28 mpg rating for 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray automatic

Entire world remember how Chevrolet surprised by claiming the seven-speed manual version of its 2014 Corvette Stingray could achieve up to 30 miles per gallon when driven in Eco mode. The car's official EPA rating eventually worked out to 17 mpg city and 29 highway. Now, the numbers are out for models equipped with the optional six-speed paddleshift automatic transmission – which Chevy says is the version most buyers are selecting – and the numbers are very similar to the manual, despite being down a cog on the three-pedal setup.

The C6’s full-length hydroformed rails have been traded for multi-part aluminum assemblies on each side that combine extruded crash structures, cast cradles front and rear, and a section of tubing (at the passenger compartment). The center tunnel was reengineered, too, in order to beef up the chassis sufficiently to again have a removable roof panel. This is, remember, the base car: Among C6s, only the Z06 and ZR1 had aluminum rails, and Chevy says the new setup is 57 percent stiffer and 99 pounds lighter than the old steel frame. Weight distribution is said to be an even 50/50 split.

The EPA rates the automatic Stingray, which is paired with the same 455-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 engine, at 16 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. However, as Motor Trend notes, those figures could change for the better "if the C7 Corvette Stingray's six-speed automatic is eventually replaced by a new eight-speed automatic." Regardless of transmission, the 2014 Corvette Stingray's excellent fuel economy ratings certainly make it a standout within its segment.

Hollow, cast-aluminum lower control arms in the front save weight and allow finer tuning of the suspension. One feature that does carry over to the C7 is the transverse leaf spring, although Corvette engineers defend its use by pointing out that it’s made from a lightweight, engineered composite and that it packages well. The shocks come in three flavors: 1.4- and 1.8-inch Bilsteins in the base and Z51 cars, respectively, or magnetorheological Magnetic Ride Control as an option on the Z51. Chevrolet tells us to keep our test equipment peeled for 1.0 g on the skidpad from even the basic model.