Auto Insurance: Consumers Choosing Smaller Engines
August 7, 2012
Auto Insurance: Consumers Choosing Smaller Engines
When the price of fuel was no object, V-8 engines were all the rage. Acceleration was key, and consumers lapped up vehicles like the Big Block, Cobra Jet and Ramcharger- even in family vehicles that never saw the pedal floored. Now, government regulation and fuel prices have made the siren song of gas guzzlers roaring down the highway a thing of the past.
Instead, car motors are steadily shrinking, according to the Associated Press. Whether it is a huge pickup or compact car, Americans are choosing models with smaller engines. These smaller engines use much less fuel, especially four-cylinder models that offer more horsepower than was possible a few years ago.
According to J.D. Power & Associates, more than half the new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. through May had four-cylinder motors. That’s up from only 36% in 2007- the highest percentage since 1998.
The smaller engines are changing our previous gas-guzzling tendencies. Government regulations have required automakers to build more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, including government support of developing electric cars. In 2007, the government raised gas mileage minimums, requiring all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. to average 54.6 mpg by 2025. Drivers are likewise eager to save a buck at the pump. Even though prices have dipped lately, they are still significant enough to change our desires for large, gas-heavy cars.
For example, Ford began offering V-6 engines in the F-150 in 2011 after years of selling only V-8s. Now nearly 60% of F-150’s are sold with V-6s, and Ford expects that number to improve. New technology has made them just as fast as previous models, so why not?
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