CONTRARY TO CONSPIRACY THEORIES, GAS MILEAGE IS RISING

Based on preliminary sales estimates, the Transportation Department in the USofA has declared that 2007 will be a very efficient year, fuel-wise. The average fuel economy of vehicles sold in the States is likely to be the best ever, in fact.

The year 1987 was a particularly efficient year; a year in which the average fuel economy of vehicles sold was 26.2mpg. Last year, economy was 25.4, and this year it should be 26.4 miles per gallon. Vehicles sold by Honda in the United States that were manufactured elsewhere work out to 39.9mpg. American-built Hondas travel 33.7 miles for every gallon consumed. Here's a list of stats for some other manufacturers:

• Toyota - 38.5mpg on imports/31.7mpg for American-built cars and trucks (Toyota falls 3mpg on its domestics and ranks as the only automaker to suffer a drop in average truck economy.)
• General Motors - 29.6mpg for domestics.
• Ford Motor Company - 28.8mpg for domestics.
• Nissan - 33.4mpg for domestic production/25.9 on imports to America.
• DaimlerChrysler's up 3mpg to 28.6.

Regular 'cars' should produce an average of 31mpg while trucks, SUV's, vans, and a few misfits will average out to 22.9mpg. As legislation stands now, the requirement for 2020 will be 35mpg.