4-Cylinder Engines Are the Latest Buying Fad

For the seventh month in row, American drivers are racking up less miles on the road says the Federal Highway Adminstration. This continues a seven-month trend that amounts to 40.5 billion fewer miles traveled between November 2007 and May 2008 than the same period a year before, according to FHA officials. Adding to consumers putting the brakes on driving, they are also shifting away from gas-guzzling 8-cylinder trucks, SUVs and cars, automakers can’t seem to build enough fuel-efficient vehicles.

Last month, Power Information Network, a data mining company tracking new car sales, reported 51 percent of new cars and light trucks sold in June were equipped with fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engines. Since Power Information Network has been tracking new vehicle sales, this is the first time 4-cylinder engines have captured more than half of new vehicle sales in the U. S. Automakers are scrambling to keep up with consumer demand, readjusting their production mix. Four-cylinder engines typically produce better gas mileage than the larger engines. For instance, a 2008 4-cylinder Nissan Altima with an automatic transmission achieves a combined 26 miles per gallon, whereas a comparable 6-cylinder Altima only registers 22 miles per gallon, according to the EPA. Not only does the mileage increase when comparing a 4-cylinder engine to a larger engine, you'll save thousands of dollars purchasing a vehicle with a smaller engine. To find out how many miles per gallon your vehicle is capable of producing, click here.