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I quit reading Auto Rags many years ago to the point where the frist time I see many new models of cars is when I pass a dealership.
Drove a Bug Eyed Sprite and got 32 MPG in 1968. Bought a new CRX 1.5 in 1983 and got 44 MPG average. For most of my driving life I have been mileage conscious.
My Fiesta will probably be replaced by another Fiesta, hopefully a properly geared ecoboost 2 door model when one comes up at a salvage auction in the next couple of years. MY Ranger is #2 of the trucks in this sites garage entries. My bike is among the top ten. It's not quite as efficient as some but it is capable of Interstate riding in a very congested part of the country. Check my fuel logs and you will see both of those vehicles get a tank fill about once a month. There are many here who do much better than that.
Think about the amount of money the US spends on imported oil and how much better our economy would be if we took the actions necessary to eliminate that trade deficit. Approximately 300 billion in today's dollars every year for the last several decades (factor for inflation). Back to the late 70s to early 80s when we started importing the majority of our oil. Deposited in our banking system that's 3 trillion a year in new capital for over 30 years. You just paid off the national debt.
I have been advocating new technology for the last 15 years including my own design, You would be amazed how hard it is to introduce new technology to the automotive market in the US.
I see people buying new trucks. I can only assume they have no control of their appetite for gluttony, living from paycheck to paycheck is a fools play in this age of alternatives. My wife and I have exercised economic frugality for decades and the compounding of those savings is exceptional and has resulted in us being debt free (long term) for almost two decades, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest never given a chance to compound.
In that time we have watched gross economic irresponsibility on a national scale in the US, to the point where irresponsibility is rewarded when it should be de-incentivised to the extreme.
regards
Mech
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