|
1987 Honda Civic CRX HF and 57 MPG. Why Not Today?
Filed under: Miscellaneous, Honda CRX, Hatchbacks, Compact
20 years ago, Honda sold a Civic that got better fuel economy than any car today, even hybrids.
This may come as a surprise, especially when manufactures are saying the they can meet the future 35 mpg CAFE standard but only with technology advances. Yet the 1987 Civic HF got an EPA estimated 57 mpg which is better than today's Civic and Civic Hybrid at 34 and 45 mpg, respectively.
So why couldn't that be done today? Well, a 1987 Civic HF was about as low tech as you can get. Indeed, the car weighed only 1800 lbs and came with a diminutive 58 hp motor. In contrast, today's base Civic weighs 2600 lbs and has 140 hp. The Civic HF also didn't have airbags, power steering, power brakes, high-strength steel door beams and a myriad of other features that would add weight to the car. And while crash tests on the car are not available, even a Honda representative admitted that the Civic HF wouldn't meet modern safety standards. Still, it's interesting to know that we did make such a fuel efficient vehicles 20 years ago and that our appetite for size, performance and safety in the cars we buy today has had a negative effect on fuel efficiency.
|
|