What happened to gas mileage on cars? The first car I ever bought was a 1980 Datsun.?

[Mrs J]

I used to get 36 mpg and my husband got 40 out of it!
The last time I bought a brand new car, it was a Kia Sephia. I think it about 1999 or so. The best I ever got out of it was 27 mpg! Yeah, I know 27 is nice especially with gas prices now a days, but what happened? Did the 'powers that be' do something to the engine of cars?

 

[Helper]

Stronger engines sells more cars than ultra high MPG. This may change now that the gasoline priced jumped over $1.50 in the last 2 years.

You know that in the last 10 years, they have been selling more and more SUVs. And like so people weren't all that concerned about mileage (until very recently).

Good Luck.

P.S. Good driving habit can increase (or hurt) mileage by as much as 10% to 20%.

 

[chemcook]

I think the auto industry would say that they want to have good impact safety test results, and the structural changes result in a heavier car. Heavier cars use more gas. My 2007 Corolla gets 35-40 on the highway, and 20-25 driving in NYC due to lousy traffic. I'm pretty happy with that.

 

[Mr. KnowItAll]

The govenment does want high performance, high mileage cars.
They want low power, low emissions cars.

It's kind of hard to get performance out of 8 1/2 to 1 compression ratio engines.

 

[Matt Redux]

Your Kia could undoubtedly blow the doors off of your 1980 Datsun. That's what uses more gas.

Just Me is wrong.

 

[Just Me]

My little Olds gets 35 to 40 mpg. Kia is a lousy car,that's part of the problem

 

[Snagelfritz]

Actually yes and no. Many people believe the MPG sticker on the window is true. This can and can not be. When we drive on a flat road with the wind to our backs we will get better mileage than going up hill into the wind. Car manufactures probably use a test track to get the window sticker MPG and they cover themselves by saying we may or may not get this MPG according to our driving conditions. Now, back to the Datsun. With more and more emphasis being from the EPA cars are having more little whirly gigs to give better emissions, the is at the expense of mileage. I remember a friend of mine, his dad had one of those Honda Civic 1980's cars that looked like a Matchbox Car. It got great fuel economy, but, it was pretty basic. I just feel we have two main issues with cars, MPG and Emissions, and we lose to one to gain for the other. Driving habits effect mileage a lot too and the area. As I said earlier. So, if you lived in a flat area with the Datsun and now live in a Hill area this too can affect mileage.
But, this my opinion and there are others.