The Motley Fuel

Why Does Good Gas Mileage Remain Such an Elusive Target?

GLEAMING AND PRISTINE, the shiny new cars displayed at the Philadelphia International Auto Show this morning were the perfect fodder for wishful thinking. The wheels that caught my eye were the Honda S2000, a sweet-looking, pocket-sized convertible, and the Audi A4, a muscular, compact, high-end package. There was, of course, a dizzying array of vehicles to suit any budget and temperament, but most important, all of them had steering wheels and lots of knobs and buttons, perfect for a four-year-old who was dragged by her dad to the Convention Center and found joy climbing in and out of open car doors.

When I wasn't sitting behind the wheel myself and imagining that I knew how to drive stick, I was peering at stickers to get the skinny on horsepower, price, audio options ... and gas mileage. To this last point, I was astounded that, in 2006, with the technology that's available and with geopolitical conditions being what they are, fuel efficiency just doesn't seem to be at the top of a lot of manufacturers' to-do lists. Granted, I didn't make it to many of the displays, but what I saw was disheartening. With the exception of the hybrids, most of what I would call the everyday cars featured mpgs in the mid-20s, while nearly all of the useful family vehicles -- mid-size SUVs and station wagons -- were stuck in the high teens. Oil is a finite resource, and much of it comes from the planet's most politically unstable region. Can't we do better than this?

Comments

[Chris Durso]

Get a haircut, hippie.

[Tom G]

Coincidentally, while you were at the show yesterday morning, I was pricing hybrids online. The thing is, a hybrid version of a certain car is way more expensive than the conventional version of that same car.

But I guarantee you this, as soon as the market starts demanding hybrids, more will be introduced at lower costs. I just hope the market doesn't turn too late.

[pawnking]

Mostly because the easiest and least expensive way to improve gas mileage is to make a car lighter, and therefore less safe. Secondly, because gas is (still) cheap, by almost any standard you can measure. Third, the cost of improving gas mileage in ways other than decreasing the weight of the car is not cost effective. I.E. if you spend an extra $5,000 on a car which will save you $100 a month in gas (which is an absurd overestimate for most drivers), it would take more than 4 years to just get back the original difference in the cost, much less the increased maintenance and increased likelihood of needing a new car which would come with a hybrid.

I think the reason most car manufacturers don't make more fuel effecient cars is because there's really no demand for them. There's no demand for them because people who buy cars are not stupid.