6 cylinder on the highway. I credit that mostly to being between 55-60 mph due to traffic conditions. 21 mpg's might not sound like much, but for an 80's era American corner-mobile with an engine dating back to the 60's with the added weight of 4WD, I'd say that's pretty darn good.

[@DUW1G1T]

2002 Chevy Suburban 2500 with the 6.0 v8 and 4.10 gearing, I would average 9-10 mpg. 39 gallon tank and I would go about 350 miles and "Low Fuel" would pop up on the message center. I drove it while gas was around the $4 mark and to fill it up would cost me ~$150. It was one of the few models with quadrasteer. Some days I wish I never let it go.

[@LMacNeill]

That GM 3800 engine is a *very* surprisingly good engine -- I had an Oldsmobile Delta 88 back in the day, and I was *so* impressed by its power *and* its economy. It was a smooth, powerful engine, and always got good mileage. Any vehicle with that engine is going to be a good one. I hate the fact that they quit making it.

[@daniellaubach7544]

I currently drive a 1997 Pontiac Firebird with the 3.8. Great V6 yeah it was sad that GM stopped offering that engine. It currently has over 184 thousand miles still running. Love that engine.

[@namemcnamerton4249]

94 lesabre here, motor good the rest not so good

[@maacpetzol2205]

I had a 1990 olds delta 88 as well. Was such a nice car. So comfy. Quite powerful as well. I aspired to swap in a supercharged 3800 from the same year Bonneville. Never happened as it was stolen one day.

[@killernukem5914]

They replaced the 3.8 with the dogshit 3.6

[@LMacNeill]

@@killernukem5914 Yep. That 3.6 is complete dogshit. What a bonehead move by GM.

[@NebukedNezzer]

my son drove those metros' when he worked as a parts delivery kid for an auto/machine shop. he hated the metros' he liked the ford festiva so we found him a nice one with fuel injection. 50k miles still had the original tires for 1500. the car gave great service. mazda running gear in a kia body. very easy to maintain.

[@cesarsanchez9697]

My mom had a 1973 Continental. It was like having a living room on wheels. Full size couch in the back. Very smooth and no chance of getting run off the road by another car.

[@sirsteele]

I had a 2004 Dodge Ram 150 with the 3.7 V6 and 5 speed manual transmission. You would think that it would get "decent" fuel mileage, but it consistently averaged 15-16 mpg! The highest I ever saw was almost 21 mpg on a highway trip where kept it at 65mph on purpose, and of course I got passed by everyone else on the road! My Durango R/T with the hemi and automatic gets way better mileage, and is a hell of a lot faster and more comfortable to boot!

[@29fetch]

Yeah! Love for the VW 1.9 TDI!! I'm the third owner of a 2000 Jetta GL TDI and it's going strong at 437,600 miles! Still gets 50+ mpg with my highway commute.

[@tangydiesel1886]

The Ford 6.8 v10's didn't get vvt. They're nothing special, but the main selling point was to be cheep to buy, and cheep to maintain. They had some issues, but nothing like the 5.4. They mainly went in crew trucks and medium duty trucks. They where for employees that would tear up a diesel, or forget what fuel to use. RV's used them to for the same reasons. They also handle idling better than modern diesels with dpf. The milage is terrible, but many were willing to live with that to cut costs elsewhere. Ford didn't build it all the way up to 2019 for fun.

[@ColJonSquall1]

Even Top Gear mentioned how bad of an idea the 10 cylinder diesel Toureg was when they reviewed it. "The idea of buying a diesel is to get better mileage, not worse."

[@Fit4C]

Jesus loves you alot trust in His death 4 salvation and be saved from eternal hell

[@Nikkk6969]

It never is in the US, the emissions clog it all up halving the mpg sometimes

[@ToomasTelling]

1997-2001 Volvo V70 2,5 5 cylinder Turbo diesel manual transmission. 40+mpg on the highway and around 30mpg in the city. Very reliable mine has 261 thousand miles on it an runs well. the highest mileage one that was even featured in our local car magazine has 569 thousand miles on it. the best thing is bodies on these cars hardly ever rust. 1984-1993 Mercedes-Benz 190D(W201 chassy) had it as my first car and that honestly got 50MPG no problem. i drove it a lot and besides normal maintanance it gave me no trobule.

