Why does it take a hybrid to get 45 mpg these days

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JoeysVee

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What happened to the old Civic HF, or the Rabbit, or the diesel Rabbit to get 40+ mpg?

Now days it take an overpriced battery hauler to get 45 mpg. What made cars in the 80's more efficient than the 2000's?

Heck, a friend of mine had 2 Olds diesels that pulled mid 30's if you kept the speed to a reasonable 65 mph. (5.7L, 82 Custom Cruiser and a 79 98).

Just wonderin' blink.gif

 
Here is the 87 Honda Civic HF...

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/2912.shtml

It got 50 MPG on the HWY.

Here is the new 06 Civic DX (base-cheap version)

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/honda/civi...rchlanding.html

It gets 38 MPG on the HWY

Here is the 06 Civic Hybrid

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/honda/civi...rchlanding.html

It gets 51 MPG on the HWY

Notice the hybrid cost $7500 more than the DX

So you would have to pay $7500 more for high maintenance technology that will give you the same MPG as the old simple technology...

Something doesn't make since here, ya know?

dry.gif

 
Out of 40 registered members and a lot more guests that are all engineers...nobody even has a hunch?

I'm just really curious why we now have to spend $7500 on batteries to get that same mpg as the same cars from the 80s. B)

 
I hate to say it, but I think it all has to do with marketing and the wants of the customers. Even though gas is high, I typically haven't made car-purchasing decisionns based on that. As a concession, though, I did just buy a Honda Odyssey the day after the PE exam. We had considered a Suburban. Mostly we went with the Odyssey because it was more convenient with little ones and had more gadgets. But we were able to add some justification to it because it can pull as many as 28-33 MPG on the highway (supposedly).

The diesel Rabbits you mentioned (and the Mercedes) left black soot-looking stuff on the bumbers as I recall. I think the nastiness was trumped by the desire for clean, svelt-looking rides. It was all about the market.

I'm not saying I wouldn't want something more economical. Its just that to get into the 30+ mpg range, you have to have something small and death-traplike that has no payload capabilities.

Ed

 
Yeah, I understand not everyone makes desisions on a car bassed on MPG. But I was just wondering...

Lets say you did want a civic becuase you drove to work 1 hour each way and need to get good gas milage (I'm just making this up). Why is it that we now must pay a lot more for battery haulers when in the 80s we did this without batteries.

B)

 
I dont know, but it seems as if we could put a man on the moon 40 + years ago, we could find a way to make cars more fuel efficient.

I have 3 rug rats and have to have at least 1 large vehicle, I dont see what the problem is making a vehicle(SUV) that has 3 rows of seats that gets better mileage.

 
Yeah! I'm getting a new car soon so I'm thinking about getting a new Accord EX-L Sedan. I know it's kinda :thatsgay:

I really like those Jeep Commanders though...man those are nice but just not practical for a single guy with no kids. :dunno:

 
true :D but I have a Jeep Wrangler, which probably isnt too practical for a guy with 3 kids, you should see the dirty looks I get from soccer moms when they see all the kids climb in the back..

my wife has a dodge durango, I think next to the H2 its the least fuel efficient vehicle in production, we got it to be able to pull boats also, but the 5.9L V8 sucks gas like you wouldnt believe, We bought it in 2003 and gas wasnt quite ridiculous then, but I dont know what else we could get that would fit the kids in it, I like the newer durangos and if they offer a V6 I need to buy one, I am lucky my wife doesnt work that far from the house.

 
I think its because the market is not really there. It is probably expensive to get anything other than a tin can econo-box to do that kind of mileage. With no one really beating down the doors for a Ford Excursion that can go 40 mpg, the manufacturers aren't devoting the R&D or engineering and manufacturing dollars to it.

 
Old post, I know, but this is something that has been bothering me, too.

My Dad bought a 1980 Mazda GLC in - 1980 - and I used to calculate the gas mileage while we were on long road trips across the US. With a tail wind in Kansas, that thing topped out at 45+ miles per gallon with four of us in it, fully loaded with luggage. 40-42 was the typical highway mileage, under less favorable conditions.

I have friends here now who are dropping $28k to get a Prius, or more for the Highlander, and bragging about how they're getting 38 mpg around the island (26 mpg for the Highlander, I think) They get real pissed off when I point out they could have gotten nearly the same with a Civic, without the technology and battery rack. But I always think back to the '80s and wonder the same - wtf happened? We were already there!

 
Except for the mileage, I can't think of a reason that anybody would have wanted to drive a diesel Rabbit, '80 civic, 80 GLC "great little car" :rolleyes: they didn't have the creature comforts and were just that little econo boxes.

The hybrid civic of today bears as much resemblence to the civic of 20 years ago, as the new beetle does to the original "bug".

