THE EVIDENCE OF WEIGHT; What happened to 50 mpg?(News)(Honda Civic Hybrid having the highest EPA combined mileage)

Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON

According to www.fueleconomy.gov, the Honda Civic Hybrid has the highest EPA combined mileage for a 2008 small car, at 42 mpg. (The 46-mpg Toyota Prius is classified as a midsize car.) Past champions in the federal fuel-economy derby have posted combined figures in the 50s. What happened?

First, the EPA revised its system for 2008, adjusting the numbers to reflect real-world mileage better. The same Civic Hybrid was rated at 50 mpg for '07. But that's not all. In the early '90s, the mpg top dog was the three-cylinder Geo Metro, a 1650-pound, three-cylinder, 1.0-liter shoebox rated at more than 52 mpg. Even using 2008 methodology, it matches the Prius at 46 mpg. The closest thing to a Metro in '08 is the 1807-pound, 1.0-liter Smart Fortwo, rated at a mere 36 mpg.

With oil at more than $100 a barrel, how can this be? It's because of weight, added to all vehicles over the past 20 years, primarily because of ever-stiffening safety standards and consumer demand for more creature comforts.

To illustrate, we chose two hatchbacks from Honda, a company long recognized for its eco-efficient ethos. Even during the SUV boom and horsepower race of the '90s, Honda didn't offer a megatruck or even a V8. Still, its cars kept growing, to the point where the "tiny'' Honda Fit, released last year, was about the same size as a 1988 Civic. The first Civic after that, the new-for-1992 Civic VX with an economy-minded VTEC-E engine, was longer and wider than the Fit (but with less interior volume) and would earn an EPA rating of 43 mpg today (its sticker boasted 51 mpg in '92). The Fit is rated at 31 mpg. It also gets 17 hp more from a like-size engine and goes from 0 to 60 mph 0.2 second faster despite an extra 358 pounds. Yes, the Fit is 17 percent heavier than the '92 Civic VX.

One reason: In 1998, NHTSA's side-crash safety rule demanded stiffer structure. The Fit also performs much better (five stars) than the VX (three stars) in head-on collisions. It has dual front, side and side-curtain airbags, whereas the '92 VX had a single sack for the driver. The VX pioneered power brakes for the Civic; the Fit adds ABS. And the VX was Spartan, with hand-crank windows, manual locks, and so on. The Fit has standard A/C, power everything, a four-speaker audio system and more. Mass snowballs. Add enough speaker ...