WSJ: Fuel Efficiency Has Stagnated Since the 1970s, Despite Big Technological Advances in Auto Design

Why Your Car Has Lousy Gas Mileage Despite Big Technological Advances in Auto Design, Fuel Efficiency Has Stagnated Since the 1970s

By JONATHAN WELSH

With summer driving season on the horizon, more consumers are taking a closer look at the fuel efficiency of their cars and wondering why they get such lousy mileage.

After all, many drivers recall cars built in the 1970s and 1980s that went a long way on a gallon of gasoline. Using engine technology that seems crude today, some cars -- like the Honda CRX, the Ford Fiesta and the Chevrolet Chevette -- could log 50 miles per gallon or more on the highway.

Yet despite huge advances in auto technology -- bringing everything from satellite navigation and crash-avoidance radar to computer-controlled engines that rarely need tune-ups -- passenger vehicles' fuel economy hasn't improved appreciably in the past 20 or even 30 years. Continued