Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

In article <1188219838.775780.127950@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups .com>,
bigjim@backpacker.com wrote:

> Hybrids are for wimps. I hate getting stuck behind those putt putt
> priuse

It's not the tool, it's the operator.

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

In article <1188219838.775780.127950@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups .com>,
bigjim@backpacker.com wrote:

> Hybrids are for wimps. I hate getting stuck behind those putt putt
> priuse

It's not the tool, it's the operator.

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

On Aug 26, 8:47 pm, Clay <c...@sportsmogul.com> wrote:
> Greetings! I'm shopping for a car that may not exist. My requirements
> list isn't long, but it's hard to find them on the same car.
>
> 1) Absurdly comfortable front seats. I'm 6'2" and get back pain
> whenever I drive any of my current cars for more than 30-60 minutes. I
> "only" weigh 190, but have long legs for someone by height.

A Volvo XC90 will be roomy, have good winter traction and get passable
milage. A Subaru Outback will be somewhat smaller, get marginally
better milage, have a manual gearbox and be passably roomy.

Unfortunately the combination of large roomy vehicle with a manual
transmission, all wheel drive that gets very high milage does not
exist.

>
> 2) Good winter traction. We live in rural New England and have a 400-
> foot sloped gravel driveway. 4WD isn't a requirement (our FWD Passat
> is adequate for example), but better ground clearance would be great
> (our current cars frequently scrape on the dirt roads around here --
> including one recent event that broke TWO catalytic converters).

I doubt that you will find a 4WD passenger vehicle. More likely will
be AWD.

>
> 3) Great gas mileage. As you can tell from the fact that one of our
> cars runs on waste vegetable oil (see below), we care a lot about
> reducing emissions. This is actually more important, to us, than fuel
> savings. That is, we don't mind paying $5,000 extra for a car that
> will save us only $3,000 in gas costs over the life of the vehicle.

AWD vehicles typically do not get great milage.

>
> 3a) Manual transmission. I have never owned an automatic and I don't
> like them. They have worse mileage and I don't enjoy them as much (I
> also like how manuals force me to pay attention to my driving --
> neither my wife nor I have ever had an accident in over 30 combined
> years driving 5-speeds).

Very few passenger vehicles have manual transmissions. The only one I
can think of that couples a manual gearbox and AWD is the Subaru
Outback. It was quite comfortable when I drove one and I'm 6'.

>
> I've heard that the Prius has surprisingly good leg-room, but all our
> driving is rural -- so a hybrid doesn't seem like the right
> technology. I also hate automatics.
>
> I have a friend with a 5-cylinder Volvo wagon -- she says she gets 35
> MPG highway. I haven't tried driving it, but perhaps this is the best
> combo of the above choices.

If it is an AWD vehicle I doubt that it gets 35mpg. Indeed the
standard front wheel drive non-turbo car would likely get 28 to 30 mpg
on the highway.

Given that you apparently have back problems that should be the first
criteria for you. Develop a list of cars that fit your frame and can
accomodate a sore back. Beyond providing a list of cars with roomy
front seating tt is literally impossible for someone on the internet
to guess which car will fit you properly.

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

On Aug 26, 8:47 pm, Clay <c...@sportsmogul.com> wrote:
> Greetings! I'm shopping for a car that may not exist. My requirements
> list isn't long, but it's hard to find them on the same car.
>
> 1) Absurdly comfortable front seats. I'm 6'2" and get back pain
> whenever I drive any of my current cars for more than 30-60 minutes. I
> "only" weigh 190, but have long legs for someone by height.

A Volvo XC90 will be roomy, have good winter traction and get passable
milage. A Subaru Outback will be somewhat smaller, get marginally
better milage, have a manual gearbox and be passably roomy.

Unfortunately the combination of large roomy vehicle with a manual
transmission, all wheel drive that gets very high milage does not
exist.

>
> 2) Good winter traction. We live in rural New England and have a 400-
> foot sloped gravel driveway. 4WD isn't a requirement (our FWD Passat
> is adequate for example), but better ground clearance would be great
> (our current cars frequently scrape on the dirt roads around here --
> including one recent event that broke TWO catalytic converters).

