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Several of the older guests complained how this small car or that small car back in the 1970's got fifty miles-per-gallon and now even the highest mileage machines are only achieving thirty-eight MPG or so. Technology hasn't advanced at all when to comes to fuel mileage they exclaimed.
I reminded them that most cars now are much larger because consumers want the comfort. Cars are also heavier due to added safety features like front and side airbags, anti-lock brake systems and more. And luxury features like premium sound systems and road noise deadening material all add weight to modern cars. On top of that, consumers want more performance so engines are larger with more horsepower, even in most compact cars. Throw in the mileage reducing factor of ten-percent ethanol fuel and it all adds up.
One of the guests then declared, "Well the car makers could make very high mileage cars but they are conspiring with big oil companies to keep the mileage down and oil profits up." He went on to mention how cars in research competitions can achieve a hundred miles per gallon or more.
Remember, high mileage research vehicles are not only tiny in most cases, the technology and materials used to reach those lofty mileage goals are usually very expensive. It reminds me of the time I was able to drive one of Honda's fuel cell powered cars during the New York International Auto Show a few years ago. As I zipped in and out of mid-town Manhattan traffic in the zero-emissions machine, I asked the Honda engineer riding along how much the car was worth. " Oh about a million-point-seven I suppose," he said. That made me slow down a bit I can tell you.
The thing we need to remember is the manufacturing cost of a car is a very important factor in the fuel mileage it can achieve. I do not buy into any "conspiracy theory" at all. The market place dictates what cars manufacturers mass produce and the mileage they achieve. If car companies introduce a car and the public does not buy it, it fails. Pure and simple.
The first fully electric car with a realistic range between battery charges will soon be available. The "Tesla" will sell for about $100,000 for a two-seater. That's not exactly the next model "T". With gasoline now at three-and-a-half dollars a gallon, the government should not mandate minimum fuel mileage to car makers. You will take care of that by the cars you choose to buy and drive.
1968 Ford Mustang GT 2659 lbs.
2008 Ford Mustang GT 3500 lbs.
1970 Dodge Challenger 3600 lbs.
2008 Dodge Challenger 4200 lbs.
1996 BMW 335i 3234 lbs.
2008 BMW 3351 3600 lbs.
Much of the added weight comes from better crash test protection now compared to years ago.
Car companies did much in the way of making cars lighter, however, the only changes to the car in the 70's era was the catalytic converter that was mandated by the U.S. government. The catalytic converter caused a loss in horsepower.
The gas crisis in the early to mid 70's caused the era to change from powerful V8 to V6's and 4-cylinders to get more MPG.
In the late 70's early 80's thing started changing with the imports you mentioned. They started to be imported with the reduced emissions ( catalytic converter) and were better MPG than big three could make at the time. The European cars have better emissions, because there country mandate it. Two I know for sure are Japan, and China. They have stricter emission standards than the U.S.
I have a 1967 model year car with a 302 v-8 that gets the same gas mileage as my 1994 fuel injected vehicle. Americans need to stop buying gas guzzling huge Suvs and new cars in general. If we keep paying the prices for them they will keep charging those $30,000.00 price tags for a car thats worth maybe $2000.00 by the end of your payments for trade in value.
More expensive and bigger cars are not always better. My next vehicle will have better gas mileage than the one I currently own and I will be looking for less options not more. Ask a car salesperson to show you a car with manual windows and they look at you like your crazy.
No Not crazy just practical. No window motor to go out when its pouring down raining at the bank drivethru. Just a thought.
