Why? because I was keenly interested in good gas mileage even when gas cost $0.32/gallon and I would still be driving the smallest and most fuel efficient cars even if gas was still the bargain it was during the '90s.
It’s not that I was so poor that I couldn’t afford the gas, it’s a principle kind of thing, probably picked up from my frugal German grandparents.
I agree. I just checked and my 1998 Civic gets slightly better fuel economy than a 2008 Civic with the same options. Where is the progress? Even the so-called Smart Car gets unimpressive fuel economy. Additionally, motorcycle fuel economy should be better too. If a 3,000 pound car can get 36 MPG, a 500 pound motorcycle should get at least 60 MPG.
Something to consider is that MPG isn’t really a good way to measure progress. For example, an improvement from 10 MPG to 11 MPG saves about as much fuel as an improvement from 30 MPG to 50 MPG. Fuel economy ratings should be given in gallons per mile.
he thing that I don’t understand is why, like Marshgirl said, in the 1970’s we had cars going 30mpg,
Yes you are…VERY VERY few cars in the 70’s got 30mpg…There wasn’t a family car on the road that got 30. Today…almost every mid-size family car gets at LEAST 30…and they are bigger faster, safer and pollute less.
Agreed! Ten years ago, when I bought my car, I wanted something fuel efficient. Even with a low price of fuel, I wanted to be smart with my money. Boy has it paid off now. I am also glad I didn’t wait for $4 gas to buy a motorcycle in 2005. Leaving the Civic at home to save gas makes me the envy of most of my neighbors.
There IS no global warming. My son is a climatologist and we discuss this issue quite a bit. Keep the following in mind. Over the last 10 years the avearage global temps have dropped .5 a degree and even the head of the U.N. IPCC panel came out and admitted to it.
Is he a Climatologist for the oil companies. My daughter is in her Senior year now at MIT and has done EXTENSIVE research with world renowned scientists on Global Warming. None of these scientists think anyone can make a prediction on what will happen even 10 years form now…but they all agree that the earth is warming and has been warming since the 50’s. But the earth is a chaotic system that’s constantly changing. The earth temps are warming…that’s an undisputed FACT. Many of the documented glaciers some 50 years ago are GONE…or have shrunk back MILES.
Vesper sales here in the US have increased 25% this year…and are expected to increase another 30% next year.
The 2008 Civic is a BIGGER AND HEAVIER car then the 98 Civic.
Agree; today’s Civic and Corolla are the same size as the Accord and Camry of 10 years ago. Today’s Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent are the same size as compacts of 10 years ago, but are more powerful. So, downsize one model when you are making comparisons with 10 years ago.
“they’re a necessity here in Oklahoma”. Yes, there is definately a place for the big trucks and you are right in the middle of it.
I live in a city of 700,000 and close to 50% (my own observed guess) are SUV/Truck. I do not
judge the need of any one individual on if they truly make use of the apparent excess, but I’m pretty sure the much of it is excess, and further, that misplaced US manufacturing and marketing has lead to this situation.
Let me state that I drive an SUV and very often make good use of its utility. My choice of that truck came after lots of consideration. I am sure that in 3 years, after school band needs and other utility needs all but go away, that truck will be less needed and we will likely move to
something small.
Regarding the Gores, the wealthy will nearly always consume more of everything. Some with good reason and some not. I would guess that the Gores employ a professional staff at their house
to work on the global warming issues and other business needs. I doubt that Al or Tipper commute to an office, in part for security reasons. So, at least some of the excess can be rationalized.
On global warming, I do believe that Al Gore is a smart fellow, and that he provides a platform for discussion on the issue. I think he is largly right, and, has no real biases or motives that
would lead him to deceive the world on his compilation of global warming research. I do know that there is a thing called Cause & Effect. I see megatons of polutants issued into the air every day and seriously doubt it is having no effect. We were in Alaska in 2006 and watched the calving of the ice shelfs, which 30 years ago were a mile or more further south. This retreat north could be the effect of the great natural cycle, but I’m sure that the daily release of megatons of polutants is having its effect.
Whenever I see anyone forcefully denying the obvious, I wonder where they are employed, and what are their credentials. Unnamed “heads of…” means frankly zero to me, especially when they are cited as “admitting” (negative connotation) to something. It’s time to wake up and smell the bias.
Why do all you people remember the gas mileage of cars you owned 40 years ago?
Not quite 40 years ago…but when I got back from Nam…was when the gas crisis hit. I bought my first car shortly after. Needed something with decent gas mileage since I was only making $350/mo. Then when I started college…gas prices jumped to over $1/gal…MAJOR increase for a poor college student. So yea I remember the gas mileage of cars I owned back then. And it’s been a consideration in every purchase I’ve ever made.
