July’s US auto sales were strong thanks to particularly robust demand for SUVs. That may lead some to wonder if Americans have forgotten about high gas prices.
But it turns out that new car buyers are still managing to buy more fuel efficient cars than ever before, according to new research that shows the average fuel economy of cars sold in July was the second highest since October 2007.
The Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan has been tracking the average fuel economy of new cars sold since 2007, and reported July’s average fuel economy of 25.6 MPG was only bested in May this year, at 25.7 MPG.
The results were based on the EPA ratings on window stickers.
It doesn’t hurt that the popular SUVs right now, such as the Chevy Tahoe and Toyota Highlander, all get noticeably higher fuel economy ratings than they did in 2007, and also rate in the ballpark of some popular cars. That’ll ease the burden on fuel as more Americans fall in love with SUVs and cars dressed up like SUVs.
By Zac Estrada
Average Sales-Weighted MPG