[@BrendanMX]

I absolutely love my 2000 jetta tdi. 340k miles and still runs like a Swiss watch. Winter with long idle times in the morning I averaged 47 hand calc, in the summer time where I turn the key and go I was getting 51-54 hand calc. Love those cars. I have a 114 mile round trip to work and I fill it up Monday morning and I can go the whole week on $35-40! It’s stellar. And the car is super comfortable

[@hankhill3417]

Junk

[@FirstNameLastName-ev3jk]

Thank you, Wizard. This is the best of your 'which vehicles TO Buy & NOT to Buy videos' so far.

[@md2k8]

The buy this, not that videos from the Car Wizard always rock, compared to other Wizard videos.

[@oliverrenau2217]

I have owned multiple Saab 9000s. Never got less that 20 mpg, even with a turbo and aggressive driving. Easily got 30 mpg highway.

[@bcdieselsofficial]

Turbochargers increase fuel efficiency.

[@voradorked]

I used to get 38mpg highway in my '99 accord with the 2.4l 4 cylinder and 5 speed. ULTRA reliable. owned it 6 years and only did basic maintenance. Sold it for $200 less than what I Paid for it. Couldn't ask for a better experience with a car.

[@cheesetoast99]

I recommend the first gen Scion XB (or Toyota Echo) with the 1.5L Toyota engine, preferably the automatic. The auto has higher gearing than the manual. My 2006 is very reliable and easy to work on. These are known to go 300,000 miles + on the original engines.

[@digitalrailroader]

5:52 case in point, we had a 2009 Prius get an oil change, tire rotation and balance and a headlight restoration yesterday at the Walmart Auto Care Center I work at, and it had over 304,000 on it! I’m just waiting for the day that Toyota gets notified of a Gen2 Prius with a million miles on it so they can give that owner a brand spanking new one!

[@lawy3077]

My grandma had one of those Lincolns when I was a kid. It was a foot or so longer than our Suburban. The Saab 9000 shocked me. I had two 9-5s that were great and got in the low 30s on the highway.

[@worawatli8952]

I don't understand how people got that mpg? Maybe they were badly maintain is the reason. I own a 93 9000 for 2 years, I got 18mpg city, 30mpg highway out of it. It has to be well maintain or else it is not gonna work right. lol I happen to live near a Saab garage,(5 minutes drive), so repair and maintenance isn't a pain for me. Another big reason is might be because mine is NA, it has no problems that the turbo one are getting.

[@dgurevich1]

The main difference between the honda insight and toyota prius is you can operate the honda with a dead hybrid battery. That way, when your battery completely degrades, you can still drive, while in the prius, you can't.

[@gergelyturcsanyi6743]

Fuel economy in USA, where the fuel is like free, haha :)) While I'm using a V8 and the price is around $7/Us gallon.

[@1985toyotacamry]

Not true in that sense but it is cheaper than our European counterparts

[@PinkFloydFreak55]

Its definitely cheaper overall but its a rollercoaster.... we can be back up to close to $5 a gallon within a year with the right circumstances

[@nielsdebakker3283]

@@PinkFloydFreak55 Still a LOT cheaper as in europe.

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

@@PinkFloydFreak55 I don't see gas prices EVER getting that high again(except maybe in Cali, but that's a whole different can of worms). Simple reason, the USA is now the #1 producer of oil in the world. Last 10 years we've managed to figure out how to get oil out of the ground cheaply with fracking. Granted we still can't produce as cheaply as the Saudis, but if they want to play games and turn off their taps, we can now take care of ourselves, it won't be a repeat of the 1970's oil shocks. Plus there will be a waning/declining demand for oil in the future, more electric cars, more fuel efficient cars(SUV's now do 30mpg instead of 10 like they did 20 years ago), and a lot more people working from home permanently.

[@tyler2610]

@@AaronSmith-kr5yf If that is the case and oil prices will stabilize around the $2 to 2.75 range as we have seen (at least here in the Mid-West) for the last several years, I sure wish they would repeal CAFE. Why in the world do cars need to average 50 mpg when gas is relatively cheap??? I for one would sure love to be able to drive a true full-size American sedan new off the show room floor again. Until the government regulations like CAFE are significantly changed that is impossible. I think there are plenty of Americans like me that want a large roomy vehicle but would rather not buy an SUV or crossover but that is all that is offered with decent style and size.

[@jonmccarty3116]

This is one of my favorite videos you have done. It is so practical but range of cars amazing. Don't stop your other subject matter, but this was comforting watching you sit on a car seat and provide good advice.

[@snorkosaurus]

what happened to Mrs Wizard and who's this ''Jenny'' we have been hearing about

[@mds2465]

That’s her name. I think we all know that by now. They’ve mentioned it before in their videos

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

Might be her alter ego.

