Why could '91 Honda CRXs get 54 mpg but today's hybrids only 40 or so?

Question

Bring back Honda CRX! We bought two and drove them 5 years each, with never a problem. Driving was mixed, in-town, freeway, coast to coast, mountains and desert.

Answer 1

Cars today weigh more due to more parts and more metal used to make them larger than the older models.

Answer 2

your dreaming again

1991 Honda Civic CRX

EPA Mileage Estimates: (City/Highway)  

Manual: 32 mpg / 36 mpg Automatic: : 29 mpg / 34 mpg

Answer 3

all the electrical components weigh too much and are not that efficient.. and it had a better engine and lighter body.

Answer 4

Yes, the Honda Civic CRX HF was made from 1984-1987 as a carbureted engine, and 1988-1991 as a fuel injected engine.  I recall an EPA estimated highway mileage of 72.

It was a very lightweight car with an engine sized for fuel economy.

Up until the late 1990s, the Geo Metro and Ford Festiva/Aspire also got extremely good fuel economy.   You cannot buy a (non-hybrid) car like that anymore.  

Why not?  Take a look at the historical prices of gasoline (adjusted for inflation).

http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Infla...

http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/statis...

http://www.randomuseless.info/gasprice/g...

http://www.factsonfuel.org/gasoline/inde...

In the 90s, gasoline was at the lowest prices EVER.  Some say OPEC deliberately sold fuel cheap, to sour the market for alternative fuels and fuel-efficient cars.

Of course we could build the CRX HF again, actually we could build better cars yet.  But there's a long lead time between deciding to build a car and getting it to showrooms.

Answer 5

crx weighed nothing compared to the cars these days plus the car manufacturers get a cut from big oil probably these days.

Answer 6

because it is a scam,

did you know the total cost of teh R&d, design, alloys, new tech, components etc etc batteries etcetc, make it so that right now today.. it is better for the environment to drive a hummer than a prius. Im all for hybrids but the technology has not moved as fast as it can be made cheap, we got a long way to go

my S****y celica gets over 40 mpg and it is a 1990 so just another stake in the hybrid coffin,, bummer

Answer 7

The 1988-1991 Civic CRX "High Fueleconomy" (HF) edition was a detuned version of the Honda that indeed got over 50 MPG.  But just like the poor sales off the Honda insight in the early 2000's Honda canned the HF edition to produce the "Del Sol" edition.

I think you are absolutely right and should bring it back.  Today it might sell better because of high gas prices and peoples desire to have less of a contribution to global warming.

But I have a feeling it would not meet today's safety standards and to do so would tag on and additional 600 pounds of front/passenger/side airbags, side impact beams, antilock brake valve boxes etc. and then it wouldn't sell because it would be too slow and heavy.

For now try to buy a Corolla or Yaris or import a VW Lupo from europe.  91 mpg (I'd buy one in a second!)

Good job grannytoad on pointing out how "we can do it if we want to" because we already did 15-20 years ago!  I'm glad you had a chance to own a truly economical car!