US cars and trucks hit record gas mileage in 2012
 

US cars and trucks hit record gas mileage in 2012

23.6mpg average for all cars and trucks sold in 2012.

Bluntly, that's still rather PATHETIC, given what they TRULY could produce, if they'd do so.

Example, *why* is the GM "Eco-package" a SINGLE "model" and not something STANDARD on every vehicle?

This same question could be asked of Ford, and Fiat-Chrysler...and ALL the manufacturers?!?!

This. Most of those packages' gains are from improved aerodynamics. The changes are so small you probably couldn't find them all even with the normal and eco models sitting next to each other. Would be a cheap way for manufacturers to increase their averages.

Not from their point of view.

The packages would eat too much into the thin margins they're accepting in order to keep the "record" sales at "record" pace.

They'd rather push entertainment and body-kit packages, which they charge a ton of mark-up on and make a bundle off of. People who would refuse to pay a few hundred for an aero-package would gladly spend thousands on big-arse rims.

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.

Yes, well, if you really want to save money, you very well might be driving efficiently and not purchasing new cars, so I am not sure that we are their main consumer. :)

23.6. Not impressive.

In 1980 my dad's Citation - mock it if you will, I liked it - was rated a solid 30 hwy and hit it every time.

Our concurrent 1970 SAAB 96, rating unknown, would crack 40 on a long trip.

Granted my experience is limited but still - it looks to me that in 30 years we haven't gained much except weight.

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?

It's a feedback cycle. Companies cater to customer wants. You can't convince people horsepower is cool unless they're already predisposed to like horsepower.

Look at Toyota, they've spent billions in marketing and development trying to convince people hybrids are cool. ROI took decades. Even with tax breaks from the government and help from Hollywood endorsements.

Look at the Big Three... all they have to do is slap a ton of luxuries onto ladder-framed vehicles powered by big engines and people snap them up so quickly they've ROI'd development costs in less time than it takes a teen pop-idol to go out of style.

They have finely caught up to my 1980s and 90s diesel technology.

I agree that 23.6 is pathetic. They have a long way to go to hit the required 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

Well, I never said it was impressive, just reporting the news.

Also, keep in mind this is for all cars and trucks sold (although it's not clear if it includes commercial vehicles or not). My dad had a 1985 Chevy K30 6+6. It was a 4-door, duelly, 4WD (6WD?) with a 350 and an auto. It typically got 9mpg or less...

Hello!!!!!!
more than 1/2 of all vehicles sold are trucks!!!

More than half the total is trucks, really?

[Researches}

Dang: Auto Sales - Markets Data Center - WSJ.com

But I think we can safely say, certainly in this crowd, that truckishness doesn't necessitate fuel thirst. Mine isn't a great example but I do well in excess of the vehicle's stated rating and indeed the above-cited average, and haven't made a single physical modification to the vehicle aside from pumping up the tires.

The larger trucks on this forum also stand against the perceived thirstiness of trucks.

When the best selling car in America for 17 years was an F-series truck, you get an overall poor combined fuel economy average. Frankly, I'm surprised the US averaged as high as it did considering the vehicles that have been popular and the way people drive.

Look at auto magazines and TV shows, they only focus on power and looks.

Peoples first comment on VW's XL1 is that it's ugly, and whenever a vehicle is imported in to the USA it always gets the largest engine, the rest of the world does just fine with 1.2L engines in their compact cars, but for us we NEED a 2L engine.

D'oh. Dude. A two liter engine is too small.

Can't very well lose stoplight drags to V6 minivans... right?

Fixed

Medium and heavy duty trucks will only start being tracked in 2014. These are the worst of them all, and haven't been being captured.
Interesting read (for me at least):
http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/rul...2011-20740.pdf

...gotta love the parts of that Federal Register document talking about "authority," which basically translated down to "...because WE say so, WE therefore HAVE the authority..." (wink,wink).

...give them an INCH, they document it out to a MILE.

Sometimes you don't get much choice!
 

Turbo four-pot Caravan, spanks damn near everything that isn't $uper expen$ive, and some of those too.

http://turbovan.net/bryburn2.jpg

I love that story.

I'm feeling a slight shift of buyer philosophies. Fuel economy is becoming more important than it's been, and the manufacturers are stirring their cauldrons to generate both power and economy. Perhaps down the road we'll see power take more of a back seat and economy will get more of a starring role like it did before.

I drove a 666cc car in Japan, often up to 70mph on their toll freeways. Doable. Not comfortable but doable. 3 cylinder car. That thing had tires as skinny as the moped I also drove there. And I once drove 8 people down the road in it.

I think 1.2-1.5L is PUHLENTY for US roads. I wish my current car was 1.5L or less instead of 2.0L, but I didn't have many (in hindsight not so affordable) used options to choose from on craigslist...

If you're maxing out at 70mph, no reason to have anything over 1.5L. And if you're on ecomodder, we're all doing around 50-65mph on freeways no?

What???

I'll be honest, I skipped page 2- but in the eco world, we have to pay to play. The standard is a base car, we have to pay to be fairly equipped.

If all the cars were done as well as they could be, what would be built next year? I think about planned obsolescence. The original Razor cell phones, still to the day people keep buying old ones and using them (or keeping extras) because they last for years- I know one person (an old friends mom) with a collection of ATT Razors because hers lasted forever, and she was afraid of getting something crappy when it finally died.

Why aren't all cars built with the best parts, and done as well as possible? It'd never be replaced. Why build a car with aero shutters, full underbodies, good looking rims, cars with major XL1 characteristics?

All of it costs money- good parts, and good design, and consumers really don't want to pay for it. Sat nav and chrome are more valuable :/

Edit: We all know this...it's not like it's anything new to anyone here. I kind of appreciate the lack of effort, it makes me feel like I have purpose with my vehicles.

I personally do 75 on the freeway, but in the city I never go over 2.8k rpm when taking off from lights (which i ease the engine extremely slow up to 2.8k rpm) and never over 3k on the freeway except when I climb the Cajon pass, and even then I just run 70 @ 3k rpm.

Having drove a Chevy Spark and Mitsubishi Mirage (both with <1.3L engines) there is no problem with a smaller engine and keeping up with traffic. Neither car was "fast", but neither car had a problem keeping up with traffic.

On the highway, they both got a bit buzzy. If they could get a 6 speed transmission with higher 6th gear they would be a lot better on the highway.

The most I run on the highway is 65 and that's only on the way to work. If I'm on a weekend trip or vacation trip, I usually don't go above 60. If I am not in a rush, why would I want to drive quicker? Nicer to have a relaxing drive now and then.

My Jeep ... I don't go much above 55. Not safe.