Emissions could have fallen 30% without SUV's

[Kenj]

I have a Honda Airwave, basically a Fit station wagon. Very handy for me, it can fit my pushbike in the back - flip out the front wheel, and tie it down...perfect. Got a towbar to tow a trailer if needed. Jap Import, so we talk km/l like the Japanese, which makes more sense to me, and easy at the pump - km divided by litres. Gauge normally shows 17.5 to 18.5, but last week when the gauge said 17.7 km/l, I worked it out at the pump at 20.5 km/l.  That's 4.878 in your method.

Yes, cars are much more economical, they have been working on that aspect for 50 years or so, so to be expected.  But if people were driving around in things like my little station wagon, which has more load space than their SUV, how much would the emissions have dropped. My wife has a Honda Stream, much larger than my Airwave, more MPV than SUV...but it has less load space than my Airwave.

That's pretty good economy. A friend of ours is driving to Queenstown and back to visit family over Christmas. He has a battered old 2008 Ford falcon V8. On what he said he gets at best, petrol will cost him $900 for the trip with 4 days driving. Then there is the cost of the ferry on top of that... Driving sure is getting expensive!