*Here's a taste of how the other half lives. Forbes magazine recently compiled a list of the most fuel-efficient vehicles by class. The closest thing to one of "our" rigs on the list was the Toyota RAV-4, with 25 mpg city, 31 highway. Top of the list went to the Honda Insight, a two-seat gas/electric hybrid that achieved 61 mpg city, 68 highway.
*Speaking of fuel economy, the NHTSA has finally nailed down the increases it's been looking for in corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for light trucks to take place between now and 2007. Current CAFE for light trucks is 20.7 mpg; that will rise to 21.0 mpg for 2005, 21.6 mpg for 2006, and 22.2 mpg for the 2007 model year. Proponents of the rules say the new CAFE numbers will save some 3.6 billion gallons of gasoline over the lifetime of the trucks. Opponents-like the automakers-are complaining about the difficulty they'll have reaching the new standard.
*More gas pains: The NHTSA just might totally revamp the way it classifies vehicles for CAFE to a weight-based system rather than the definitions it uses now to separate cars from trucks. If that happens look for quite a few minivans, cute/utes, and crossover SUVs to cross over from being trucks to cars and in doing so face stiffer fuel economy regs.
RecallsIf you own one of the following vehicles and haven't been notified by the maker that your vehicle is under recall, get yourself down to your local dealer to find out if the recall affects your 4x4.
*'02 Nissan Xterra: On certain Xterra sport/utility vehicles, the clock-spring electrical connector may not be secured to the driver airbag module squib-pin connector. If the connector comes loose, the driver airbag will not deploy in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Dealers will install a retaining clip on the clock-spring electrical connector.
*'97 Chevrolet Blazer, GMC Jimmy, and Oldsmobile Bravada: On certain of these midsize SUVs, the energy-absorbing loop on the driver-side seat-belt buckle may fully deploy during severe rollover conditions, reducing driver restraint. Dealers will replace the driver seat-belt buckle assembly with a new buckle assembly.
*'03 Dodge Ram 2500/3500: Certain pickup trucks equipped with Cummins diesel engines and manual transmissions may experience an elevated idle speed after extended cruise control use. This can result in unintended acceleration and a reduction in braking effectiveness. Dealers will reprogram the software in the Cummins engine controller.
Environmental & Political Watch*According to the watchdogs at SEMA, there are no fewer than four bills making their way through Congress that would set aside millions of acres as protected "wilderness." The wilderness designation, of course, prohibits any motorized access within the areas in question. Two of the four-H.R. 1501 and S. 738-seek to convert 304,000 acres of northern California federal lands into wilderness. It gets better; the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (H.R. 1105) wants to turn huge tracts of land in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming into wilderness. And finally, America's Red Rock Wilderness Act (S. 639) wants to designate as wilderness 9 million acres of southern Utah. As usual, write your Congressman/woman. If you don't know who to contact, SEMA has a link on its Web site that'll point you in the right direction: www.enjoythedrive.com/legislative/contact_legislator.asp.
*As a twist on this theme, a newly introduced House bill, H.R. 652, would create a National Forest Ecosystem Protection Program that would treat primitive lands adjacent to wilderness areas just like the wilderness areas, effectively banning motorized travel from an even bigger area of the country.