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

@S Higgs "Jennywizard69" Not found in the KZbin search.

[@ironymatt]

Just call 867-5309, and you'll find out!

[@patrickhomza]

@@Seegalgalguntijak Try Google search lol

[@briannichols4807]

Those 70's Lincoln Continentals , Mark 4's , and Mark 5's with the 460 V8 that your talking about I only see at classic car shows . Which is about the only place people are going to drive those about once a week during car show season , simply because of the gas mileage that you mentioned , plus the age of the cars , no way anyone would use those as daily drivers .

[@falagarius]

Would anyone really consider a V10 Tuareg for gas milage?

[@CarWizard]

Yes because I have been asked

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

@Dennis's Decaying Toenails Ans every other time, then engine's gotta come out, it's almost the same as with an Audi!

[@RandomGuyDan]

Because it's a TDI and many people equate TDI with fuel efficient because of the Jetta/Golf. The 3.0 TDI V6 that they replaced the V10 with will get 30mpg highway.

[@douglasb.1203]

@@RandomGuyDan the 2012-13 Touareg V6 TDI are the good years to buy. 240 horsepower with 415lb ft of torque is kinda sweet. With the 8 speed automatic their Hwy mpg is insane.

[@altergreenhorn]

V10 is literally 2 R5 TDI engines welded together with some not really successful upgrades it was a flop .... not the only flop in VW history. The original R5 engine before upgrade (not R5 also used in Tuareg with R5 174 HP) was a bullet proof engine mostly used in VW transporters for many years. btw the name Tuareg came from african tribe Tuareg

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

The best fuel economy I had was with my first car, a 1988 MK2 Jetta - it had a 1.6L carburated gas engine, but a 4+E manual gearbox. I could go 80-90km/h with it on our freeways (here, they're called Autobahn, but you don't *have* to go fast on them, if you don't want to! Just stay in the right lane and let everyone pass you!), and it had gotten 4.9L/100km, which is really good. My current car is 10 years younger, has a 1.4L MPI engine and gets about 8L/100km in the city...

[@chloesamclutch]

I've owned two of the cars on your list, a 93 Geo Metro with the 5 speed. I averaged 53 mpg on a road trip from Washington state to Missouri. The other was a Mark IV Cartier edition with the 460 4 bbl and moonroof. Mileage was similar to your experience, but gas was cheap then and it could leave lesser cars in the dust without breaking a sweat!

[@silveradoss87]

As Ford Excursion 6.8 V10 owner, I can definitely say the wizard is spot on. I get about 8 in the city and 11 on the highway

[@LionsGateCorp]

Enjoy your channel, Dave...practical and entertaining. Here's what I tell folks who don't know automobiles yet are programmed to be concerned as regards what to purchase. Don't even think about the term, mpg. Buy the Honda or Toyota which best suits your needs and wallet. Keep it simple and drive safe.

[@tmoz1228]

2010 volvo xc60 t6 with 195k still gets 25 hwy! My 2003 avalanche gets 14.5 with 307k! You mentioned suvs! 2002 escalade 2 wheel drive gets about 18 with a 5.3 and yes they made them! It has 230k! Originally bought new in Florida and we got it here in NC! Love the videos! Keep them coming. Our 2013 dodge challenger gets about 26 hwy! We have alot of cars! Challenger has 75k! Its a v6 with 315 hp!

[@harmonicadude4732]

On the other hand a Dodge Shadow 2.5 NA with a 3 speed slush box. I get 19 in the city and 15 highway. 100 HP in a 3000 pound car means cruising at 65 is about half throttle and if you hit a hill floor it.

[@darkwing4475]

My uncle Donald drove an 80 or 85 Thunderbird ( the one on the Fairmont chassis) with the 302 V8,,,, It consistently achieved 30 mpg on the hwy,, and it had good highway performance,, :-)

[@yukon9315]

I am so happy to see a new video from CarWizard. With all the negative, doom and gloom, and arguing all over tv and internet its just relaxing and enjoyable to watch your vids. Granted, ya have to have at least a minor interest in cars.

[@jgeorge6081]

2nd and 3rd generation Prius uses nickel metal hydride batteries. They last the life of the car, usually. Failure rate is about 0.2% or less.

[@allanloiselle2052]

My 2015 Chrysler 200 with the 2.4 ltr engine and 9-speed auto consistently pulls 36.75 MPG @ 60 miles per hour. With 106,000 miles behind it, it has been very reliable too.

[@0HOON0]

2 years later. How's it holding up at this point?

