Bureaucrats work tirelessly to tighten regulations (CAFE) for automobiles every year. We get complex systems that make cars more unreliable and harder to fix. And for what? Fuel prices keep going up. After all these decades of fuel injection, cam phasing, cylinder deactivation, GDI, electronic ignition, electronic throttles ,electric power steering, electric AC, forced induction, idle stop, fancy transmissions, and so on ...
Where are the fuel sipping vehicles?

 

My 2015 Malibu gets great mileage even with the donut spare tire I put in the trunk. Everyone is buying SUV's which are not great on gas mileage. They are heavy and not having much in aerodynamics.

 

@oilcanhenry
I am fully aware that compact cars are more efficient than trucks or SUVs. If you look at the image, that wasn't my point.

I compared the same vehicles, with the same displacement engines, but 40 years apart, during which cars have become a lot more complex to please the government. And yet the consumption has remained exactly the same.

 

Depends on the car. My old Chevy Nova only got about 20 MPG. My Malibu is double that easy, and has more power with the non-turbo 2.5 liter motor and 6 speed OD transmission, the doughnut spare tire I put in instead of that junky Air-compressor/ Flat tire can,with an X-tire wrench made no difference in the MPG at all..
Through that POS into my K-1500 so I have a free air pressure device for my Chevy Pickup now.

 

What year are they? What engine in the Nova?
I have no idea what spare tires have to do with any of this.

 

1970 Nova . 250 I-6 3 speed automatic transmission no overdrive. Had a spare tire The Later 2015 Malibu's dont come with spare tires. Just a cheap Air compressor with a can of tire sealant. Get any sidewall damage and only the doughnut spare will work to get you back on the road. Took the spare off my 2002 Camaro along with the jack. Fits like a glove on my Bu'

 

ok so you're comparing a 6 cylinder engine to a 4 cylinder. This comparison it totally irrelevant, just like your spare tires.

 

Perhaps so, but 20 MPG to 40 MPG is not a joke.

 

didn't the fuel rating method change a number of years ago to be more realistic/stricter ...wondering if that is the reason.

my carbureted 3500lb 81 buick regal 3 speed with no lock up tc gets worse mileage than my 07 ram 2500 6000lb 4wd truck. Enjoyment per mile is higher in the regal. Old cars drive terrible but gotta love em

 

it's possible that they could be a little off... but still. We're talking about tiny changes.

how much of a difference?