For Real????

[Warstud]

A few of us at work today were talking about gas mileage on new cars and I mentioned that some of the old Hondas got better mileage than todays cars. But anyway I found this website that shows MPG ratings on some of the older cars.

Check it out....it's a real eye opener.

http://www.mpgomatic.com/2007/10/16/honda-civic-gas-mileage-1978-2007/

 

[Steve S]

The newer cars are bigger.

 

[ctrcbob]

I had a 1992 Camry 4 cylinder, automatic, that was rated at
21 city, 28 highway. Took it on a long trip back around 1995
and at a steady 80 mph, out in West Texas, it got 32 mpg. When I slowed down to a steady 70 mph, the milage went up to 34 mpg. Traded it back in 2000, but wish we had kept it.

 

[Zaedock]

Everything is getting bigger. My wife's old '87 Accord was smaller than a new Civic. Imagine putting a modern power plant into an old CVCC? You'd get 50-55mpg without the hybrid junk.

 

[1001hobbies]

It may just be me but I don't remember the Civic being advertised at 52 mpg in 1991?

From the 1970's, into the 1980's the national speed limit was 55 MPH. Fuel mileage ratings factored that in.

I had a 1990 Ford Festiva, which was actually manufactured by KIA, of all companies, and it got 43 MPG in mixed driving with a 1.3L and manual trans. Of course this car was just basic transportation and the cheap build quality of the car would not make it in today's market.

 

[gomes512]

30 airbags, fancy interiors, abs, stability, chasis reinforcements for safety... all of that adds considerably to weight.

Gone are the days of tin metal doored high mileage compacts. Although I still got one!

Imagine the numbers if those tin toys had the engines of today.

 

[mpvue]

cars are heavier w/ more features and air bags and WAY more horsepower across the board.
a V6 mustang now has as much HP as a cobra from a decade ago.
saturn single cam 5 speed S series cars were rated 40mpg hwy, but they only had 100hp; you wouldn't be able to market a 100hp car today. people want to have their cake and eat it too.

 

[Errtt]

My smallest sipper was a Honda CRX.

 

[SteveSRT8]

98 Neon R/T with an underdrive crank pulley and an Iceman intake got an AVERAGE of 36 mpg on a 2200 mile round trip to the midwest.

Only downside was it was premium fuel. But the car was nearly overloaded with all our stuff.

 

[Warstud]

Anyone notice the 84 Civic that got 67 MPG?

 

[beast3300]

Very interesting list. My friend used to get 34mpg on his 93 Olds Ciera 3.3L V6 4speed auto with cruise at 80mph. That is the only car I can think of with actually mpg.

 

[morris]

my mistake i thought you were going talk about a real car.

 

[Spazdog]

My Suzuki Swift had an extra cylinder on the same G-series engine and never got less than 45mpg.

 

[OVERKILL]

GM touting imported from Japan. Boy didn't that come back and bite them in the [censored].....

 

[1001hobbies]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Anyone notice the 84 Civic that got 67 MPG?




Ah yes. Ok. Yup, 55 MPH national speed limit. As others have said, low power, no air bags, lots of weight adding goodies not yet available, as well as some safety reinforcement. 1984 was not a wonderful time for cars. The US manufacturers were learning how to spell "Front Wheel Drive" and putting many more 4 cylinders in their cars. But the Japanese manufacturers already were used to front drive and 4 cylinders.

That car would not sell in today's market, and would not be rated the same with the latest mileage methods.


Steve

 

[sciphi]

Yeah, it's sad when a new car only gets a few MPG better than old cars. And are much more expensive.

 

[1001hobbies]

Originally Posted By: beast3300
Very interesting list. My friend used to get 34mpg on his 93 Olds Ciera 3.3L V6 4speed auto with cruise at 80mph. That is the only car I can think of with actually mpg.


My wife's Aunt's 2008 Milan got 38 MPG at 70 MPH on a trip from Cleveland to W. Va. My 1996 Ford Aspire (also a KIA) got 36 MPG in mixed driving, and it was basic transportation. I think that Milan is pretty awesome.


Steve

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
cars are heavier w/ more features and air bags and WAY more horsepower across the board.
a V6 mustang now has as much HP as a cobra from a decade ago.
saturn single cam 5 speed S series cars were rated 40mpg hwy, but they only had 100hp; you wouldn't be able to market a 100hp car today. people want to have their cake and eat it too.


The Honda Fit is 117HP. The KIA Rio is 110HP. The Toyota Yaris is 106HP.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Yeah, it's sad when a new car only gets a few MPG better than old cars. And are much more expensive.


Yeah but you are getting alot more in newer cars. The interior is much better quality, not the extremely cheap, rattly bare bones interior of early cars. They are much safer in accidents, and they have better performance. The fact that they have gained all that weight, yet still acheive the same, or nearly the same, fuel economy is very impressive.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
GM touting imported from Japan. Boy didn't that come back and bite them in the [censored].....


Suzuki was under-utilized. Suzuki built a decent rotary at around the same time GM was trying and failing. Suzuki is a great engine builder. Quickest mass produced road vehicle for many many years? A Suzuki. World racing Championships? Suzuki. GM may have actually done more damage to Suzuki. I wonder what the US market might have gotten if not limited to the Swift, Sidekick, and Esteem for so many years.

Subaru was under-utilized too.

Isuzu assisted in the development of the Duramax diesel.

Daewoo, while not Japanese has provided a lot of design and development for GM.

And legendary GM designer Larry Shinoda is Japanese/American. Okay, he was born in the USA but made some beautiful cars