New Cars

So, be it good or bad, I tend to be a greenie. As in recycle, get good mileage, don't pollute, tread lightly on the earth, yada yada yada. That being said, what's up with the new cars?

For several years I've been pondering the day I could drive away in a Honda Civic HX. It was a non-hybrid Civic with mpg ratings in the mid 30's in the city and low 40's on the freeway. Great mileage from a 'normal' gas engine with 117 hp and powering a great looking coupe! The engine was full of requisite technology such as 4 valves per cylinder and variable-valve-timing.

Of course, they stopped making them. I guess they want people to buy a hybrid, instead. A hybrid that might not get much better mileage:
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/sedans/0604_honda_civic_hybrid/

Many drivers certainly WILL get much better mileage. But is it worth the $7,000 price difference? That's a lot of gas. The mileage numbers in the newer, smaller Honda Fit are significantly lower than the Civic HX. The freeway rating is down to 38 mpg.

Don't even get me started on the Aveo!

On the other hand, Toyota used to sell the Echo. Sure, kind of homely, but with mileage ratings similar to the Civic HX. It also featured similar technology in the engine department, such as 4 valves per cylinder, variable-valve-timing, and even dual-overhead-cams. That technology enabled those cars to get stellar mileage while also maintaining reasonable emissions. Admittedly not an easy combination.

At least Toyota didn't let their hybrid bury the second-best mileage car in their lineup. They now offer the Yaris which runs much cleaner and still gets nearly the same mileage as the Echo did.

I'd hoped that at least one American car maker would be able to compete. Saturn, perhaps? But they've moved in the other direction. Until 2002 you could buy an SC1, a stylish car capable of high 20's (mpg) in the city and high 30's or 40'ish on the open road. Now you get the Ion, a more vanilla, mainstream car in every way. Including reliability, from what I hear. Saturn used to be more unique and innovative than the rest of General Motors but it seems like they've been absorbed into the corporate giant. As of this year, the only choice for a real mileage-oriented person (such as myself) who can't afford a hybrid (like me) is the Yaris. Will future years bring more options rather than less? I hope so.