> A gas-powered sedan weighed down by all the modern safety requirements can only get ~43mpg on the highway.
Meanwhile in 1988 (36 years ago!) one could buy a Honda CRX that got 49mpg on the highway.
Weight is indeed the enemy here. To cut energy consumption and emissions we need to rethink the madness of 4000lb+ cars. I want to buy a 1600lb car with mindblowing mpg numbers using modern engine technology.
You can if the rest of the cars on the road were in the same weight class. Otherwise that's like going bowling with an egg.
Not 1600lb, but the lightest traditional ICE car I'm aware of is the Mitsubishi Mirage at 2106lbs.
The lotus elan is about 1500. The earlier honda insights are about 1850.