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America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

bloomberg.com

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Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#41

Post by rpeden »

Swizec wrote: post #16
drewg123 wrote: post #11

I'm not sure that I believe their assertion that cars have gotten lighter. Perhaps the real land-yacht monstrosities have been weeded out (and replaced with SUVs). But it seems like comfort and safety concerns, coupled with more power and better fuel economy have been causing equivalent cars to become heavier (and more expensive) over time. As an example, one of my first cars was an 84 VW GTI. It weighed ~2000lbs. Tr…

I have made this argument before on the internet and I have learned that it is a European vs American perspective. American cars in the 70s and 80s were monsters . Definitely heavier than modern cars. For example, here are 10 popular cars in the US from 1984. http://www.caranddriver.com/features/1984-10best-cars-1984-h... Audi 5000s: 2850-3100 lbs Dodge Daytona: 2830 lbs Honda Accord: 2300 lbs Honda Prelude: 2220 lbs…

Most of the cars you listed are the small side of the ones you'd see on the road in the US in the 80's.

I'm in Canada, and although I wasn't very old in the 80's, I remember seeing lots of Caprice Classics and Crown Victorias, which were around 3500 pounds, possibly more? My family have a Chevy Malibu wagon, which was a mid-size car but was definitely 3000+ lbs. Smaller cars were starting to become more popular, but there were still lots of monsters around.

So there were lots of heavy cars roaming the US and Canada in the 80s - but a new car of equivalent weight will usually use a lot less fuel, and be a lot more pleasant to drive.

Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#42

Post by DamnYuppie »

nightski wrote: post #33
oneshot908 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My 1999 Camaro Z28: 320 HP and ~3,400 pounds My 2016 Camaro 2SS: 457 HP and ~3,700 pounds Well, half-right at least... That said, IMO that 2016 car drives like a budget Porsche Cayman while the 1999 car was a glorious tire-smoking muscle car. Ironically, I get slightly worse mileage out of the 2016 edition (22 vs 25 mpg).

Why would that be ironic? It has almost 1.5x the horsepower.

Porsche's are more known for handling than straight line speed. So I am readying the OP's comment to mean the newer versions ride and handling are MUCH improved over its predecessor.

Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#43

Post by cglace »

vlucas wrote: post #17

I have a 2016 Ford Mustang GT/CS and consistently get 23-24 MPG with mostly highway/freeway driving. It's unreal that a 5.0L V8 with 435HP (stock) gets that good gas mileage. The materials and fit & finish is better all around too. We are truly living in the middle of another "golden age" of automobiles. Watch out though - here come the EVs :)

Now if they could just work on making those cars quieter. So they don't deafen me when I'm trying to enjoy a nice day with the windows down.

Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#44

Post by olivermarks »

These are incredible times for performance ICE powered vehicles. You can buy a very fast car from the showroom, but the aftermarket and hot rod world has a cornucopia of options to build (or buy as crate motors) just about as much power as you want. Street driven twin turbo drag racing 'door' cars running 7 second quarter mile times are common. With electric performance in drag racing and hill climb (such as pikes peak) rapidly improving to it's an amazing time to be alive...except for the shortage of race tracks where these cars can be safely put through their paces.

Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#45

Post by nradov »

drewg123 wrote: post #11

I'm not sure that I believe their assertion that cars have gotten lighter. Perhaps the real land-yacht monstrosities have been weeded out (and replaced with SUVs). But it seems like comfort and safety concerns, coupled with more power and better fuel economy have been causing equivalent cars to become heavier (and more expensive) over time. As an example, one of my first cars was an 84 VW GTI. It weighed ~2000lbs. Tr…

A new Fiat 500, Chevy Spark, or Mitsubishi Mirage have weight and performance similar to your old VW GTI. A new GTI is much bigger and despite the name has no real relation to the 1984 model.

Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#46

Post by whalesalad »

cglace wrote: post #43
vlucas wrote: post #17

I have a 2016 Ford Mustang GT/CS and consistently get 23-24 MPG with mostly highway/freeway driving. It's unreal that a 5.0L V8 with 435HP (stock) gets that good gas mileage. The materials and fit & finish is better all around too. We are truly living in the middle of another "golden age" of automobiles. Watch out though - here come the EVs :)

Now if they could just work on making those cars quieter. So they don't deafen me when I'm trying to enjoy a nice day with the windows down.

You don't buy a 5 liter V8 to be quiet.

Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#47

Post by rpeden »

The most fun car I've ever driven was my 1985 Toyota Tercel, with all of 65 horsepower.

I don't think any car I've had since then has gotten better fuel economy than that old Tercel. But the old Tercel probably polluted the atmosphere a lot more, and I'm sure it would've disintegrated if I'd ever been in a collision with a larger vehicle.

Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#48

Post by cglace »

whalesalad wrote: post #46
cglace wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now if they could just work on making those cars quieter. So they don't deafen me when I'm trying to enjoy a nice day with the windows down.

You don't buy a 5 liter V8 to be quiet.

I'm the guy in the car over wanting it to be quiet. I'm saying I find those cars extremely annoying.

Re: America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient

#50

Post by rpeden »

barsonme wrote: post #3
Animats wrote: post #2

The most useful result is that almost everything on the road can go uphill without slowing down. Even heavy trucks. This requires not just engine power but better cooling.

I see you haven't met my 2000 corolla. :-)

I'll bet it would run circles around my dad's 1984 Hyundai Pony. Trying to go up a moderately long hill with 3 or 4 people in that car was an adventure that would usually result in lots of others cars passing us angrily.
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