Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Twisty
Something I don't understand..... I had a 1981 VW pickup that HONESTLY would get 40+mpg easily with that sweet little 4cyl diesel engine. Dad would get much better than that with his Jetta diesel... That was 30 years ago.
I know big brother has his thumb on auto makers, but it seems like we're going backwards.
Full disclosure... it did 0-60 in 7 minutes, but still... what's wrong with this picture?
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The problem is that you are comparing apples to peanuts (which is a
waaaay harder comparison than apples vs oranges).
Safety regulations do hurt fuel economy a bit, but one thing that isn't regulated is the demand for more power. Engines today are 2 to 3 times more powerful than they were 30 years ago, that doesn't do much to improve fuel economy. Also, consumers demand more and more features, and more and more comfort, and more and more space. That adds a lot of weight
Fuel economy is something that has always been asked, but despite what people say in focus groups, its rarely been
demanded by the consumer when they vote with their wallet at the dealership.