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Should heavy-duty pickup trucks have window stickers with fuel mileage estimates?

If you were to stroll into your nearest Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, or Ram dealership, you'd find a bunch of pickup trucks. Most of those would have proper window stickers labeled with things like base prices, options prices, location of manufacture, and, crucially, fuel economy estimates. But you'd also run across a number of heavy-duty trucks with no such fuel mileage data from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA doesn't require automakers to publish the valuable miles-per-gallon measurement for vehicles with gross weight ratings that exceed 8,500 pounds. That makes it difficult for consumers to compare behemoths powered by turbocharged diesel engines – between one another, and between smaller, gasoline-fueled trucks. Consumer Reports doesn't think it should be this way, and it's spearheading an effort (PDF link) to get the government to require manufacturers to publish fuel economy estimates. In its own testing, CR found that heavy-duty pickups powered by Ford's Power Stroke, GM's Duramax, and FCA's Cummins diesel engines (which doesn't include the Ram's EcoDiesel) get worse fuel mileage than their lighter-duty gas-powered siblings. We're not so sure HD-truck buyers are unaware of this fact – big diesels don't really come into their own until big loads are placed in their beds or attached to their trailer hitches. Under heavy workloads, the diesel trucks will almost certainly return greater efficiency than a similar gas-powered truck. What's more, HD trucks with lumbering diesels in general make the driver feel more confident while towing due to greater torque at low engine RPM than gas trucks. They also offer greater max-weight limits. Still, we agree EPA fuel mileage estimates should be offered for heavy-duty pickups. And we think the comparisons provided by Consumer Reports might be interesting to potential buyers. Click here to see the results of CR's tests, and let us know what you think using the poll below. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty: First Drive View 22 Photos News Source: Consumer Reports Government/Legal Green Read This Chevrolet Ford GMC Nissan RAM Fuel Efficiency Truck Commercial Vehicles Diesel Vehicles poll gmc sierra hd chevy silverado hd

2017 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport brings American fury to Geneva

Power isn't everything – even when it comes to Corvettes. Sure, the mighty, 650-horsepower Z06 is a real peach, but there's a lot to be said for the base Stingray with its naturally aspirated LT1 V8, putting out 460 hp in top spec. That's still plenty of grunt. Now, put that engine in a lightweight, aerodynamic-focused Corvette with super-sticky tires, and you get the new Grand Sport – a naturally aspirated Stingray that can pull up to 1.2 Gs. GM says the new Grand Sport is nearly as quick around its Milford Proving Ground track as the previous-generation ZR1. Specific updates include sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport summer tires – 285/30ZR19 up front and 335/25ZR20 at the rear. Huge Brembo brakes are fitted to slow things down with a quickness, new stabilizer bars and springs keep the car hunkered down, and a seven-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions are available. Want an even more hardcore package? Option the Z07 pack, which adds carbon ceramic brakes and Pilot Sport 2 Cup tires. Both coupe and convertible versions will be available, and a Collector Edition will come later in the year, painted in Watkins Glen Gray with Tension Blue hash marks, satin black stripes, black wheels, and a blue full leather and suede interior. The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport debuts at this week's Geneva Motor Show, and will go on sale in the US this summer. View 18 Photos View 6 Photos 2017 CORVETTE GRAND SPORT HAS RACING ROOTS A 'purist' model that leverages a half-century legacy of motorsports success - Lightweight architecture and track-honed aerodynamics - An engine offering an estimated 1.05g in cornering capability and up to 1.2g with the available Z07 package - Coupe and convertible available this summer in U.S. and fall in Europe - Grand Sport Collector Edition available later in model year GENEVA – With Corvette Racing in its DNA, the all-new 2017 Corvette Grand Sport is a pure expression of the car's motorsports-bred pedigree. It was introduced today at the Geneva International Motor Show. Like the 2015 Le Mans-winning Corvette C7.R GTE Pro race car, the new Grand Sport combines a lightweight architecture, a track-honed aerodynamics package, Michelin tires and a naturally aspirated engine. The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport offers an estimated 1.05g in cornering capability – and up to 1.2g with the available Z07 package.

GM claims it's first to sell million 30+ mpg vehicles

As we continue to put together all the data for the year-end edition of By The Numbers, General Motors has announced that it sold more than a million vehicles in the US last year that achieved at least 30 miles per gallon on the highway. More impressively, GM managed this feat using multiple strategies including small vehicle size, turbocharged engines and hybrid or plug-in technologies across four brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC) accounting for 13 separate models. This number will grow even more in 2013 thanks to cars like the all-electric Spark, the diesel Cruze, the range-extended Cadillac ELR and the Buick Encore compact CUV.
GM's small car sales were up 39 percent last year helping to attain this million-sales mark for 30-mpg models, and almost 40 percent of all GM sales consisted of cars with fuel-efficient I4 engines. In regards to more advanced means of improving fuel economy, GM says that it plans on having 500,000 vehicles with "some form of electrification" on the road by 2017.
Scroll down for the full list of GM's million 30+ mpg cars as well as an informative press release.