Hmmmm…For that matter, why do I remember most of the phone numbers that I have had during my six decades of life?
I tend to have a good memory for details, and while admittedly the fuel economy of my '74 Volvo is not a really important topic at this point, I am glad that I can recall it. Incidentally, it averaged 17 mpg which seemed fairly good in those days, but by modern standards is pretty pathetic!
“Then Toyota, Honda, and Nissan produce even more economical cars in hybrid form, and the US designers respond with a few new chrome strips on already gaudy deathtraps.”
OTOH, Toyota opened a new Tundra plant in San Antonio, TX very recently. It is so far away from their other plants that they had to devise a new parts infrastructure to support this facility. And Tundra sales, like those of other large trucks, is way down. Now that’s a bad investment. Is Toyota smart? Certainly. But by no means infallible.
It’s the " one hand washes the other" corperate strategy between gas producing/selling companies and car manufacturers. The exact same reason that if you buy a car with great MPG you still get just 300 miles between fill-ups ( better mpg but a smaller tank ! ) “They” want you in those stations every so often, like it or not.
if you buy a car with great MPG you still get just 300 miles between fill-ups ( better mpg but a smaller tank ! ) “They” want you in those stations every so often, like it or not.
Are you sure that is why? I always thought it was because of the weight of the gasoline. Most small cars have an 11 gallon tank because hauling 30 gallons of fuel uses a lot of fuel.
Really, it doesn’t matter if I buy 10 gallons a week, 20 gallons every two weeks, or 30 gallons every three weeks. What really matters is how much fuel I use. Contrary to popular belief, your buying habits mean nothing if your consumption habits stay the same.
I really precede you. Forty-three years ago I wanted something that was fuel efficient, but could carry 5 people with reasonable comfort. Had it just been me wanting transportation, I would have bought a VW. For this reason I bought a Rambler and it did about 10 mpg less than the VW at the time. The Rambler gave about 10 miles per gallon more than my first car–a 1947 Pontiac that I bought for $75 in 1962. However, the engine in the Pontiac was pretty well worn out. It used a quart of oil every 200 miles
Why did I want fuel efficiency? My family didn’t have much money when I was growing up and every penny counted. Did I feel deprived? No! We learned a lot of skills by having to do things ourselves in order to save money.
I still think all of us are under the control of the merchandisers. The commercials say 30 MPG is good, so we believe it. We see a commercial that says to buy a swiffer, so we buy it. I WANT A CAR THAT GETS 500 MPG.
300 miles is about the most I can drive before I have to stop to pee and get something to eat anyway.
As Jeremy implies, not everything in life is the result of a conspiracy.
If you buy 20 gallons of gas in one shot, or 10 gallons on two occasions, this is the same amount of gas that you have purchased, thus making this a distinction without a difference. Now, if you want us to think that an extra visit to the gas station is going to benefit an oil company because that means one more opportunity to sell Slurpies, or cigarettes, or…I will also challenge that notion because many of us purchase nothing from gas stations except for gasoline.
As Jeremy stated, the size of the gas tank on a vehicle is most directly related to the size of the vehicle and the power output of the engine. Hauling a large amount of gas means imposing a significant extra weight load on a vehicle with a smaller engine, and designing a small vehicle for inclusion of a large gas tank also means that you are designing that car to have less passenger room and less cargo room–ergo, a much less efficient package.
Viewing everything in life as a conspiracy is not healthy.
Shell sponsors a maximum mileage competition every year. The best gas mileage so far is about 1100 mpg in a featherlight, one person “car” with racing bicycle wheels. The driver lies flat to cut air resistance. The engine was a large model airplane engine with 1 cylinder.
So, you see, it can be done, but it seems you want to violate the laws of nature and want a 4 assenger car with good performance in which you can sit upright, have A/C, power steering, etc.
Renault in Europe just designed a super efficient small diesel car that travelled from Germany to Poland and got just under 100 mpg. This was not a hybrid, but made a lot of compromises in the way of comfort, performance and power accessories. This car pushed the envelope of diesel powered driving efficiency to the limit. As a hybrid, 125 mpg might be possible, but as an American spoiled with comfort you probably would not want to own a car like that.
So, your 500 mpg in a normal car is the pipedream of someone who has forgotten all his highschool physics and chemistry, and happily laps up junk science!
JUNK SCIENCE! I bet there are scientists that deal with junk. But seriously, there has to be something better out there than gas. Perhaps we need to get rid of the engine and come up with something completely new! Something we don’t even know of yet.