2007 Cobalt
2.2L, 4 speed auto
24/32 mpg

2006 Aveo hatch
1.6L, 4 speed
24/34 mpg

1990 Cavalier
2.3L 3 speed auto
25/33 mpg

 

Did you take into account gearing? Weight? The irrelevance of EPA fuel economy figures in the real world?

 

Weight is key.

What did a 1990 Cavalier weigh? 2500 lbs?

The Cobalt is heavier (just like most modern cars due to added safety features, option content, sound deadening, etc.) AND faster, while still achieving superior fuel economy by a bit).

Csaba Csere writes about this trend in a recent issue (October, I think) of Car and Driver.

 

Sure weight is something the Cavi has an advatage of over the Cobalt, but not the Aveo, also the Cavi also has a 3 speed and a slightly larger and way older tech engine. 1990 Corsica 3 speed also gets the same city milage as a Cobalt.

 

Yeah I can see a case made for the Cobalt... but the Aveo is 16 years newer, about 100 pounds lighter than the 90 Cavalier... makes only 8 more horsepower (103 vs 95) than the Cavalier did, and has an extra gear on its transmission to work with.

Their combined mileage is identical despite the above facts.

Though I do agree that EPA mileage ratings are almost worthless these days - plus their testing standards have changed over the years... if that Cav was tested today there's a chance it would rate lower.

 

:waits for Threxx's ninja-edit:

EDIT: ahh, there it is.

 

lmao

 

Actually, I like the fact that my cobalt almost gets as much as the Aveo. But yeah, those arent real world figures. Also take in account the price difference there. Im sure the aveo can be made to get better gas milage. Im also sure it would raise its MSRP.

 

GEARING.

The number of gears is largely irrelevant. The only thing that really matters is the effective ratio (taking into account the selected transmission gear ratio, the final drive ratio, and the tire circumference).

 

Aveo sedan and Cav sedan both came in at about 2500 lbs (Aveo is 2531 according to Chevy's site, though the 5 door hatch, still on the previous generation styling, is 2343).

Aveo's problem is the engine is not a GM Powertrain ecotec variant, but a holdover from the Koreans (I believe). I think that a 1.6 or 1.8L Ecotec would push the Aveo into the 40s in manual guise ('07 Aveo is rated at 37 mpg with the 5 speed). The Koreans have never achieved good fuel economy or power from their engines for a given size, though they are certainly improving.

 

The numbers posted at the beginning of this thread were for the 2006 (old style) Aveo... which has numbers all ~2350 or so... 90 Cav was ~2450 or so.

 

Did the Cavvys of the time actually get that mileage? How much power did they make?

 

Good call.

 

I don't think a 2.3 was available in earlier cavaliers, unless you Americans had something else on the go. It was a 2.0 OHV from the late 80s to 1990 inclusive I thought. Then in 1991 they went to a 2.2 litre, basically the same motor, but it bumped HP from 90 to 115/120 or so.

 

The 2.0L was EPA rated lower than the 2.3L