I doubt that you will find a 4WD passenger vehicle. More likely will
be AWD.

>
> 3) Great gas mileage. As you can tell from the fact that one of our
> cars runs on waste vegetable oil (see below), we care a lot about
> reducing emissions. This is actually more important, to us, than fuel
> savings. That is, we don't mind paying $5,000 extra for a car that
> will save us only $3,000 in gas costs over the life of the vehicle.

AWD vehicles typically do not get great milage.

>
> 3a) Manual transmission. I have never owned an automatic and I don't
> like them. They have worse mileage and I don't enjoy them as much (I
> also like how manuals force me to pay attention to my driving --
> neither my wife nor I have ever had an accident in over 30 combined
> years driving 5-speeds).

Very few passenger vehicles have manual transmissions. The only one I
can think of that couples a manual gearbox and AWD is the Subaru
Outback. It was quite comfortable when I drove one and I'm 6'.

>
> I've heard that the Prius has surprisingly good leg-room, but all our
> driving is rural -- so a hybrid doesn't seem like the right
> technology. I also hate automatics.
>
> I have a friend with a 5-cylinder Volvo wagon -- she says she gets 35
> MPG highway. I haven't tried driving it, but perhaps this is the best
> combo of the above choices.

If it is an AWD vehicle I doubt that it gets 35mpg. Indeed the
standard front wheel drive non-turbo car would likely get 28 to 30 mpg
on the highway.

Given that you apparently have back problems that should be the first
criteria for you. Develop a list of cars that fit your frame and can
accomodate a sore back. Beyond providing a list of cars with roomy
front seating tt is literally impossible for someone on the internet
to guess which car will fit you properly.

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article <1188219838.775780.127950@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups .com>,
> bigjim@backpacker.com wrote:
>
>> Hybrids are for wimps. I hate getting stuck behind those putt putt
>> priuse
>
> It's not the tool, it's the operator.

I, too, take it nice and gently. I like to save gas and not wear out my
equipment. The only difference is that I am not rushing to stop at the
next red light, rather, I sail through it when it is green.

Jeff

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article <1188219838.775780.127950@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups .com>,
> bigjim@backpacker.com wrote:
>
>> Hybrids are for wimps. I hate getting stuck behind those putt putt
>> priuse
>
> It's not the tool, it's the operator.

I, too, take it nice and gently. I like to save gas and not wear out my
equipment. The only difference is that I am not rushing to stop at the
next red light, rather, I sail through it when it is green.