[@allanloiselle7290]

@@0HOON0 I traded it last February for a 2022 Subaru Impreza. At that time, it had 133,500 miles behind it and was still getting the same mileage. Over the 7 years I had it there were no repair bills beyond normal maintenance. I had originally planned to drive the doors off of it, but then I realized by then I'd be an old guy who didn't want a car loan. So I traded it early.

[@ericbrandt8675]

Early 99-2004 Chevy trucks with 5.3 are pretty decent....Before DOD crap....20+ MPG on the highway.....Drove a 2019 Full size Suburban to pick up a car (was a rental) and was shocked that it could pull down 26-27MPG's on flat highway @ 70MPH speed average.....About a 700 mile range on that one.....Pretty stunning....We are talking long wheelbase 6 seat loaded Suburban....Had an Audi B7 RS complete POS GAS GUZZLER! MY 7.0 Liter Z06 Corvette got 27MPG....The RS4? 20 at best not at all impressive!

[@corvettefunstudios]

lol Saab 9000. They're nearly impossible to find in the USA anymore. I'd happily scoop one up being a Saab 900 enthusiast.

[@mds2465]

Yes I’m very surprised about the Saab’s gas mileage. I’m a Saab enthusiast as well I guess you could say. I don’t own any atm but ever since my first car which was my dad’s 1996 900 S I’ve always had a soft spot for Saab’s

[@lgunderso2117]

Right?!

[@AxnerSaab]

@@mds2465 That's for the automatic. The manuals are better. He didn't mention the transmission

[@mds2465]

Axner oh yes. That’s absolutely true

[@desertguy1362]

I thought the same thing. Where are these vehicles? Does Kansas have a time wrap?

[@sukmadik2319]

My 2013 Volkswagen Passat gets 40-55 mpg highway hand calculated. I get an average of 850-920 miles per tank on an 18.5 gallon fuel tank. I actually went from Manchester, TN to Fort Myers, FL in one tank (775 ish miles).

[@Vacationtime247]

"What car shocked you most for its mileage?" Even though it was a joke, the Mark III Lincoln. Had a gold colored 1969 Mark III and the fuel gauge would work opposite of the speedometer. As the speedometer would move right, the fuel gauge would move left at the same rate. Luckily at the time of ownership, fuel was cheap, around the 1999-2000 year. Really didn't care (at the time) about the mileage. It was an absolutely amazing car. Comfortable and loved the looks of it. Put an Edelbrock 750 cfm carb on it's stock 460, the burnouts were incredible. Funny that the best looking car on this list gets the worst mileage and vice versa. VT247

[@Codric]

Would love to see a Saab what to buy/not buy

[@deuteriumjones]

Get the one that’s a Subaru.

[@fringe2804]

deuteriumjones if you want a Saab dont buy a 9-2x

[@trdrav4]

Saabaru!

[@MrJMS814]

Doubt many influencers know enough about Saab to give an accurate review of them.

[@HerrBjork]

Mine would be, with the focus of getting a daily driver for someone not too interested in cars: To buy: '98-'02 "OG"9-3 '93-'98 9000 CSE with any turbo four (comfortable, rather sporty esp. with the 2.3 full-pressure turbos, and massive cargo space) '04-'09 "OG"9-5, except the 3.0 TiD Not to buy: '93-'98 "NG"900 (Saab's worst modern car with plenty of faults, esp. early years, and feels more GM than Saab) '03 "NG"9-3 (plenty of problems that got solved the next model year) '94-'95 9000 CS(E) or CD(E) with the V6 (engine's trash) '10-'11 "NG"9-5 (should be regarded as an enthusiast car) All "X" models (they're all rebadge jobs) One has to keep in mind though that owning any Saab will be more difficult than other brands, as there are no authorised shops and most parts must be ordered online. Older than what I've written here can work too, like the later OG900's, but expect to work on them yourself then

[@lennartvestin5124]

My Saab 9-3 2,0L Liner (Automatic) 2011 takes 28 miles per gallon average over one year (approx. 15000 miles), mostly outside city. My previous Saab 9-5 2,0 L Liner Griffin (also Aut) 2009 had 25 miles per gallon average over 90000 miles. Bought it at 30000 miles and sold it at 120000 miles (2011-2018). Only services and wear components. Tires and brakes more precise. No unplanned work shop repairs.

