With government agencies enforcing stricter emission regulations every year and auto manufacturers doing their best to prove that their cars are as eco-friendly as possible, hyperbole is part of the game.
A common saying is that the modern cars are cleaner than lawn equipment and that the carbon dioxide emissions they release are actually lower than that present in the air that comes into the combustion chamber.
Edmund's Insideline decided to put the theories to the test. Since cars come in all shapes and sizes, they chose two examples from the opposite side of the spectrum: a Fiat 500 mini and a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Crew Cab pickup.
The diminutive Fiat is powered by a 1.4-liter four with 100HP, while the big and menacing-looking Raptor sports a 411HP 6.2-liter V8.
They also bought along two leaf blowers: one with a single-cylinder 50.8 cc two-stroke engine and the other with a 30cc four-stroke engine.
The contest took place at the Automotive Research Center of the American Automobile Association Auto Club of Southern California, which runs the FTP 75 emissions cycles test that is one of the primary standards in U.S. light-car emissions and fuel economy certification.
So what do you think? Are modern cars and trucks as clean as their makers claim them to be, beating even a common lawn blower? No spoilers here: just watch the video to find out the answer.
