Will Fuel Efficiency Compromise Acceleration Control?

Roads are not racing traks so vehicle performance like acceleration should be discussed way after safety and efficiency issues.

Two thirds of drivers on their way to an accident don't even get it together to use the brakes, let alone drive skillfully. Acceleration is a vanity issue, not a safety one.

Living in the UK I am not generally aware of impending changes to US law. This is the first time I have heard of CAFE rules. My initial reaction was, 35mpg, why is the target set so low? Then I remembered that 1 imperial gallon is 1.2 US gallons, so in our terms the target is 42mpg. My (4 year old French) car does about 45mpg measured on an urban cycle, and theoretically 52mpg at a constant 56mph (who drives at a constant 56mph for long enough to check if this is accurate?) This is typical for older medium sized 4 seat hatchback cars in Europe. Add 3-5mpg for the latest versions. There are no obvious compromises in either acceleration or safety.

Come on - the things I have seen and driven in Europe that do get the great mileage are really some lame excuses for a car.

I remember Fiat bragging about how easy they would meet some new standard - their corporate mileage was above that already. Last time I had a rental in Italy it was a Fiat Punto that the windows didn't even roll down on. It was doing good to get out of it's own way.

The problem for the US are the stupid rules that have kept the common rail diesel out for the most part.

You come to Europe, hire the cheapest car available, and then winge about the result. I have no sympathy. The word Punto translates into American as Edsel. It is not a car, it is a pram with an engine. You are lucky you did not hire a Fiat 500, that comes with peddles.

The company I was visiting supplied the piece of junk to me - I didn't accept the job either.

We get the European cars here- same models and all - last car I bought a couple of months back was a Nissan Micra. Small but comfortable and definitely not a freeway car - at least if you want to achieve published mileage.

Actually, in 40 years of traveling around the world and even working in Europe I have yet to go to Europe on my own money - and never will either.

I don't get the 35 MPH number either. The car I drove in the mid 90's was a 1984 Mercury Topaz four door with the carburetted 2.3l and 5 speed trans that ran the mid 30's back then.

Once my college buddies and I stripped the emissions systems off it and rejeted the carburetor I got mid 30's MPG numbers even when driving like a teenage nut!

The thing is most full sized V8 powered vehicles are capable of low 30's already if the emissions system crap is defeated and the engine is returned.

So now they are shooting for MPG numbers equal to or less than what many mid and small sized vehicles got 25 - 35 years ago?

My wifes car uses about 46 mpg, and the excelleration is fantastic, 0 to 60mph in just 5 seconds, so what's the problem?

right - what car & model?

One of the benefits of using a motor rather than an engine is to get better acceleration off of the starting block. A hybrid car can be designed to provide excellent acceleration from a standstill (at the expense of using a lot of battery current). If you only use that drag power when you need it, you can still get great mpg with a hybrid solution.