Spoilers

[Anonymous]

Why, all of a sudden, do all new SUVs come with plastic, aerodynamic spoilers over the rear window? Forester, CR-V, RAV-4, just about all of them. Do they improve gas economy? I doubt it.

[Anonymous]

They improve fuel economy at highway speeds

[Anonymous]

Mfgs. test vehicle shapes in wind tunnels and apply those test results along with styling imperatives which they hope will help sell their products. For pedestrian vehicles the purpose of aerodynamic parts like front and rear spoilers, underbody shields, recessed door handles, side-mirror design, and other body parts is to improve fuel economy and sometimes to improve cooling for gas-powered vehicles. For performance vehicles, spoilers are intended to increase downforce to improve road-holding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why, all of a sudden, do all new SUVs come with plastic, aerodynamic spoilers over the rear window? Forester, CR-V, RAV-4, just about all of them. Do they improve gas economy? I doubt it.

They probably add another .05-.1 mpg

Averaged over a product fleet of a million vehicles, it adds up to something significant. But it makes essentially no difference at all to a single owner. You could achieve mileage results surpassing the aerodynamic gimmicks just by driving more efficiently. But most people don’t. They just mash the gas pedal when the light turns green and stay on it all the way to the next red light, where they brake hard. Rinse, repeat. Manufacturers know people drive like idiots in this manner, so they try and give the buyer any sort of small advantage they can.

[Anonymous]

Trying to partially offset the increased wind resistance (drag) caused by SUVs due the fact they have a higher ride height and therefore more turbulent air flow under and behind the vehicle.