Things that make you go hhhmmm...about mpg

And the current frenzy about hybrids. I seem to remember back in the early 80's, Honda came out with the CR-X ( I think in '84 ). And that car got 50 mpg! It is now 27 years later and with all the hoopla about hybrids, we are still struggling to break 50mpg. WTF???!!!

I'm all for getting off oil but why aren't we using the old 1.5 liter Honda engine and combining that with all the new toys like stop/start and variable cam timings and etc to get 70mpg?

Seems to me that we've taken a huge step backwards and can't find the old files that tells us how to build the old efficient engines.

 

it's not the engines, it's all the weight those engines have to lug around.

 

Also, under new MPG guidelines, those older cars wouldn't make 50 MPG either.

 

Exactly in the early 80's how much safety equipment was mandated?

Blame the govt. Things that are required by law in the States (and most of the world) are ABS, Stability control, traction control, air bags, tire pressure monitoring system, door beams, reinforced bumpers. Those are the lightweight items, the structure of the vehicles have been substantially reinforced by law over the years, things like roll over, frontal, rear, and side crash ratings ect... they don't just magically come up with this stuff most cars have high strength steel in certain areas for these reasons and it's heavy.

Cars from the 60's 70's and 80's and pretty much until 97 when the majority of the cars sold in the States had to be redesigned from scratch to meet these standards were all lighter than cars today.

Go back through the years and the years with the highest "new" car introductions just happen to coincide with the safety standard changes. 97 was the big one I can remember with just about every model of vehicle changing that year. Changes are still coming.

The govt is causing almost everything the auto industry does now. No more pop up headlamps, heavier cars, emissions is another thing the causes weight to go up, and now mpg standards. All of this is causing the cars to be heavier and cost more.

 

I'm aware that cars have gotten heavier and that the govt is mandating a lot of stuff. But how much safety do we need? I don't feel any safer now than back in the early 80s. In fact if given a choice between a lightweight fuel-efficient car or a lard-ass "safe" car, I'd take the former.

I'd actually love to have the car that won the Progressive X-Prize.

 

You say there was less mandated safety equipment like it's a good thing...

It's not just the amount of equipment in the car (which does play a large role) but the size of the cars themselves:
The F10 5-series is 11 inches longer (193 vs 185) with a 13 inch longer wheelbase (117 vs 104) than the original E12 from up to '81.
This has some to do with the amount of metal needed in the car for the safety requirements, and a lot to do with the fact people are now demanding cars that resemble living rooms on wheels, with heated, cooled, and massaging seats, TVs in headrests, 14-speaker stereos, etc. etc.

 

I didn't mean to sound like I took a side one way or another just stating facts.

I've been in the auto insurance industry for some years now and I wouldn't put my wife in any older car for the most part.

 

hhhmmmm.. Hi Doctor7474. I would really want to go in an auto insurance industry. What do you think?

 

Didn't know ABS, stability and traction control were required by law. Interesting.

The Lotus Elise/Exige meets mandated standards for 2011 and weighs ~2000 lbs, carries two people.

A Porsche 997 is ~3300 lbs, carries two people.

A Ferrari 599 is ~3800 lbs, carries two people.

It really is a matter of consumer preference for big bulky cars and a lot of luxury accessories. The current BMW 3 is bigger than an older BMW 5. Ditto the current Honda Civic, bigger than the old Accord. If we need someone to blame, look in the mirror.

He should do a California freeway cruise in a Porsche 356.

No government mandated seat belts to sap fuel economy.

 

At least not in this mirror. All cars owned are UNDER 3000 lbs.

 

are you the guy with the yellow Dino I see zipping around every now and then?

 

If it's got a baby seat, then that's me! Honk next time.

 

cool! will do!

(I'll either be in a BRG Lotus Elise or a silver 911...west LA's anonymous sports car )

 

OK, you're off the hook.