[@peterhermina656]

You got lucky... My family used to own 3 saabs and we always gave them premuim fuel. 2003 9-3 liniar with 2.0t with 5 spd. It avg 29-33 mpg on high way but it started to fall apart (suspension wise) around 27k mi. But overall it was a great little car. . Next one, 2005 9-3 liniar with 2.0t and auto. No issues but gas mileage was actually better on Auto. It honestly was mostly trouble free for 45k mi. Next one was 2001 9-5 with 2.3t and auto. Nice and practical car but got 20 MPG in city and 24-5 in highway. Then it needed many repairs when it reached 80k. It needed new turbo, water pump, alternator. I will not even mention the electrical issues. The only reason that we kept it long was our awful experience with Jeep GC and we needed a wagon/suv. And BTW no one knows how to work or get parts on Saabs anymore.

[@joet1717]

So in my younger and wilder days, I decided to roadtrip from Birmingham, AL to St. Paul, Minnesota. I took a 92 Town Car and it did surprise me, I averaged around 27mpg!

[@hawkeye454]

I had an 81 VW Rabbit diesel, 4 speed manual and in town it got about 45mpg and 50 when I was brave enough to get on the highway. It had 48 angry horsepower lol.

[@raymfa]

I had a Ford Focus Estate 2012 1.6 Duratorq (diesel) manual that made 65 mpg, and up to 80 mpg on the highway (55 mph). The best car i have ever owned when it comes to gas mileage👌

[@harmonicadude4732]

My pick for great economy car: 1999 Mazda protege 1.8L 5 speed manual. 30 city 35 to the 37 highway. Ours will rust out before it dies mechanically.

[@jeffcallenphoto]

Years ago, I had 2003 Mazda protege 5 speed.. great car, similar MPG as you got... but argh... undercarriage rust got me!!..... got 2 years out of it after buying it very cheap, as it needed a new strut....

[@harmonicadude4732]

@@jeffcallenphoto it was the rocker rust for me. Started by those plastic plugs in the back. Got bad enough that you could stick your whole arm inside the rocker. It had rust above the rear wheels too. It was sold to someone else because it failed the inspection and it would have cost to much to fix.

[@workforce520]

The 2nd gen Prius is very reliable from every standpoint except the battery. At my dealership we weekly replace the hybrid battery on one generally from 04-07. The 3rd gen is garbage cosmetically but we get much less of those in for battery issues with high miles.

[@TBendez]

About that Saab 9000, it might be that bad with the N/A 2.3 automatic. However, any of the turbo engines together with a manual transmission will return much better mileage, it will depend heavily on your driving style. 20-22 city and at least 26 highway is to be expected.

[@diablocls55]

My dad is a retired mechanic. He told me he used to see Geo Metros come in the shop all the time and he could lift the engines out by hand (3 cylinder lol)

[@elmarko9051]

I was 50/50 on whether you'd mention the Buicks, as they get surprisingly good mileage for how big they are, but are in no way absolute economy champs. But take into account usually a very low purchase price for usually well-maintained and garaged cars, definitely a good option.

[@DrEvilTag]

My 2006 Toyota Corolla with a 5-speed manual got 44mph & 35 city if I drove like a complete grandma. And it never died and stupidly beyond reliable. Sadly I crashed it at 320k miles And now Own a 2008 Acura TSX automatic and driving normal I get 24 city, 30 highway, 34 if it’s completely flat on the highway, at least it’s faster and still a luxury Honda

[@HerrBjork]

My Saab 9000 2.0T automatic gets about 8 l/100 km on the highway. I think that the low mileage reported here is due to the Saab being made for 95 RON fuel, but it _can_ run on 87 AKI. Also I don't know what that uncle was on about, but 9000s are a breeze to work on, and doesn't require much work either. There are a lot of US cars that are much worse to work on

[@gimenofm]

It sounds to me like the good all car wizard is full of shit and has not worked on a 9000 in his life. These cars are dead easy to work on and quite rather fuel efficient given their size, practicality and general spec. I manage over 40 UK mpg (around 33 US mpg) on the motorway. First and last video I will ever watch from this guy lol

[@AIRDRAC]

@@gimenofm To be fair, the engine compartment is pretty cramped, especially on the earlier turbo models with vacuum hoses going all over the place. And there is significantly less room in there, than in an american car, but that's more of an "US cars have ridiculous amounts of wasted space"-thing, rather than the 9000 being poorly designed.

