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I don't understand this, it seems scientifically impossible.
For 10 years 2002-2012, I drove a 1992 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. IIRC the door sticker said it had a 5350LB curb weight, a 5.0L V8 engine seated 6 with miles of extra room, full body on frame. EPA estimated 17/23, my actual experience was 15/25. I am in California and was frequently vilified for driving such an environmentally unfriendly vehicle. I have not had any car for2 years, and now I am shopping. Obviously cars are smaller, have smaller engines, weigh less, etc. However, and this is what is perplexing me: They, according to the EPA all have noticeably worse gas millage than my land yacht caddy.
Todays test drive was a 2002 Lexus 400, smaller car, obviously. Only had a 4.0L engine, but was EPA rated at 16/23. Now how does it happen, with CAFE standards and the price of fuel, that you can take a car, eliminate 1/3 of the weight, ditch the frame, remove room for1 passenger, drop the displacement by 20%, and kill the tow capacity and end up with WORSE fuel economy. Kinda seems to violate the laws of physics.
A number of years back, between when your Caddy was made and now, the EPA adjusted how they calculate the fuel mileage reducing window sticker numbers so that they better represent real world data. Basically they still use the same testing situation, but then reduce the results by a certain percentage.
That said, compared to any specific vehicle, mileage will vary based on tons of factors as well. Also, I think if you look mileage up now on the internet, it will give you the converted factors for older cars even if the window stickers did not have those converted factors.
That's interesting because I attempted to take advantage of cash for clunkers a few years back and neither of my cars qualified (the other a 1998 Grand Caravan) because the new iteration of the respective vehicles got the same or worse millage.
Funny, with that big boat of mine, I could go San Diego to Bakersfield on a 20 gallon tank.
EPA required pollution standards are ruined auto performance. 35 years ago, I was driving cars that were 4 door midsized sedans and easily got 30 mpg on the highway. But with the pollution equipment ruining the performance of the engine, you aren't going to get the needed power or mpg.
I assume you're talking about the LS430.. That is rated at 16/23 and requires premium gas.. Your old Caddy was actually rated at 15/23 and regular gas. Both those are on 'current' standards
When the Lexus LS430 was new, its rating was 18/25. As a previous poster mentioned, the EPA changed fuel economy ratings in 2008.
You're also off on the weight a bit on the old Caddy.. It was 4277 lbs. Weight of the LS430 is 3955lbs (Curb weight)
You do, however, have a valid point. You would think that there'd have been more mileage improvement.. But.. Noone cared about gas between 1992 and 2002, really.. It was 2005 that the concern came in, and about 2008 before it started getting reflected in vehicles.
But.. Even the brand new 2014 Lexus LS460 only gets 16/24. About the same as a 1992 Ford LTD, which was another 'boat' car. That is actually more surprising to me.. Generally what you've seen in the recent models is a huge disparity between city and highway mileage. Take the Chevy Cruze as an example.. 26 city, 38 highway.. That's due to these newer 6,7 and 8 speed transmissions.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by augiedogie
EPA required pollution standards are ruined auto performance. 35 years ago, I was driving cars that were 4 door midsized sedans and easily got 30 mpg on the highway. But with the pollution equipment ruining the performance of the engine, you aren't going to get the needed power or mpg.
If that were true we wouldn't have a 505HP Z28, 707HP Hellcat, et al, all EPA approved and making big, reliable HP numbers.
Does current epa mileage use 100% gas or 90% gas 10% ethanol?
The gas used for the EPA tests is a precise formulation (they figure emissions and gas mileage by counting the carbon atoms). It is alcohol free, and about 89 octane.
Also don't forget cars today are alot heavier then cars of the 1980's due to all the safety and Emissions stuff to meet current EPA and NHSTA Government mandated regulations.
But on the flipside cars are more Efficient, Safer and Powerful then ever before in Automotive history
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