OT: how far we've come?, 35 years of non-progress Options

[lapuwali]

Hybrids are the buzzword now, and people marvel at how the latest Civic hybrid gets 50mpg.

Autoweek had a short article on the early Civics, which got 55mpg with a carb. 1.2L, 50hp, 1500lbs. Sure, they were slow, but they were described as still being fun to drive. The way most people drive modern Civics, I doubt they'd notice if they suddenly only had 50hp.

(yes, I know emissions are much better, it's quieter, it crashes better, yada, yada...)

[Cap'n Krusty]

You might think a bit about Japanese manufacturers and their image. Japanese companies are so intertwined with their government AND it's currency controls, they can safely be viewed as one entity. Their markets are highly restricted for foreign companies and investment. Toyota builds some pretty fuel efficient cars, but their highly touted hybrids get, on the average, only a couple of MPG better (if that) than conventional versions of the same product. Their CAFE is strongly affected by their steadily growing production of huge V8 powered pickups and SUVs. Nissan also builds big gas guzzling trucks. And Honda has jumped on the bandwagon, too. All the Japanese companies would be REAL comfortable if the car and truck buying public just forgot they build those things, even as the percentage of gas guzzlers in their production increases. And their wish appears to be realized. People don't even mention that part of the picture.

GM is touting flex fuel cars right now. There are thousands of ten year old flex fuel Ford Tauruses out there on the used car market, many of whose owners probably didn't even know they would run on alcohol! They were a failure in the marketplace.

I, for one, don't drink the Toyota Kool Aid. They're not the warm, fuzzy buy-one-and-save-the-environment company the spoon fed TV addicted public is being led to believe. I think our government needs to address the issue of "Japan, Inc.", and the sooner the better! The Cap'n