Will there ever be a gas only car that gets 50+ mpg again, like the Honda CRX or Geo Metro? (car engine, vehicle)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
In the late 80s my dad averaged 55 mpg for his highway commute in a Geo Metro. I got similar mileage in my first car, a late-80s model Honda CRX.
Today, the top-rated gas-only cars are EPA rated for about 40 mpg on the highway. Even the top-rated hybrid cars are rated for around 45 mpg.
30 years of progress and technology, combined with immense political will towards addressing energy efficiency and climate change, has resulted in a reduction in fuel efficiency by 10 mpg over the past 30 years?
I get that cars keep getting bigger, and that cars of the 80s lacked today's safety requirements that make it difficult to achieve the same mileage. Still, you would someone would see the market for an extremely fuel efficient car. Even if the majority of car buyers would prefer a big car, isn't there room for a niche market for small cars? And don't talk to me about electric. It makes no sense to pay $30,000+ for an electric car, when you can buy a compact car like the Honda Fit for $16,000. I ran the numbers and gas would need to immediately shoot up to $13/gallon, and stay there for the next ten years for that to pay off.
Apologies for the rant, I was just wondering if there were auto makers out there I hadn't heard of who have noticed this underserved market for efficient gas-only cars.
Look into hypermiling forums on the internet. I think you will see that people can get pretty close when they modify certain cars.
One big thing will be when we can get rid of mirrors. Seems trite, but they are a big cause of turbulence and drag. I thought I saw a headline where Japan is now going to allow cameras and monitors to replace exterior mirrors.
Just by shaving mirrors, antennas, door handles and putting on fender skirts you could probably add a significant amount to a typical car today...but safety regs just don't allow that...yet.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,550 posts, read 81,103,317 times
Reputation: 57750
Studies have been done that calculate the side mirror drag to amount to an average 1.7 mpg loss. It amazes me that the Smart Car 3 cyl, 1.0 L only gets 34/38 mpg. I had a 1980 Datsun 210 1.5L that got 47 on the highway, and long before that a 1967 Cortina GT 1500 L that got 42. Sure, a lot more safety and smog equipment now, but you can drive a much heavier car with a V6 and over 300 horsepower that gets 27-30 on the highway (Mustang/Camaro/Challenger). I suspect that the manufacturers have the technology to get 50 out of small gas powered cars if they wanted to, but the prices would be so much more that they fear a loss of sales. Paying $30,000 to get 30 mpg in a Challenger with 305 HP seems more reasonable than to add variable valve timing, double overhead cam, automatic engine start/stop, and cylinder deactivation
to what is now a $15,000 car like the Smart, Yaris, Fiesta, Accent or Rio.
Blame the stupid vehicle car engineers out there, plus their bosses for this conspiracy, as well as the Gov Regulators.
Yeah, I kinda like the older cars especially my former 1990 Jackson Racing Honda Civic SI. Totally outclasses today's Honda Fit.
And my 1999 Honda Civic HX M/T got me 51.2 mpg hwy going from Chicago to Memphis at 70 mph / <3000 RPM which is lean burn. It is also a lightweight 2370 lbs, and easy towing toad by my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT tow package.
There was a 60 mpg Taurs back in time that was also killed by The Big Three. There were many good cars that never went into mass production. Word "collusion" comes to mind but how dare I.
An 89 geo metro was 55 hp/ 58 lbtq machine tipping the scales at 1585 lbs with a 0-60 of 13.4. It was a a crap car. I'd gladly take a modern car today and eat a 10mpg difference
There was a 60 mpg Taurs back in time that was also killed by The Big Three. There were many good cars that never went into mass production. Word "collusion" comes to mind but how dare I.
We have a guy here who owns 2 old Opels that did over 500mpg.
Over 500mpg? Clearly a typo no?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
