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Kyle Busch

Automotive Examiner
Kyle is an auto enthusiast and consumer advocate with over 30 years of experience. Author of “Drive the Best for the Price…” He welcomes your comments and car questions on his website www.DriveTheBestBook.com . Kyle’s car has over 490,000 miles and he even has the same name as the #18 NASCAR driver.

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    • Automotive News

    Manufacturers

    Are the manufacturers totally to blame for gas prices?

    July 14, 12:49 PM
    by Kyle Busch, Automotive Examiner
     
     

    From I need it to how can I get rid of it?
    Did you read my previous article titled “Miles per gallon - where will we be in the next 30 years?” That article included some finger pointing at vehicle manufacturers. Why have they been able to produce incredible horsepower numbers from today’s modern engines but fuel mileage that hasn’t increased much at all since the 1970’s and 1980’s?

    While it is true that fuel mileage hasn’t increased anywhere near the same rate that manufacturers have been able to increase a car’s horsepower, are the manufacturers totally at fault?
     
    Consider the average driver in America today and think about the car or cars you have in your driveway. For those that are old enough, think about the cars you had in your driveway back in the 1970’s. Let’s compare!
     
    I believe it would be safe to say that the average car we had in the 70’s probably didn’t have air conditioning or power windows or power seats or ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) or power steering or state of the art audio systems or the high tech fuel injection systems or air bags or cruise control or, or, or, etc. If your car did have any of these, it was an option at extra cost.
     
    The point is that all of these "necessities" along with all the added safety and comfort features, have added weight to a vehicle which, of course we all know that the more weight, the less gas mileage. I’m not saying that today’s cars are heavier then their earlier counterparts though. Manufacturers have been using lighter metal and other materials to reduce vehicle weight and manufacturing costs.
     
    Why is it that the average vehicle of today has pretty much everything listed above as standard equipment? Is it because over the years the average driver has demanded more “luxury” and become accustomed to it in their cars?
     
    I recently read an article indicating that some new professionals 'stretch' to obtain upscale vehicles. Furthermore, Ed Kim, director of industry analysis for Auto Pacific opinions that members of generation Y (those born between 1978 and 1994) have the attitude that they do not need to earn their luxury.
     
    It appears that over the last 30 plus years the average American driver has demanded “nicer” cars and of course the manufactures have built them because they obviously wanted to sell cars. So, manufacturers have adapted to what we have demanded as well as complying with additional safety and emission standards. I would think that as fuel prices continue to climb and our cars still get about 25 – 30 miles per gallon on the average, do we really have anything to gripe about? We’re going to gripe, of course because we do not like paying over $4.00 a gallon for fuel. Have we helped drive the manufacturers to build the kinds of cars we are driving today?
     
    Kyle Busch is the author of “Drive the Best for the Price…” He welcomes your comments or car questions at his auto web site: www.DriveTheBestBook.com.

    Topics: gas mileage , consumers , auto manufacturers
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    More from Automotive Examiner

    Twin cars of the same mother

    October 5, 10:21 PM
    1978 produced an album from two pop artists and the name of the album was “Twin Sons of Different Mothers.” The artists were Dan Fogleberg and Tim Weisberg. The album was named thatbecause of the uncanny resemblance of the two artists. See... Read More
    Topics: Car variations from the same auto manufacturer
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    Hollywood starts and race car driving

    October 4, 11:35 PM
     Acting involves working with other actors. Race car driving involves man or woman and car. Has driving allowed starsto exact their talents in harmony with star machinery? What are some actors that have left their mark on the race track?Before... Read More
    Topics: cars , Actors , Dean , Newman , McQueen , Muniz , Race car drivers
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    Some of the race cars that Paul Newman drove

    October 4, 8:38 PM
    At the age of 43 in the movie “Winning,” Paul Newmandiscovered auto racing. He stated that he had a sense ofcontrol when driving a race car. Unlike some aspects of acting,he also liked the unbiased nature of auto racing and the sport’s... Read More
    Topics: Paul Newman , race cars he drove
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    Newman had it on the screen and behind the wheel

    September 28, 5:34 PM
     Actor Paul Newman was an icon on the screen who starred for five decades in 60 movies some of which included: “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “The Color of Money,” “Exodus,” “Butch Cassidy and the... Read More
    Topics: Paul Newman , cars , driving , racing
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    Are auto manufacturers producing a “new” classification of car to meet gas mileage standards?

    September 27, 9:06 PM
    A “new” classification of car? What do I mean by that? Well, it seems that recently with the appearance of the Smart FourTwo we are now looking at a car that is classified as a Micro Car. Yep, they call it a Micro Car, it’s so small... Read More
    Topics: gas saving , Future cars , Micro Cars , classic
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    GM’s Volt, Dodge’s EV, and Ford’s – Prodigy tops 70 miles per gallon

    September 26, 2:37 AM
     In recent articles I have written about GM’s Volt and Dodge’s (part of the Chrysler Corporation) completely electric sports car. And what about the Ford Motor Company?Well, Ford has a hybrid car called the Prodigy. Although the Prodigy... Read More
    Topics: gas saving , Future cars , Ford Prodigy hybrid
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    Chrysler’s future electric cars

    September 24, 10:03 AM
     General Motors will offer drivers the Volt and Chrysler (parent company of Dodge) recently announced that it will have a completely electric car by 2010. Thus, Chrysler might have a leg up on GM as the Volt uses a gasoline engine to make electricity... Read More
    Topics: gas saving , Chrysler's future electric cars
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    Will the Chevy Volt give GM a much-needed jolt?

    September 20, 11:03 PM
    General Motors continues to develop its gas-electric plug-in car called the Volt. Thus far GM’s development team has obtained important development milestones, and the car should be available in November 2010.The Chevy Volt - will it jolt GM into... Read More
    Topics: gas saving , Future vehicles , plug-in electric
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    Let’s forget about gas mileage just for once - trucks that get work done!

    September 19, 11:43 AM
     Is there a chance that at some point you will need a truck to haul something, or to tow something big?I know I’ve had occasions arise before when I needed a truck to haul some things back from the home improvement store and the trunk of my... Read More
    Topics: Work trucks
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