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Why isn't gas mileage improving for new vehicles?

dualthreat

dualthreat

Well-Known Member
Oct 8, 2008
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I know there are examples of new vehicles that are getting 50+ but most American made are still stuck below 30. Trucks as low as 15 mpg! (2019 Ford F150s)

American made vehicles are being left in the dust. Why are we so rapidly advancing in technology in so many areas but fuel technology isn't improving?
 
I have a Toyota Camry Hybrid that gets around 45 mpg. I believe Toyota is actually made in the USA. I love it so much that it’s hard to imagine buying anything else in the future.
 
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jdcyclone19 said:
Can’t change physics.

Law of disminishing returns.

Americans like big SUVs.
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I get that it's a question rooted in ignorance. If it could be done, it would already be done, right?

But in 1970 we had computers the size of a house that were less powerful than my cell phone. But for some reason a 1970 Ford truck is comparable to a 2019
 
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dualthreat said:
I know there are examples of new vehicles that are getting 50+ but most American made are still stuck below 30. Trucks as low as 15 mpg! (2019 Ford F150s)

American made vehicles are being left in the dust. Why are we so rapidly advancing in technology in so many areas but fuel technology isn't improving?
Click to expand...
My 2018 Dodge 1500 with a 5.7 L engine get's 26 hwy without load and under 70 mph. That's freaking amazing. This is a good question regardless considering there are trains getting comparatively 200 to 500 miles per gallon. (They don't really rate them this way however) "Fuel Efficiency - CSX.com. Moving freight by rail is 4 times more fuel efficient than moving freight on the highway. Trains can move a ton of freight over 470 miles on a single gallon of fuel."
 
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BWRhasnoAC said:
My 2018 Dodge 1500 with a 5.7 L engine get's 26 hwy without load and under 70 mph. That's freaking amazing. This is a good question regardless considering there are trains getting 200 to 300 mpg.
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Dodge seems to be leading the way
 
dualthreat said:
I know there are examples of new vehicles that are getting 50+ but most American made are still stuck below 30. Trucks as low as 15 mpg! (2019 Ford F150s)

American made vehicles are being left in the dust. Why are we so rapidly advancing in technology in so many areas but fuel technology isn't improving?
Click to expand...

If you use super unleaded fuel and not E85 they run 21+. I get 22 in mine and love it
 
dualthreat said:
Dodge seems to be leading the way
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Which is crazy because their old 5.2 they used got like 10-12 in my Durango.

That being said, I’ve had a 2016 Ram 1500 5.7L, a 2017 Silverado 1500, a 2019 F150 3.5 eco boost and a 2019 F250 diesel through work and all of them seemed pretty comparable. I used the first three on the list as my personal vehicle as well. The diesel I’ve put around 5k on recently. They’re all right around that 18-19 mpg range with mostly highway driving.
 
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SECyclone said:
If you use super unleaded fuel and not E85 they run 21+. I get 22 in mine and love it
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Interesting. I was wondering about this. I'm also curious if there is more advanced fuel out there that the oil companies aren't selling at the pump.
 
jdcyclone19 said:
Can’t change physics.

Law of disminishing returns.

Americans like big SUVs.
Click to expand...
I agree there are limits to physics, but when trains are pulling 3000 ton and getting 400 miles to the ton per gallon of fuel, something seems off. I suspect inertia and idle during down ward slopes account for a great deal of t his.
 
Small and/or efficient cars have diminishing value, at least in America. Gas is relatively cheap, and should be for awhile. Electric vehicles are already here and about to explode in terms of options and performance. Add in technology like ride-sharing impacting major population areas, and it seems as though cars are more than ever about what you want, not need.
 
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Economics 101 - Supply = Demand. So Car companies churn out the gas guzzlers.

Americans talk a good game about being GREEN, but the reality is the majority want THEIR TOYS and someone else should conserve. One doesn't have to look any farther than i-80, just check out the number of SUV's and Pickups on the road AND most have 1 or 2 people inside.
 
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isucy86 said:
Economics 101 - Supply = Demand. So Car companies churn out the gas guzzlers.

Americans talk a good game about being GREEN, but the reality is the majority want THEIR TOYS and someone else should conserve. One doesn't have to look any farther than i-80, just check out the number of SUV's and Pickups on the road AND most have 1 or 2 people inside.
Click to expand...
A truck makes sense. I use it for work, and most guys that are resourceful like to have the option to haul things. An SUV is more about comfort than it is efficiency.
 
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