New Fuel Economy Legislation - How Will it Affect Off-Roading?

How do you guys think the recently-passed fuel economy bill is going to affect the off-road hobby, if at all?  

i don't know, but if the big three can even get close to the milage and performance that the 600hp 60mpg hummer gets (in the other post by eaglescout), it probably would be a moot issue.  
I work to support my Jeep

I think there will be a ripple effect.  Off-roaders will still go off-road, but closer to home most of the time.  There will still be pilgrimages (Moab, Tellico, the Rubicon) just as there have been for some time.  I also think we'll see a surge in popularity of Samurais and Toyota pickups.  Jeeps will remain popular, but I'm willing to wager more owners will stick with mellower tire sizes so that big-displacement V-8's won't be required to turn said tires.

Smaller engines don't always equal better fuel economy.  You can ask anyone who's run a Toyota 22R or 22R-E four-cylinder coupled with 5.29 axle gears and 35-inch (or larger) tires.  This combo often nets 10 mpg despite the four-cylinder motor.

Novak Adapters has a great writeup under "Knowledge Base" on its website concerning engine swapping and fuel economy.  It flies in the face of many fuel economy and engine swapping notions and exposes them as the myths they really are.  Check out www.novak-adapt.com.

I can see a new quest for vehicle-building strategies that add up to a lighter-weight vehicle.  This could include using fiberglass body panels, thinner-wall rollcage tubing (where sensible), and paying closer attention to the weight of a given wheel-and-tire combo.

Aerodynamics might get a closer look, too.  While there's nothing aerodynamic about most worthy off-road vehicles, it might become more popular to have removable light bars on top, and to carry more cargo behind the vehicle instead of on top.  

Hey, Esanchez,

Please refresh my memory about the particulars of the new bill.  

If memory serves, it stipulated a new set of fuel economy standard to be implemented within the next ten years or so.  Is that correct?  

i think that's right. there was some grumbling going on over the date.......the hard line lefties wanted the date pushed up, but the manufacturers got a break on it. their valid point being the time needed for re doing and evaluating all the stuff for the engine building process.  
I work to support my Jeep

Supposedly it's going to raise CAFE to 35 mpg, up from the current 27.5. But there's all sorts of inconsistencies to it. For one thing, it uses the old (pre-'08) EPA standards, and it's based on the "footprint" of the car (wheelbase & width). Like most legislation contrived by the loony left, it's very convoluted. I'll try & see if I can dig up more particulars on it.  

Personally, I think it WILL limit how much some people will be capable of doing in terms of fuel costs (amoung other items). It will have a ripple effect, because we aren't the only ones fussing about fuel costs (like the transportation industry... fuel goes up, so do consumer prices to pay for the added fuel costs). I think it will still continue to affect the lower income people more than others that are doing good to budget for fuel costs simply for driving to work.

All in all, I think it will be like seeing SUV's and full-size trucks on the road. There won't be as many as in years past, but people wanting to do it, will budget and make it happen (where there's a will, there's a way, right?) The trails may not be as crowded year round, but there will still be a lot more people doing better planning before venturing out. Rigs will be "better built" to compensate for the added costs as well, and more people will probably opt for diesel engines as well (torque numbers and the ability to idle for a LOT less fuel consumption). Whatever happens, it WILL be different.

There will probably be people opting for more gears in their transmissions as well as aux. overdrive units. But I think one of the bigger changes, will be people going with more electronicly controlled engines (better efficiency overall without having to tinker with the jets).

With more manufacturers offering more fuel saving ideas and parts, there will be more people opting for somewhat more fuel efficient rigs (if not by milage efficiency, then by gal/hr efficiency). It'll be intersting either way. Personally, I'm considering a diesel engine for my '00 Cherokee so I'll still be able to afford to play every now and then. Diesel fuel is about a $1/ gal more here than gas, but even a stock diesel could prvide better gal/hr ratings than my 4.0L (I DO like the engine, but I'm interested in trying something a little different).

In all seriousness, it'll probably be just like it is now, with people just budgeting differently and simply complaining about fuel prices (like we can really do much about it anyways, right?). Look on the roads, there's not much of a difference in truck/suv traffic (at least in my area) and fuel costs are already doing nothing more than going up. People that want to go out, will go out, they'll just budget differently to compensate. Everybody's got to have their escape from reality somehow...

Good Luck to everybody else out there on being able to still enjoy the backcountry America from behind the wheel...  
2000 XJ - stock for now
1997 Dodge Ram Clubcab 4x4 360 - unfortanately, also stock...
(anybody have a 5 or 6spd manual trans they'd sell for either?)