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Kyle Busch
Automotive ExaminerKyle 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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Are the manufacturers totally to blame for gas prices?
1 comment
by Kyle Busch, Automotive Examiner
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From I need it to how can I get rid of it?
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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