Jeff

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

On Aug 26, 8:47 pm, Clay <c...@sportsmogul.com> wrote:
> Greetings! I'm shopping for a car that may not exist. My requirements
> list isn't long, but it's hard to find them on the same car.
>
> 1) Absurdly comfortable front seats. I'm 6'2" and get back pain
> whenever I drive any of my current cars for more than 30-60 minutes. I
> "only" weigh 190, but have long legs for someone by height.
>
> 2) Good winter traction. We live in rural New England and have a 400-
> foot sloped gravel driveway. 4WD isn't a requirement (our FWD Passat
> is adequate for example), but better ground clearance would be great
> (our current cars frequently scrape on the dirt roads around here --
> including one recent event that broke TWO catalytic converters).
>
> 3) Great gas mileage. As you can tell from the fact that one of our
> cars runs on waste vegetable oil (see below), we care a lot about
> reducing emissions. This is actually more important, to us, than fuel
> savings. That is, we don't mind paying $5,000 extra for a car that
> will save us only $3,000 in gas costs over the life of the vehicle.
>
> 3a) Manual transmission. I have never owned an automatic and I don't
> like them. They have worse mileage and I don't enjoy them as much (I
> also like how manuals force me to pay attention to my driving --
> neither my wife nor I have ever had an accident in over 30 combined
> years driving 5-speeds).
>
> I've heard that the Prius has surprisingly good leg-room, but all our
> driving is rural -- so a hybrid doesn't seem like the right
> technology. I also hate automatics.
>
> I have a friend with a 5-cylinder Volvo wagon -- she says she gets 35
> MPG highway. I haven't tried driving it, but perhaps this is the best
> combo of the above choices.
>
> I'm also looking at SUV options (Ford? Honda?), because I notice my
> back hurts a lot less in vehicles (like our pickup truck) with an
> 'upright' seating position.
>
> I sat in my stepmother's Subara Forester for a few minutes and I'm
> pretty sure the front seat is too cramped. Same with the few minutes I
> spent in a Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
>
> For reference, these are our current/recent cars, and what we liked
> and didn't like:
>
> a) 1987 Nissan Sentra (2-door). My first car, but I soon realized that
> driving it was like jabbing an ice pick in my lower back. My father-in-
> law was a mechanic so we ripped out the front seat and drilled some
> more holes in the seat frame so that it could go farther back (to the
> point that no one could fit in the back seat). This was a great
> solution, but not one that makes sense for me any more.
>
> b) 1996 VW Golf. Another great car. Suprisingly comfortable front
> seats.
>
> c) 1999 Nissan Frontier Pickup Truck. Great reliable pickup truck, but
> somewhat cramped seating, and not a good all-around vehicle for a 3-
> person family.
>
> d) 1999 VW Jetta Diesel, with a "GreaseCar" kit to run on waste
> vegetable oil. Starting to show it's age -- less reliable than the
> Japanese cars I've owned. Horrible winter traction, and less
> comfortable than the Golf.
>
> e) 2000 VW Passat 6-cylinder. The weight helps gives this car much
> better snow traction than the Jetta, but it's mileage is poor, and the
> front seat is the LEAST comfortable of any car I've ever owned. Alas,
> I didn't notice this in the 20-minute test drive.
>
> I would love feedback from other people like me, who've had trouble
> finding a comfortable car. I really wish the dealers would let me test-
> drive a car for a day (or a week) so I could truly assess whether the
> car was suitable for long drives.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!
>
> Clay

Try an SE Camry. Excellent front drivers seat. Great mileage for a
larger car. Good handling. I personally like the black upholstery with
