I have an old brochure for the 1970 Volkswagen Beetle, bragging about all the new features back then. Included is the engine spec: 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, 57 horsepower.

With automatic transmission, highway mileage is given as 25 miles per gallon.

The 2001 Ford Expedition SUV (last one I have numbers for): Standard engine spec: Triton 4.6
L V8 engine, 232 horsepower (four times that of the Beetle!)

With automatic transmission, highway mileage on the 4x2 is given as 21 miles per gallon.

The technology is obviously improving. What the SUV-haters want you to overlook is that miles per gallon is a SELLING POINT for any car, as much as power, speed, etc. It may not always be top of the list, but it's there. Despite the screeching of environmentalists, and the dark hints about magic carburators being hidden away, there is a large incentive for car companies to make their cars get the best mileage possible.

The most important thing that was done to get higher-mileage cars was NOT the CAFE standards. It was the deregulation of gas pump prices during the gas-line days. Gas used to be about 35 cents a gallon almost everywhere. When the price was allowed to go up, it popped up to about where it is now, and suddenly high-mileage cars became hot.

As long as the price of oil is allowed to go up as it becomes more scarce (assuming it does), the market will take care of the rest.