Tuesday, June 17, 2008 -- 3:57 p.m.

I knew that the fuel efficiency of the CTA buses couldn't be great. I just never knew that the regular diesel-powered buses averaged two to three mpg. And their current hybrids? 4 mpg. Wow.

So, it is great news, of course, that the CTA began testing a lighter-weight hybrid that might double the fuel efficiency of the current hybrids, according to the Tribune.

No wonder the CTA is looking for more money. Seven to 8 mpg isn't anything I'd celebrate over, though it'll definitely cut the CTA's costs. The Tribune's story reports that "the CTA faces an overrun of as much as $25 million in its fuel budget this year."

Given the awful fuel efficiency of buses, I became a little curious as to how other vehicles compare. Here's what fueleconomy.gov had to say:

Best of cars:
>> Toyota Prius Hybrid: 48 mpg city/45 mpg highway
>> Smart Car for two: 33/41
>> Toyota Yaris:  29/35
>> Honda Civic Hybrid: 40/45

Worst of cars:
>> Volkswagen Passat Wagon 20/28
>> Lamborghini Murcielago: 8/13
>> Bentley Continental GTC: 10/17
>> Audi S4 Avant: 13/20

Best of trucks/SUVs/vans:
>> Ford Ranger Pickup: 21/26
>> Dodge Dakota Pickup: 16/20
>> Ford Escape Hybrid: 34/30
>> Jeep Compass: 23/28
>> Mazda 5: 22/28

Worst of trucks/SUVs/vans:
>>  Ford Ranger Pickup: 14/17
>> Mercedes-Benz G: 11/13
>> Toyota Sienna: 16/21

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What's your point? It's ridiculous to compare the fuel economy of a bus to that of a car or an SUV, on mere mileage figures alone. You need to factor in weight, passenger capacity, etc.

SUPRIYA'S REPLY: I wasn't trying to compare the bus to the other figures, per se. I simply was curious as to what the mpg were for other vehicles, given that I underestimated the fuel economy of buses.

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