Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
Why is the manufacturer to blame? They merely produce what they think we the consumer will buy.
The consumer is to blame for not demanding more efficient vehicles and being willing to pay for them.
Further, the consumer is to blame for just generally sucking at driving efficiently. US fuel economy would go up 20% overnight if everyone gave some thought to their driving, as we do.
When I suggest driving intelligently in other car forums in topics that concern fuel economy, the most common reaction is that they can't be bothered, they bought the car for fun, or you gotta pay to play.
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The consumer is trained by a vigorous ad campaign to want more power, more luxury, more more more of everything BUT fuel economy. Fuel economy hasn't been a selling point since the 80s. Add in the enthusiast magazine reviews that decry any vehicle whose acceleration is slower than 9 seconds to 60 as "anemic" and you have a wildly skewed view of what is and isn't acceptable in a car. So yes, it's the consumer's fault for wanting thus-and-such, but what shaped those wants?