There's fuel effcient and there's enjoyable to drive. the two don't usually go hand in hand.

As for the GM diesels of the late 70's early 80's they were converted gas engines (not designed as diesels from the outset) and although Joey's friend might have had a good experience alot of people didn't. not to mention that diesels back then sounded like coffee percolators.

Lets' not forget the other "before it's time" alternative the '80s Cadillac V4-6-8.

 
Hey now - that really was a "great little car". ;) It may not have been a cadillac, but it actually did have pretty good power for its size, and I used to have tons of fun in it after I inherited it as my college ride. I used to pretend I was a rally car driver on some of the gravel roads outside of Ft. Collins - it really handled well.

But I agree the newer hybrids are a world apart from those '80s compacts. But the '80s compacts were a world apart in price, too, and could be reparied by the neighborhood mechanic...

 
Hey All,

I really didn't think this would be my first post on this forum, but here it goes.

If highway driving is your thing, diesel is still the way to go. I drive 110 miles a day round trip to work, so my cherokee that got 17-20mpg just didn't cut it. So about two years ago I picked up an 01 Jetta TDI. Dam does that thing rock!! I get 45-50mpg depending on season (and tires), is quite as a gas car on the highway, and has all the creature comforts of a typical modern car, plus with the turbo I have more power then most 4 cylinder gas cars out there (and definitely more torque). Now ever since the prices went up last year diesel is running about 30+ more cents per gallon then gas, but for me it is still worth it.

I can honestly say, I doubt I would buy another gas vehicle for a daily driver again. But if you are looking for a new car, I'd wait a couple years. VW doesn't have any 07 TDI vehicles, instead changing to a new engine to meat California's new rules, there are rumors that both Toyota and Honda will probably bring some diesels over in 08 or 09, and Chrysler looks like it will try sticking one of Mercedes diesels in some of there smaller cars.

Have fun, and drive far all,

John

Now I just have to wait 2 days for CPS to ship my results to WI.

:wait

 
my wife bought a prius in August, she is actually getting in the 50's as far as mpg.

luckily it hides in the garage nicely :D

I am 6'3 230# so I can hardly fit in it, its extremely uncomfortable for me to ride in but she loves it , she has some accounts for work she drives 2 hours each way (only a few times each month) so we have seen a decent amount of savings on the gas bill.

We bought the cheapest model they had, and even then so many other people were buying them you had to pretty much pay sticker. I think by the time you added tax,tag, and all that other BS we were right at $26K, then hopefully we will get our $3400 "hippie" rebate from the IRS so the price isnt too bad.

But its "her" car, and we use the savings in gas money to put into the gas the 5.9L V8 Dodge Durango sucks while we take the 4 miles per gallon equivalent jet-ski's to the lake in the summer :drive:

every now and then I have to drive it to the store to get milk or something, and some other hippie will park next to me in their "prius" and assume we have something in common, I have to remind them that I am a WASP, Republican, Gun Owner, Hunter, Jeep 4X4 enthusiast and they should leave me the hell alone :D

 
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every now and then I have to drive it to the store to get milk or something, and some other hippie will park next to me in their "prius" and assume we have something in common, I have to remind them that I am a WASP, Republican, Gun Owner, Hunter, Jeep 4X4 enthusiast and they should leave me the hell alone :D
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ROFLMFAO!!!!!! You talkin' about VTE? (Just kidding VT)

:lmao: :lol2x: :rotfl:

 
my wife bought a prius in August, she is actually getting in every now and then I have to drive it to the store to get milk or something, and some other hippie will park next to me in their "prius" and assume we have something in common, I have to remind them that I am a WASP, Republican, Gun Owner, Hunter, Jeep 4X4 enthusiast and they should leave me the hell alone :D
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:rotfl:

I thought the Prius was cool until I saw the Simpsons episode where Bart and Homer somehow make fun of a Prius owner and his son (I searched and searched and can't find it on the net). That was my first clue that the Prius might not be a "cool" car (hey give me a break, I haven't lived in the Mainland since 1995, so I'm a bit out of touch).

As an engineer, I find hybrids "neat" and all, but also as an engineer, it bothers me that there is simpler technology out there that gets similar results. Keep it simple. When hybrids start making 80-90 mpg, then I'll be impressed.

 
26+ mpg in a manual 6-speed 505HP 2007 Corvette Z06, now that's my idea of an econobox.!!!!!

B) :congrats: :???:

 
26+ mpg in a manual 6-speed 505HP 2007 Corvette Z06, now that's my idea of an econobox.!!!!!
B) :congrats: :???:
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I'll let ya know in two years, when GM makes me my LS8 500+HP CAMARO!!!

I'm saving up already. :true:

 
N.S. Nandagopal, P E

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