[@piet-heins.2708]

Saab 9000s are breeze to work on: heater core repair without even working IN the car: it's behind the firewall, sliding into the dash-area. my 2.0LPT does about 32mpg (uk). and man! are they easy to tune...a stock 2.0LPT has 150hp, but 265 is doable. years ago we (a small group of Saab enthousiasts in The Netherlands) rebuilt a 2.3 FPT: it had 225hp stock, but the engine was built like it had to deliver 300+hp, that sturdy. water pump is built onto the engine, and easy to replace. yes, Saabs are quirky, but not as bad as the Car wizard wants you to believe.

[@kennorcott7074]

@@gimenofm I mean he did say he’s taking someone else’s word for it. That person is most likely wrong. Never had any issue working on a single one of my Saabs

[@worawatli8952]

I own a 2.3 NA 9000, the engine bay looks like a Honda, and it sound like a Honda. lol It has no turbo, so it is very roomy in there. I own it for 2 years now, got 15city-30highway mpg out of it. I suspect the bad rep is due to how people cheap out on maintenance so much they became junk and are useless to repair. Or not gonna work right anymore from all the neglect owners.

[@schwenda3727]

Kinda surprised you didn't mention the mid-late 90s Blazers, Jimmy's, Bravada's whatever... my mom got one of these things from a relative JUST IN TIME for $3.50-$4.20/gallon gas prices in 07-08. Well over 60 bucks just to go around 200 miles on a single tank... You'd think a compact SUV would translate to about the same as a V6 car fuel economy, but that thing probably got less than a third of the gas mileage as what another relative's first gen Rav4 got...

[@ericlewandowskivlogs]

Hoovie introduced me to your channel and I'm so happy he did. What a valuable youtube channel you have made. Time to binge and learn. Thanks

[@mattb6001]

here's my pick that somehow fills the buy and not buy at the same time. 1992-1995 Honda Civic VX. Honda's extremely fuel efficient hatchback (good luck finding one that isn't totally modified). No power steering. No AC. 1.5L D15Z1 with lean burn technology has about 90hp. Gets about 40 in the city and 50+ on the highway. Which is awesome, but now you also own the most stolen vehicle ever so that's no fun. And yes, i do own a Civic VX. Its mostly unmodified but its also been sitting in my garage for 4 years now LOL one day i'll get it running again.. but i feel like i might as well just K swap it since you really can't enjoy these cars as cheap commuter cars anymore since someone WILL steal it.

[@aaroncostello8812]

You aren't lying. Back in 2007, I had a '94 Civic EX sedan for all of five months. White, 4-door, manual trans. It was stolen out of my driveway in broad daylight. I knew it was going to be stolen, so I put full coverage on it and dropped my deductible to $100. Insurance paid me twice what I had paid for the car. I call that generation of Civic 'punk wagons' and I never bought another one.

[@QALibrary]

In the USA there are a number of companies that can sell you reconditioned or remanufacture Prius battery packs and they can change them on your driveway within an hour or so or even you can do it yourself and they a lot cheaper than going to the main dealer and did I mention they come with long term warranties

[@SkylineFTW97]

A friend of mine did one in his old 07. $850.

[@MultiMegafred]

Yo Wizzi! The Gen 2 Prius has a Nickel-Metal-Hydride battery. The later gens had Lithium batterys. Got a 2007 myself. Love it. You would love the rest of my fleet: 78 Porsche 928 (just sold) and an 85 Benz 500SEL. Now we're talking somewhat of gas guzzlers (for German standards). Keep up your awesome work! 💪😎

[@oliverdelgado6952]

There is a old lady around where I live that drives a 70s lincoln like the one you showed. Except it's blue lol

[@chentemacias3319]

She ballin

[@naarealy]

As a prior Tahoe Hybrid owner, I can tell you they are GREAT! The transmission intelligently switches between 4 physical gears for high load and towing or e-cvt power split mode, just like the very reliable Toyota hybrid designs. This transmission was also licensed to BMW and Mercedes Benz. There are no belts and pulleys like bad cvt designs. They came fully loaded with every option, and the fuel saving in the city is around 25% better, while also being more powerful. Looking only at the MPG number is deceptive, because MPG is a non-linear scale. I averaged 23.9 MPG over the entire ownership. Really good, for a big boned 4x4 body on frame with a 6.0l V8. Just regular maintenance and it breezed past 100k miles, no issues. GM also put this system in a lot of commercial trucks and city busses. There's nothing to be afraid of.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

They also did not hold resale value at all. If GM had put a 4.3 V6 or a 4.8 V8, it would have been a success and got better fuel mileage.

[@naarealy]

@@atx-cvpi_99 GM explained that they used the 6.0 because the smaller engines did not have enough power or displacement when running in 4-cyl mode, which means they would always have to run in V8 mode. Obviously, the cylinder deactivation was less sophisticated back then, so it could only do 8 or 4 cylinders unlike current GM designs that have dynamic adjustment from 8 to 2.

