my Honda CRX got 49 mpg back in the 1980's - why aren't there more cars like this now? (auto, minivans)

[Sunnydee]

Hi! I had a Honda CRX in the 1980's that routinely got 49 mpg. It wasn't a hybrid, it was just a great little car. If Honda could make a car that got 49 mpg in the 1980's why don't they make cars that do better than that now? I really thought in the intervening decades Honda, or some other auto maker, would have developed cars that would get at least 60 mpg. What happened?

[trlhiker]

remember back then there was no real safety equipment. There is no way they could make a car like that today.

[Sunnydee]

Originally Posted by trlhiker

remember back then there was no real safety equipment. There is no way they could make a car like that today.

Hey, it had seatbelts! I really thought it was a wonderful little car. I probably would have kept it forever, but some idiot totaled the car around me when I was pregnant with my son. The car was great - it saved our lives. I've thought about that car a lot in the last 18 years and how it performed. I'm a big fan of Hondas for obvious reasons, but I wish they got better mileage - now I know why they don't. That CRX spoiled me.

[scottv]

SUVs killed the sport car market...I remember when the only SUVs you would see were Suburbans and Explorers and hardly any families had them-most had minivans-Dodge Caravans...then pretty much EVERY manufacturer started making oversized SUVs...people started buying SUVs instead of little sports cars-hence the death of the CRX...smaller cars are now coming back though because of the crazy gas prices...you can still find CRX used-they are HUGE with the "ricer" crowd-guys put an updated turboed engine in them and FLY.

[cmacf1]

My 1990 Honda Civic wagon got 38-40 mpg on the highway and 32-35 in the city. I really miss that mileage!!!! That was in my pre-kid days. Now I drive a Toyota Sienna mini-van that gets an average of 21 mpg . Wish I'd bought a Prius instead.

[bhcompy]

safety equipment has increased the weight of the vehicle(reducing mpg) and emissions requirements have reduced the efficiency of the engine(reducing mpg). double whammy.

[k350]

Supply and demand. If people will demand them, the company wil supply them.

Has everyone on this board forgotten, or ever knew, economics?

[Mike78613]

use to a owner of a 22' four Winns deck boat, which had a 50 gallon gas tank and ran about 3 mpg. Back in 2006 (new then) it used to cost me about 110.00 to fill it up. The gas would last about 24 hours and run it back and forth on Lake Travis about 3 times. So basically it would last me about 1-day LOL!!

Now with soaring gas prices close to $4 a gallon here. I would not expected it, but today I saw plenty of wakeboard ski & deck boats @ the gas pumps trying to race out to the boat docks. So yea, no one really wants to make the difference so prices will keep soaring.

I gave my boat up back in early 2007 (sold it) and have not regretted selling it. I wish we all can make change, but some need to feel special I guess.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by Sunnydee

Hi! I had a Honda CRX in the 1980's that routinely got 49 mpg. It wasn't a hybrid, it was just a great little car. If Honda could make a car that got 49 mpg in the 1980's why don't they make cars that do better than that now? I really thought in the intervening decades Honda, or some other auto maker, would have developed cars that would get at least 60 mpg. What happened?

No kidding, I had a CRX si in the early 90s and it got 50 MPG on the highway. It was awesome. My si was fast as well, the si was the highest version of the car and it got the kind of mileage. I was shocked when I spoke with an owner of the Mini Cooper and they told me the gas mileage, no way I would spend that kind of money and give up the safety and room for that poor of gas mileage.

[creeksitter]

I am nostalgic for my 84 mazda b2000, 29/34. Then I had a 89 mazda reg cab and it was 22/26, the 89 king cab was 17/23, Why so much lower?

I don't know what it is with me and trucks. My insurance agent should forbid me to buy them. 2 of the Mazdas were in wrecks and 1 had the engine blow 3 times. I've had my frontier 6 months and already a grocery cart blew into it during a windstorm doing extensive damage.

Back on topic, I'm seeing a lot of the older cars on the road again, I guess folks are pulling them out of the mothballs.