the chrome accents. Seventeen inch alloy wheels. The car has a lot
going for it.

Ron

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

On Aug 26, 8:47 pm, Clay <c...@sportsmogul.com> wrote:
> Greetings! I'm shopping for a car that may not exist. My requirements
> list isn't long, but it's hard to find them on the same car.
>
> 1) Absurdly comfortable front seats. I'm 6'2" and get back pain
> whenever I drive any of my current cars for more than 30-60 minutes. I
> "only" weigh 190, but have long legs for someone by height.
>
> 2) Good winter traction. We live in rural New England and have a 400-
> foot sloped gravel driveway. 4WD isn't a requirement (our FWD Passat
> is adequate for example), but better ground clearance would be great
> (our current cars frequently scrape on the dirt roads around here --
> including one recent event that broke TWO catalytic converters).
>
> 3) Great gas mileage. As you can tell from the fact that one of our
> cars runs on waste vegetable oil (see below), we care a lot about
> reducing emissions. This is actually more important, to us, than fuel
> savings. That is, we don't mind paying $5,000 extra for a car that
> will save us only $3,000 in gas costs over the life of the vehicle.
>
> 3a) Manual transmission. I have never owned an automatic and I don't
> like them. They have worse mileage and I don't enjoy them as much (I
> also like how manuals force me to pay attention to my driving --
> neither my wife nor I have ever had an accident in over 30 combined
> years driving 5-speeds).
>
> I've heard that the Prius has surprisingly good leg-room, but all our
> driving is rural -- so a hybrid doesn't seem like the right
> technology. I also hate automatics.
>
> I have a friend with a 5-cylinder Volvo wagon -- she says she gets 35
> MPG highway. I haven't tried driving it, but perhaps this is the best
> combo of the above choices.
>
> I'm also looking at SUV options (Ford? Honda?), because I notice my
> back hurts a lot less in vehicles (like our pickup truck) with an
> 'upright' seating position.
>
> I sat in my stepmother's Subara Forester for a few minutes and I'm
> pretty sure the front seat is too cramped. Same with the few minutes I
> spent in a Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
>
> For reference, these are our current/recent cars, and what we liked
> and didn't like:
>
> a) 1987 Nissan Sentra (2-door). My first car, but I soon realized that
> driving it was like jabbing an ice pick in my lower back. My father-in-
> law was a mechanic so we ripped out the front seat and drilled some
> more holes in the seat frame so that it could go farther back (to the
> point that no one could fit in the back seat). This was a great
> solution, but not one that makes sense for me any more.
>
> b) 1996 VW Golf. Another great car. Suprisingly comfortable front
> seats.
>
> c) 1999 Nissan Frontier Pickup Truck. Great reliable pickup truck, but
> somewhat cramped seating, and not a good all-around vehicle for a 3-
> person family.
>
> d) 1999 VW Jetta Diesel, with a "GreaseCar" kit to run on waste
> vegetable oil. Starting to show it's age -- less reliable than the
> Japanese cars I've owned. Horrible winter traction, and less
> comfortable than the Golf.
>
> e) 2000 VW Passat 6-cylinder. The weight helps gives this car much
> better snow traction than the Jetta, but it's mileage is poor, and the
> front seat is the LEAST comfortable of any car I've ever owned. Alas,
> I didn't notice this in the 20-minute test drive.
>
> I would love feedback from other people like me, who've had trouble
> finding a comfortable car. I really wish the dealers would let me test-
> drive a car for a day (or a week) so I could truly assess whether the
> car was suitable for long drives.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!
>
> Clay

