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Old 02-21-2011, 01:28 AM   #14 (permalink)
texanidiot25
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Cypress, TX
Posts: 331

Formula - '96 Firebird Formula/Trans-Am
90 day: 19.31 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluejoey View Post
Yup. It's extremely hard to find a new vehicle in the US with a sub 2-liter engine and a sub 2500 lb weight. Manufacturers here would rather focus on larger vehicles and more complex powerplants, as it allows them to charge more for the same mileage that vehicles were meeting or exceeding in the 90s. My '95 Tercel is EPA rated for 35 highway, which would still place it among the most efficient subcompacts manufactured today. The only subs with higher highway MPG ratings are the Fiesta and the Yaris, which is ridiculous since there's been 15 years of technology in between.
Safety and emissions regulations work against fuel economy. Your Tarcel likely wouldn't stand up to modern requirements for a crash test, and very likely wouldn't meet emissions standards like current and/(or, I've never looked at when the standards have changed) future cars meet.
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