SURVEY: PICKUP BUYERS VALUE FUEL ECONOMY.

Contrary to their image as stump-pulling guys hungry for horsepower, pickup truck owners these days are much more interested in better fuel efficiency, according to a new survey by R.L. Polk & Co., the auto industry’s oldest statistical service. The poll, which was commissioned by New York Citybased environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense, finds fuel economy ranking three times as important as passenger space, the next most-cited attribute, among truck owners The survey says trucks are used 80% of the time for personal use. Towing, hauling and off-roading were each mentioned by only 4% of owners. Environmental Defense says it plans to submit the study to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to bolster its argument for higher fueleconomy standards for trucks