While that is clearlya problem behavior, has it really changed? The same people willing to put that much down on a luxury truck with a loan they can’t afford, would have done the same last year
Unironically, to a degree. 40 years ago, you could buy an economy car from an American dealer that got 70 mpg. Now you can buy a car twice the size with an enormous block of lithium as its fuel tank.
What model? Best normal USDM car I can think of was the Civic/CRX which hit the 40s. I rented a 2025 civic and got 49mpg (NOT a hybrid), so we’re back to that, at least. Geo Metro was rated for the 50s and hypermilers did better, but keep in mind the EPA ratings took a nosedive with more accurate testing around 2005
“It’s because of those EVs” says man driving $70,000 pickup as his daily driver
Yeah that was my first thought. How much is this influenced by 7 or 8 year loans on $70,000 trucks?
While that is clearlya problem behavior, has it really changed? The same people willing to put that much down on a luxury truck with a loan they can’t afford, would have done the same last year
Unironically, to a degree. 40 years ago, you could buy an economy car from an American dealer that got 70 mpg. Now you can buy a car twice the size with an enormous block of lithium as its fuel tank.
What model? Best normal USDM car I can think of was the Civic/CRX which hit the 40s. I rented a 2025 civic and got 49mpg (NOT a hybrid), so we’re back to that, at least. Geo Metro was rated for the 50s and hypermilers did better, but keep in mind the EPA ratings took a nosedive with more accurate testing around 2005
I’m with you, best I know is 88 Jetta diesel at 48mpg (@40 years old)
My brother had an old Plymouth Horizon that made it to the mid-40s mpg, and there were only one or two cars better.
…. And it was made with aluminum foil. You didn’t want to be in an accident with those
A new RWD base Model 3 is 36,990