Comments on: Want a more fuel-efficient DogCar? We have suggestions

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:56:10 +0000

Christine, I HIGHLY recommend he look at the Fit if he wants cargo room. The seats fold completely flat. In addition to the critters, I run a small business. I needed lots of cargo room while still getting good mileage and it absolutely had to be inexpensive. My brother calls it my golf cart, but I love it. And he’s terribly jealous of the mileage (he drives a small pickup).

I drive a manual, which helps with mileage and the pick-up for accelerating is a little better.

By: Christine S

Christine S — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:52:10 +0000

Wow, I’m actually going to make a note of some of these and pass them onto my dad for cars-in-general. He’s in the market, but doesn’t want to loose the space of a truck, but I don’t think it’s the way to go.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:26:55 +0000

I totally agree with the Honda Fit! I got 41 mpg in mine when traveling a long distance on the interstate. I use gas saving strategies to boost it that high (tire pressure, cruise control, no hard breaking or speeding up, when exiting and no one’s behind he, coasting up instead of breaking, lucas oil, regular changes, etc.)

By: Gina Spadafori

Gina Spadafori — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:04:49 +0000

We’re absolutely going to see a lot of changes and choices coming, but for now … we’re all kind of scrambling on the mpg front.

By: LauraS

LauraS — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:03:30 +0000

Hubby is buying a 2009 VW Jetta Sportwagen diesel as his next dog car. It reportedly does a real world 40-50 mpg. This will replace his 25 mpg 2001 VW Passat wagon, into which we can fit two large slightly modified wire dog crates, and is a seriously nice ride.

The Jetta wagon is only a tiny bit smaller than our Passat wagon, and — by our measuring tape — should do the same job.
http://www.popularmechanics.co.....57807.html

Europeans have a bizzilion options for very high fuel efficiency wagons and vans that make excellent dog cars. We are only just starting to see these vehicles in America.

By: Gina Spadafori

Gina Spadafori — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:25:04 +0000

Well, now Janice, it sure is a good mpg if your current DogCar is a Suburban!

Check out this piece on my “day job” site about hybrids:

http://www.ourgreencommunity.org/story/22

By: Janice in GA

Janice in GA — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:22:53 +0000

Y’all need to start looking for cars with higher mpg ratings. 24/25 is not very good these days. I wouldn’t buy a car that got that kind of mileage.