[@bsizzlehill2283]

The 3.8 buick is a monster. As long as the intake plentum doesent melt. And replace the little coolant elbow just below the valve covers. U can replace it with a metal one. Good to go

[@SKRX-xn9xp]

Had a 2016 Kia Forte 5 with the 1.6 turbo. It had 200 HP and still got 37 MPG average. Great little car for power, MPG, and reliability!

[@tyler2610]

I had a 1999 and 2005 Park Avenue with the 3.8 Series II V6 and they to could get over 30 mpg on the highway in a superbly comfortable and full-size American luxury sedan. It is a shame GM discontinued the 3.8 especially after they changed to the aluminum intake manifold in the Series III which took away the one major flaw these engines had with leaking intake manifolds becasue the plastic and aluminum would cool at different rates and cause warping and cracks in the gaskets. Luckily I never had to experience this. I also had a '97 Lumina in high school with the 3.1 known for the same thing and escaped with that one to. Now I have a 2004 Century as a second car with the 3.1 so hopefuly it will be good to me as well. After all most a year so far so good. None of the V6s GM had replaced the 3.8 with can match the mileage or reliability.

[@97I30T]

My 2004 Saab 9-5 Aero also didn’t get that great of gas mileage. It only got about 17 city and 23-24 mpg highway. That’s pretty bad for a 2.3 liter but it was made for performance. It also only took premium which kind of sucked but I loved that car. It was so much fun.

[@kens97sto171]

He's spot on, I had a 92 Geo metro 3 cylinder 5 speed. Thing was an absolute tank at least mechanically. The interior was total crap door handles would fall off window roller uppers would fall off. But I used it for a pizza and Courier car put 100,000 miles on it in one year never had a single mechanical engine problem. strangely it did go through rear wheel bearings for some strange reason but they were cheap so it wasn't a big deal. He's absolutely right on the second gen Priuses they are pretty much tanks, gasoline engines are very reliable much more so than the third generation Prius . one mistake that he made is that the batteries are actually nickel metal hydride in the Prius and actually they still are except in certain trim levels. They still use the same internal modules as they did for the second gen Prius also , so there is a good supply available if you want to repair a battery pack rather than replace it. I've got 338,000 on my 2008 Prius still gives me 45 to 47 average over a tank of fuel.

[@ItsMe-ic7on]

Gilberto's battery packs even to repair them about $2,000? And how long do they last if you get a refurbished one?

[@kens97sto171]

@@ItsMe-ic7on You can get a brand new pack from Toyota for about 2500. There are lots of ways to repair them yourself replacing individual modules from eBay. There are some aftermarket options as well green bean is a pretty well-known one. They come with a lifetime warranty. Batteries tend to last 10 to 15 years. So you kind of got to decide if you plan on keeping the car for a long time it might be better to just buy a brand new battery and have it last. If you're thinking about selling the car in a year or two maybe you're better off repairing or doing something a little less expensive. My 2008 Prius now has 410,000 miles on it. Still on the original battery still giving me 45 to 50 MPG.

[@ItsMe-ic7on]

@@kens97sto171 that is good to know. I've always wanted the Prius one where the like to earlier models you know we're just driving it pretty much recharges it but I've heard the batteries were just I heard they were 10,000 but I'm finding out now that is not the case

[@kens97sto171]

@@ItsMe-ic7on They might have been 10,000 when the car came out. But they are using the same modules inside those batteries since 2004. And in multiple cars. In the Prius there are 28 individual modules stacked together. In the Camry Hybrid it's 32 modules but they're the same module. The current generation Prius also uses them however they have moved to lithium modules I believe now but they're the same form factor and look identical. Age plays a big role and that's the biggest issue now with older Priuses. Even if it doesn't have a lot of miles on it battery eventually does fail. The second gen cars 2004 to 2009 are pretty bulletproof on the engine and transmission. They do have a few weaknesses. 2010 to 2015 you want to try to avoid. They are pretty good till about 200,000 miles. Then they tend to burn oil and blow head gaskets. 2016 and up is the current generation and they seem to be pretty reliable. There is going to be a brand new design in 2023.

[@ItsMe-ic7on]

@@kens97sto171 you are really up on this. Thank you so much. I think I would like the older ones like the first January speaking of.