Try an SE Camry. Excellent front drivers seat. Great mileage for a
larger car. Good handling. I personally like the black upholstery with
the chrome accents. Seventeen inch alloy wheels. The car has a lot
going for it.

Ron

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

my crown vic gets 30+mpg on the highway with the cruise set at 65, and 22
mpg in town if i keep my foot out of it.
if the kids drive it, it gets 12 in town, and 15 onthe highway, cause they
like to hit the speed limiter.
thats why i don't let them have the keys anymore..
<bigjim@backpacker.com> wrote in message
news:1188219763.131375.124190@r34g2000hsd.googlegr oups.com...
> There's only one choice for you- try a Subaru Outback. My 04 got 29
> mpg fully loaded driving cross country and the AWD will handle
> anything you would attempt in a stock vehicle and be 100% reliable for
> a long time. Try it. The 4 cyl is plenty powerful and a manual is
> available.
>
>
> On Aug 26, 8:47 pm, Clay <c...@sportsmogul.com> wrote:
>> Greetings! I'm shopping for a car that may not exist. My requirements
>> list isn't long, but it's hard to find them on the same car.
>>
>> 1) Absurdly comfortable front seats. I'm 6'2" and get back pain
>> whenever I drive any of my current cars for more than 30-60 minutes. I
>> "only" weigh 190, but have long legs for someone by height.
>>
>> 2) Good winter traction. We live in rural New England and have a 400-
>> foot sloped gravel driveway. 4WD isn't a requirement (our FWD Passat
>> is adequate for example), but better ground clearance would be great
>> (our current cars frequently scrape on the dirt roads around here --
>> including one recent event that broke TWO catalytic converters).
>>
>> 3) Great gas mileage. As you can tell from the fact that one of our
>> cars runs on waste vegetable oil (see below), we care a lot about
>> reducing emissions. This is actually more important, to us, than fuel
>> savings. That is, we don't mind paying $5,000 extra for a car that
>> will save us only $3,000 in gas costs over the life of the vehicle.
>>
>> 3a) Manual transmission. I have never owned an automatic and I don't
>> like them. They have worse mileage and I don't enjoy them as much (I
>> also like how manuals force me to pay attention to my driving --
>> neither my wife nor I have ever had an accident in over 30 combined
>> years driving 5-speeds).
>>
>> I've heard that the Prius has surprisingly good leg-room, but all our
>> driving is rural -- so a hybrid doesn't seem like the right
>> technology. I also hate automatics.
>>
>> I have a friend with a 5-cylinder Volvo wagon -- she says she gets 35
>> MPG highway. I haven't tried driving it, but perhaps this is the best
>> combo of the above choices.
>>
>> I'm also looking at SUV options (Ford? Honda?), because I notice my
>> back hurts a lot less in vehicles (like our pickup truck) with an
>> 'upright' seating position.
>>
>> I sat in my stepmother's Subara Forester for a few minutes and I'm
>> pretty sure the front seat is too cramped. Same with the few minutes I
>> spent in a Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
>>
>> For reference, these are our current/recent cars, and what we liked
>> and didn't like:
>>
>> a) 1987 Nissan Sentra (2-door). My first car, but I soon realized that
>> driving it was like jabbing an ice pick in my lower back. My father-in-
>> law was a mechanic so we ripped out the front seat and drilled some
>> more holes in the seat frame so that it could go farther back (to the
>> point that no one could fit in the back seat). This was a great
>> solution, but not one that makes sense for me any more.
>>
>> b) 1996 VW Golf. Another great car. Suprisingly comfortable front
>> seats.
>>
>> c) 1999 Nissan Frontier Pickup Truck. Great reliable pickup truck, but
>> somewhat cramped seating, and not a good all-around vehicle for a 3-
>> person family.
>>
>> d) 1999 VW Jetta Diesel, with a "GreaseCar" kit to run on waste
>> vegetable oil. Starting to show it's age -- less reliable than the
>> Japanese cars I've owned. Horrible winter traction, and less
>> comfortable than the Golf.
>>
>> e) 2000 VW Passat 6-cylinder. The weight helps gives this car much
>> better snow traction than the Jetta, but it's mileage is poor, and the
>> front seat is the LEAST comfortable of any car I've ever owned. Alas,
>> I didn't notice this in the 20-minute test drive.
>>
>> I would love feedback from other people like me, who've had trouble
>> finding a comfortable car. I really wish the dealers would let me test-
>> drive a car for a day (or a week) so I could truly assess whether the
>> car was suitable for long drives.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any help!
>>
>> Clay
>
>

