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At 72 MPH I get 46+ MPG in my $3500 car, with less than 54k on the odometer.
My parents are alive today because they were in a 77 Honda Accord and avoided a head on collision with a drunk in a Cadillac when he swerved into their lane on US1 in Marathon in the Florida Keys.
Pop averaged 39.5 MPG in that Accord for 50 k miles in the late 70s.
Both the Accord and my VX were totalled and I rebuilt them, one in 1978, the other in 2008.
Pop turns 89 this May 8th, B17 pilot in WW2, Mom turns 85 August 3rd. They both drive Cadillac Eldorados (99 and 01) and average close to 30 MPG on the highway.
There is a valid rationale for driving the heavier car and sacrificing mileage for perceived safety, but the above example shows that a smaller more maneuverable car has advantages in emergency maneuvers.
The problem with the philosophy of driving a heavier car because it is more safe in a collision, is that provides an incentive to just make and buy heavier and heavier cars. It's like an arms race of sorts and in many cases promotes aggressive driving in the larger cars.
I see that every day, and I just laugh when the Suburban pulls over 2 lengths in front of me. My mileage just went up 10 MPG!
regards
Mech
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