[Image Source: EVWorld]

Any visitor to the Big Apple knows only too well the site of thousands of yellow, Panther-platformed Crown Vics that prowl the streets looking to eat pedestrians with their accompanying luggage. That said, these relics of 1970's three-box design theory do take up more than their fare share of two very precious commodities on New York's streets - space and gas.

Specifically, each of Ford's extended wheelbase Crown Victoria taxis darken 16,786 square inches of roadway (a lincoln navigator covers only 16,421 by comparison) and guzzles dinosaur juice at an unseemly rate of 17 urban miles per gallon.

FoMoCo does, however, provide a relatively green contrast. Ford's confirmed recently that their promotional NYC fleet of 18 Escape Hybrids taxis on-duty since 2005 have raked in a total fuel savings of $250,000 over the course of their 175,000 rough-trodden miles. The small (only 173" long compared to the Crown Vic's 218"), fuel-sipping SUVs averaged better than the Crown Victorias by consuming half the gas - 34 urban miles traveled per gallon.

So, why haven't more cab companies ditched the Vic?

[Source: Ford]