[lbo-talk] mileage

[Alan Rudy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, all that's nice and technical... the reason cars don't get
better gas mileage today is because the auto companies don't want - and
haven't ever really wanted - to make fuel efficient cars.
For all that what Shag sees is true, it was pretty remarkable that - after
whining for 30 years that they just couldn't possibly generate auto fleets
with the average CAFE standards set in the late 1970s - in less than a year
the Big 3 have suddenly found themselves able to raise fleet averages by 5-7
mpg and have accepted that they're going to have to go up a great deal more
soon... shocking, they must have hired some new, really good engineers over
the last 18 months... ;-(
Alan

On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 2:44 PM, Jordan Hayes <jmhayes at j-o-r-d-a-n.com> wrote:


>  can someone explain to me why, back in the 80s and 90s, i could look at
>> rabbits, horizons, mirages, etc. (cars) and find one that got high 30s to
>> mid 40s on mileage, city and highway.
>>
>> why is it that, today, you're lucky if you can find a dinky ass car that
>> gets mid-30s highway mileage.
>>
>
> It's a few things all adding up:
>
> - Cars are getting heavier which means you get a bigger engine, etc.
> - Tighter emission controls cost energy
> - The EPA changed their standards in 2008 to reflect a more realistic
> driving mix
>
> When Honda first introduced the accord in the late 70s, it weighed about
> 2000# and had a 1.6L engine and was rated at 45mpg highway; in 1981 they
> switched to a 1.8L; 1986 got the 2.0L; 1990 went to 2.2L; 1998 was a 2.3L;
> 2003 saw the 2.4L.  That's 50% bigger than the original, and the curb weight
> for the Accord is now around 3400# and rates 30mpg/highway.
>
> Curb weight for a 2010 VW "Rabbit" is nearly 3000# -- though the TDI
> (diesel) engine is still king of the road, currently spec'd to 45mpg.
>
> /jordan
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-- 
*********************************************************
Alan P. Rudy
Dept. Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Central Michigan University
124 Anspach Hall
Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
517-881-6319