Opinion: John McCain once owned a ‘Vette; Barack Obama was a Chrysler guy

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Now that we know all of the major political players in this year’s presidential election, let’s get down to the important stuff.

What do they drive? And, given that high gas prices are on the minds of voters, what kind of mileage are they getting?

Both John McCain and Barack Obama have promised to fix the country’s energy crisis, but what they have parked in the garage may be more revealing than political rhetoric.

Ken Bensinger, over at the LATimes.com car blog Up to Speed, did some digging today and has this to report:

McCain: Cadillac CTS sedan (19 mpg). His first car was reportedly a 1958 Corvette.

Obama: Drove a Chrysler 300 with a V-8 engine (18 mpg) until last summer, when he switched to a Ford Escape hybrid (30 mpg) after getting bad press about driving a gas guzzler.

Joe Biden: He sometimes drives a 1967 Corvette (no mpg rating).

Sarah Palin: As Alaska’s governor, she drives a state-owned Chevy Suburban SUV (16 mpg). In July, it sustained several thousand dollars in damage when she was involved in a multi-vehicle accident while going to work. She also has been known to drive her husband’s snowmobiles.

-- Kate Linthicum