Toyota makes some pretty efficient cars but i think they could do better.

I would like to see Toyota lower the weight by using composites. I know this is expensive now but Toyota seems to be the most progressive thinking car company. They might lose money in the begining like they did with the Prius but they could own the process and make huge profits from what they learn.

I would like to see Toyota let aerodynamics dictate how the car looked. Lower the Cd and you get huge MPG gains on the Hwy. Mecedes has a car that gets 80 MPG on the HWY with no hybrid engine. People will get used to the new looks. I know I'd drive a car with different looks that got me 70 MPG and cost me under 20K.

Use Diesel engines. They get higher mileage and you can use all sorts of fuels. They don't have power but I think more people desire mileage over accelleration.

With these off the shelf technologies I think Toyota could build a car with better MPG than a Prius but at a lower cost and much less technology to break.

 

The Echo got 40MPG with the boxes engine and chasis. It did not sell so it went away.............

 

40 is OK but the echo was too small for the incremental MPG gain. The Yaris is a better replacement and it addresses a lot of what I taked about except for the weight. I think Toyota can got the next step in Cd reduction though.

 

do you know how Toyota started with Hybrids? Their president gave an engineering group an goal to raise MPG by 50% in the new radical vehicle.

Then he told them to double the mpg.

So that is the best way to get best mpg. Diesels cant get into US because they are too dirty to pass the emissions and nobody will be able to do that up until 2009.

New Yaris is pretty light for its class - in fact, its the lightest car.

 

Well VW has that little diesel rabbit that gets 65 MPG with no hybrid. I think it cost under 20K too. It looks ok but I don't think it will be as reliable as a toyota.