The Suburban and EPA tests
In our time when consumers are paying close attention to fuel consumption, the vehicles likely to be affected the most will be the hybrids and the four-cylinder vehicles. The new numbers will also affect large vehicles such as SUVs and pickups, but the impact is smaller. The big Chevrolet Suburban SUV with a 5.3-liter V-8, for example, declines from 16 mpg city and 22 highway to 14 city and 20 highway.
“There will be a learning curve, most definitely,” said analyst Todd Turner, president of Car Concepts of Thousand Oaks, Calif. “With pickups, you are going to see more people on the fence. It will be just like we saw when gas prices went up two years ago.” Although most trucks diminish at a slower pace than small cars do, dealers have a hunch that the new numbers may still lead to some working class buyers to reconsider pushing through with their pickup purchase.
“Every day we turn on the TV, we have a reminder of the price of gas,” said Leo Griggs, who owns Park Cities Dodge in
The revised EPA tests have city and highway phases. The top speed in the highway cycle is now 80 mph, which is 20 mph more than before. As for the acceleration in both city and highway phases, they have been increased to 8.5 mph per second, which is more than twice as fast as the old test.