America’s Cars Are Getting Faster and More Efficient
I always wondered why American cars are so inefficient. Seems such a waste of your significantly cheaper gas :)<p>I drive an Opel Astra H 1.7 CDTI and I can get up to 50 mpg (4.7 l&#x2F;100 km) on the highway, and I never dip under 40 mpg (5.8 l&#x2F;100km) even when doing a lot of city driving. I understand that my car is comparatively somewhat smaller (1200 kg) and underpowered (100 hp), yet I can&#x27;t imagine needing more horsepower. It&#x27;s a very comfortable ride as well.<p>But even my parents&#x27; larger car doesn&#x27;t get even remotely as low as 25 mpg. First time I saw a car with less than 30 mpg was when I drove a company van.<p>When I compare these numbers with my American friends, they&#x27;re incredulous as to how low they are, and they&#x27;re not exactly driving SUVs either. What do you get in the place for this lower efficiency? Are American cars that much heavier? More comfortable? Faster?