Autoweek's "Top 5 Fuel-Efficient Cars You Actually Want to Drive"

Justin Berkowitz
by Justin Berkowitz
autoweek s top 5 fuel efficient cars you actually want to drive

While top 5 and top 10 lists are the crack of the automotive nickel press (cheap, low quality, likely to give you brain damage and felonious), Autoweek's Top 5 Fuel-Efficient Cars You Actually Want to Drive" is just too asinine, too absurd not to pass on to TTAC's Best and Brightest. Not only do they choose bad cars (that, according to Autoweek, bring a smile to your face), but their stats are largely incorrect.

— 2008 Tesla Roadster (Exotic)


– $109,000 MSRP


– 220 miles per charge (256 mpg equivalent)


– 0-60 in 3.9 seconds

Oh, it's exotic alright. So exotic, it's not in production and you can't buy one. Autoweek should know better than to swallow the load from Tesla’s PR department. The Tesla isn’t in full production, the range is completely unverified, they are likely going to be selling for way over the $109,000 sticker. Then again, Autoweek’s list is “cars you want to drive” and in fact, we all do want to drive the Tesla.

— 2008 Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro (Weekend Warrior)


– $49,000 MSRP (estimated)


– 44 mpg (hwy)


– All-wheel drive handling

Does Autoweek know something Audi doesn’t? This model wasn’t confirmed for US production. Audi is bringing a 3.0-liter V6 diesel for the A4 and Q5/Q7, but the TDI four-banger is VW only for now. If they want to go off on the European cars tangent, that’s fine, but in such a case I’m going BMW 120d.

— 2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC (Executive Sedan)


– $53,075 MSRP


– 32 mpg (hwy)


– 210 horsepower, 400 lb-ft of torque

— 2008 MINI Cooper (Cheap Thrills)


– $18,700 MSRP


– 37 mpg (hwy)


– 2546 lbs and go-kart handling

They were bound to get two out of the five right. But you still have to ask yourself if the diesel price premium actually makes sense over a Benz E350, which unlike the oil burner, is available with 4Matic. There’s no denying the diesel Benzes are wonderful. And as for the Cooper, it’s a gem.

— 2008 Lexus RX 400h (Family Fun)


– $42,980 MSRP


– 27 mpg (city)


– 84.7 cubic feet of available cargo space

The only “family fun” thing about the Lexus RX hybrid is parking it on a set of train tracks and walking home. This is a terrible vehicle, with observed mileage guaranteed to be much lower. Also, just try finding one without the $6000 navigation package.

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  • Lzaffuto Lzaffuto on Jul 11, 2008

    Miata, Mazda3, Civic Si, Fit?

  • William C Montgomery William C Montgomery on Jul 11, 2008
    So exotic, it's not in production and you can't buy one. That's not entirely true. You can buy a Tesla Roadster. You just cant have it. It's like paying to have a star named after you.
  • Analoggrotto Too bad they don't sell Kia Telluride, the greatest selling vehicle in it's class over the pond in the UK who burned Washington DC down but that's ok.
  • Analoggrotto Kia Telluride never faced such problems and now offers a superior offroad trim for those times where soccerdad needs to go get the white claws from costco.
  • Zerofoo There's a joke here somewhere about Tim's used car recommendations, Tassos, and death traps.
  • Tassos Subaru really knows how to take fugly to ever higher levels, and sell every one of the (of course very few) it makes. As if the number of sales negates the fugliness.Don't hold your breath. I bet this will NOT be the vehicle James Bond arrives at the Casino in Monte Carlo with in his next flick. (if any)
  • ToolGuy Government overreach. Park the Ford in your air-conditioned garage on a maintenance charger and this won't be a problem.Here's some (old) general background if you are interested.@ILO, there are 3 Fords, and Ford Pro™ is the one with the bright future 🙂
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