Yes, at the then 55 mph limit and the ratings were very optimistic then. Cars love driving slow. The EPA tests are much more realistic today. They include bursts of throttle equal to hitting 80mph to pass someone. Modern Crew cab compacts like the Maverick are 1,000 pounds heavier, and much larger than that 1977 Chevy Luv truck (2,600#). In fact they weigh much more than the full size Chevy C10 truck did in 1977. They started at only 3,250#, compared to our Mavericks at 3,600#. All in all, the improvements in mpg are pretty good considering the power difference, and increased safety over those tin cans.Look at just how far we HAVEN'T come:
A 1977 Pickup Truck at 33 MPG.
Just saw one still on the road.
And it had a towing ball.
1200lb payload.
One of my grandfathers was a farmer on the Eastern Shore of VA. My dad bought a ‘78 Chevy LUV to drive around on his farm when I was 13, so that’s 1985. So the LUV was 7 or 8 at that time. It was a 4-speed manual. From a standstill you could floor the throttle, then pop the clutch and it wouldn’t even chirp the tires, even on a rain slick road. It also had rust holes in the floorboards the size of silver dollars. When it was raining your feet would get soaked too.Look at just how far we HAVEN'T come:
A 1977 Pickup Truck at 33 MPG.
Just saw one still on the road.
And it had a towing ball.
1200lb payload.
At the same time, my grandfather had a 70’s Datsun pickup, basically the same thing as the LUV, but it ran flawlessly until it finally died, at something like 20 years old and 150,000+ miles. Oh yeah, no rust holes in the floorboards either.
And a bunch of mandated safety features. But I understand the eyeroll that the EPA demands an increase in fuel economy yet nothing has really changed in 40 years.
OP wants to overlook that fact. It doesn't fit his narrative. Crew cab vs regular cab.
the EPA estimates on the LUV were ludicrous and are partly why the EPA numbers are suspect even to this day.