[@mirotvorez1134]

2002 BMW 525i 209k miles 5 speed auto. 20mpg in town 16mph average, 28mpg highway at 75mph, 32mpg at 60mph. One of the best daily drivers ever.

[@barryoppenheim1994]

Love the wizard, truly, but as a 3 time Saab 9000 owner, including one that was an Aero, they get 26-30 mpg on the highway!

[@PeterChomanic]

I was also in awe, hearing what he got to say abou that, ehm. For the power and the (dynamic) acceleration, this is quite a good fuel consumption, much more with the Aero on the highway, with a longer gearing on manual.

[@kirbyswarp]

I owned a 9-5 aero and it got over 30mpg on the highway easily. As does my Viggen

[@janblom1174]

Also a bit stunned. I had two different saab 9000. First an older 9000i and then a 9000t (smaller turbo). Both cars had the 2,3 liter motor. On the highway, with winter tires, I would normaly get around 27 mpg. The fuel I used was 95 octane. Maby there´s a diffirence if you fuel it up with regular instead of premium?? Hope I got the spelling right. Thanks for an awesome channel!

[@jefflaird5067]

I clicked on this video for the Saab I've never owned a 9000 but I have a 99 9-3 se and I can get 25 on the highway driving like a bat out of hell.

[@jefflaird5067]

@@janblom1174 when you use lower octane gas in your saab the computer will retard the timing making your fuel mileage worse. The people wizard is talking to are probably using 87 and have a lead foot.

[@HiroNguy]

In re: Lincoln Mark IV. Our '73 got 8-10 in town, 18-19 freeway. Avoid the jackrabbit starts and start coasting before your turn off and keep it under 80. I don't know how you're getting 4 mpg unless you're dragracing it or there's a mechanical issue.

[@TeeDubbDizzle]

Loved the appearance on Car Trek 2! Have a great day.

[@yaboirico5221]

used electric car batteries can be recycled but it's not profitable. they can also be used as home energy backup or for the grid. There's a stadium that uses old Nissan Leaf batteries as a backup or something like that, Joe Scott did a video about it.

[@bossadave]

Had a Saab 9-3 Turbo and a 9-5 3.0 V6 both were not very economical however they were very straightforward to work on with lots of easy to find GM parts. Pretty reliable too if maintained to Saab exact specification. For example using the Saab specified spar plugs inside of normal plains. Normal plugs could kill the ignite cassette. If I could buy a new Saab today I would.

[@MFXdump]

1986 BMW 528e. 32 mpg highway one night on my 42 mile trip home from work. It’s been a few days now, so it’s calculating city and highway combined now. And it’s at 27 mpg. I love that cars gas mileage compared to my 4 cylinder s10. I have to fill up once a week. The truck twice a week.

[@someguywitharover4673]

BUT WIZARD, we buy the V10 TDI Touareg because it has a V10 DIESEL and that’s bad ass

[@jhomrich89]

That's literally about all it has going for it, you'd be better off just lighting your wallet on fire as all the online forums of owners and youtube videos suggest these things can easily cost you 5 to 6 grand a year to own.

[@Heatranoveryou]

But its a vw dieselgate

[@piratasdecordoba]

Best buy in Europe is the V6 TDI Touareg, enough power and torque and fuel economy is okay. Reliability also, friend of mine has one with 280k kilometers and still runs fine.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

@@Heatranoveryou The V10 TDI is way before dieselgate happened.

[@Heatranoveryou]

@@atx-cvpi_99 dieselgate isnt something that just occured on one day.

[@yaboirico5221]

Lexus LS400 supposedly gets 30 on the highway, which is probably the best it'll ever do, but it only takes premium gas so you're always gonna pay more unless you 1) were gonna use premium anyways or 2) have gas discounts like with Kroger/Shell/Costco etc.

[@jmabs5096]

98 toyta camry 2.4l 4 banger. Most reliable car I've ever owned and was still going strong at 205k. 30-40mpg. I think about it every day how foolish I was as a younger teen to trade that car in.... Yea it burnt 1/2 qt of oil every 1-2k miles but that's cheap compared to buying a new car!

[@rhiantaylor3446]

I run a US-made BMW F25 X3 and regularly use it for gentle 200ml runs getting 50 mpg (US). In Europe they sold a somewhat de-tuned 2l turbo diesel, manual, rear drive version that can be surprisingly good on gas.

[@robmey7254]

Good video, but hope your next few mpg vehicle videos you should break it down to small medium and large vehicle because some of these are really comparing apples and orange type of vehicles. Could always add a 4th 5th one (4th) like full size trucks and suv and not (5th) full size suv and truck