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

my crown vic gets 30+mpg on the highway with the cruise set at 65, and 22
mpg in town if i keep my foot out of it.
if the kids drive it, it gets 12 in town, and 15 onthe highway, cause they
like to hit the speed limiter.
thats why i don't let them have the keys anymore..
<bigjim@backpacker.com> wrote in message
news:1188219763.131375.124190@r34g2000hsd.googlegr oups.com...
> There's only one choice for you- try a Subaru Outback. My 04 got 29
> mpg fully loaded driving cross country and the AWD will handle
> anything you would attempt in a stock vehicle and be 100% reliable for
> a long time. Try it. The 4 cyl is plenty powerful and a manual is
> available.
>
>
> On Aug 26, 8:47 pm, Clay <c...@sportsmogul.com> wrote:
>> Greetings! I'm shopping for a car that may not exist. My requirements
>> list isn't long, but it's hard to find them on the same car.
>>
>> 1) Absurdly comfortable front seats. I'm 6'2" and get back pain
>> whenever I drive any of my current cars for more than 30-60 minutes. I
>> "only" weigh 190, but have long legs for someone by height.
>>
>> 2) Good winter traction. We live in rural New England and have a 400-
>> foot sloped gravel driveway. 4WD isn't a requirement (our FWD Passat
>> is adequate for example), but better ground clearance would be great
>> (our current cars frequently scrape on the dirt roads around here --
>> including one recent event that broke TWO catalytic converters).
>>
>> 3) Great gas mileage. As you can tell from the fact that one of our
>> cars runs on waste vegetable oil (see below), we care a lot about
>> reducing emissions. This is actually more important, to us, than fuel
>> savings. That is, we don't mind paying $5,000 extra for a car that
>> will save us only $3,000 in gas costs over the life of the vehicle.
>>
>> 3a) Manual transmission. I have never owned an automatic and I don't
>> like them. They have worse mileage and I don't enjoy them as much (I
>> also like how manuals force me to pay attention to my driving --
>> neither my wife nor I have ever had an accident in over 30 combined
>> years driving 5-speeds).
>>
>> I've heard that the Prius has surprisingly good leg-room, but all our
>> driving is rural -- so a hybrid doesn't seem like the right
>> technology. I also hate automatics.
>>
>> I have a friend with a 5-cylinder Volvo wagon -- she says she gets 35
>> MPG highway. I haven't tried driving it, but perhaps this is the best
>> combo of the above choices.
>>
>> I'm also looking at SUV options (Ford? Honda?), because I notice my
>> back hurts a lot less in vehicles (like our pickup truck) with an
>> 'upright' seating position.
>>
>> I sat in my stepmother's Subara Forester for a few minutes and I'm
>> pretty sure the front seat is too cramped. Same with the few minutes I
>> spent in a Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
>>
>> For reference, these are our current/recent cars, and what we liked
>> and didn't like:
>>
>> a) 1987 Nissan Sentra (2-door). My first car, but I soon realized that
>> driving it was like jabbing an ice pick in my lower back. My father-in-
>> law was a mechanic so we ripped out the front seat and drilled some
>> more holes in the seat frame so that it could go farther back (to the
>> point that no one could fit in the back seat). This was a great
>> solution, but not one that makes sense for me any more.
>>
>> b) 1996 VW Golf. Another great car. Suprisingly comfortable front
>> seats.
>>
>> c) 1999 Nissan Frontier Pickup Truck. Great reliable pickup truck, but
>> somewhat cramped seating, and not a good all-around vehicle for a 3-
>> person family.
>>
>> d) 1999 VW Jetta Diesel, with a "GreaseCar" kit to run on waste
>> vegetable oil. Starting to show it's age -- less reliable than the
>> Japanese cars I've owned. Horrible winter traction, and less
>> comfortable than the Golf.
>>
>> e) 2000 VW Passat 6-cylinder. The weight helps gives this car much
>> better snow traction than the Jetta, but it's mileage is poor, and the
>> front seat is the LEAST comfortable of any car I've ever owned. Alas,
>> I didn't notice this in the 20-minute test drive.
>>
>> I would love feedback from other people like me, who've had trouble
>> finding a comfortable car. I really wish the dealers would let me test-
>> drive a car for a day (or a week) so I could truly assess whether the
>> car was suitable for long drives.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any help!
>>
>> Clay
>
>

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

Mazda 5, Subaru WRX/Legacy/Forester wagons

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

Mazda 5, Subaru WRX/Legacy/Forester wagons

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

I'll second Ray's suggestion - I am 6' even and have an 08 Highlander
Limited _do not have the seat near the rearmost it will go - the steering
column telescopes and wheel tilts

I just sold a house, the agent used part of the commission to by an xB - he
is 65 and says its plenty roomy (I've not been in it to see)

Ron in Ca

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

I'll second Ray's suggestion - I am 6' even and have an 08 Highlander
Limited _do not have the seat near the rearmost it will go - the steering
column telescopes and wheel tilts

I just sold a house, the agent used part of the commission to by an xB - he
is 65 and says its plenty roomy (I've not been in it to see)

Ron in Ca

Re: Unicorn Hunting: Comfy wagon/SUV with great mileage
 

> Greetings! I'm shopping for a car that may not exist. My requirements
> list isn't long, but it's hard to find them on the same car.
>
> 1) Absurdly comfortable front seats. I'm 6'2" and get back pain
> 2) Good winter traction. We live in rural New England and have a 400-
> 3) Great gas mileage. As you can tell from the fact that one of our
> 3a) Manual transmission. I have never owned an automatic and I don't

I've got two suggestions, both not yet available:

1. Volkswagon Tiguan Diesel (May 2008 in USA ?)
http://www.tiguan.nl/
http://www.casanovacars.com/volkswag...uan_diesel.php
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publi...cle_2032.shtml
140 hp 2.0L diesel, 35/45 mpg ?

2. Honda CRV Diesel (August 2009 in USA ???)
already available in the UK since 2001 ?
http://www.channel4.com/4car/di/honda/cr-v/1022/1
150 hp 2.2L diesel, 35/45 mpg

Lynn