VW sold in UK gets 78.5 mpg (see video)

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

Video here: http://video.staged.com/localshops/vw_passat_785_mpg_in_the_uk

The guy says they are manufactured in the good old USA, but because there wouldn't be enough gas tax revenue made to keep the roads repaired they are not allowed to sell them here...

(I did a search and found two old posts which mention vehicles getting this kind of mileage.)

[ZOB]

1. It appears that this has been debunked by Snopes...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/passat.asp

The reason that particular model is not sold in the U.S. seems to be that it's expensive, underpowered (by U.S. standards and has a manual transmission.

It also doesn't appear that it gets 78+ MPG...

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

5. not really, just 'probably false' and the 78.5 are 'imperial gallons' not US gallons

Here is the link from DU in '08 that lists several vehicles with very high gas milage:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=142734&mesg_id=143087

[wercal]

2. Many cars in Europe get better mileage than the US

You may recall that some 1980's models got better mileage here, than our present models.

Factors include pollution controls, cars are more powerful in the US, and cars are generally larger in the US. Its buying patterns...not a gas tax conspiracy.

Now, gas taxes are hopelessly flawed, in that they are 'per gallon' instead of a percentage of the dollars spent on that gallon. So there are problems with it...but its not keeping specific car models out of our dealerships.

[DonRedwood]

3. kick

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

4. When I spent a year in France in 1969 as a young man

the band mates in my rock and roll band had a Ford Transit made by the German division of Ford, with a Ford Taunus V4 2.0 liter engine. The thing could haul everything you'd want and got terrific gas mileage although it didn't have great acceleration. When I came back to the U.S., I wanted to buy one but American Ford dealerships had never heard of it and wanted to sell me a V8 dragster van so I could gun the engine and get to top speed from one red light to the next.