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In the UK, there's a government website where I type in my VIN and it'll show up whether my car is subject to a recall or not. There's a private car review website that lists the number of recalls and for what for each model. For example, take my Opel Astra G, there were 4 recalls over the entire model range - scroll down to the "Recalls" section. Surely you have something similar in the USA?

Also autos are still a rarity in the UK, I've only been in two cars with a true auto in my lifetime and one of that was in the USA, and maybe 4 cars with semi-auto.

I've never heard of anyone accidentally buying a car the seller didn't own

Oh??? Car cloning. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/item.htm?id=6769 http://www.fbi.gov/page2/march07/carcloning032907.htm

But regardless, it's moot since a thief could just pass the car to a fence who has no record.

Wait what!? Car cloning!? What's next? DMVIAA?

I've never heard of anyone accidentally buying a car the seller didn't own

Oh??? Car cloning. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/item.htm?id=6769 http://www.fbi.gov/page2/march07/carcloning032907.htm

But regardless, it's moot since a thief could just pass the car to a fence who has no record.

Unbelievable! Especially since the Punto is only 8 times as expensive. You are comparing apples and golden oranges.

It looks like a car that's been squeezed

Not surprising, since it is apparently a Photoshop mock-up. From the pic, though, it looks very much like a Toyota Aygo with the roofline straightened out a bit. The Aygo is a bit heavier at nearly 800kg, but then it's got a bigger engine.

From http://www.nader.org/interest/041104.html :

"In 1981 Joan Claybrook, . . . the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) . . . advanced a NHTSA notice that called for fuel efficiency standards to reach 48 mpg by 1995. Interestingly the notice pointed out that the auto industry itself said it could reach in excess of 30 mpg fuel economy by 1985 with GM saying it could do 33 mpg."

So... by 2020, we will finally get cars that are about as efficient as what GM said they could provide by 1985.

Of course, you don't *have* to wait 12 years in the hope of getting a fuel efficient vehicle. You don't have to spend tons for a hybrid, or deal with a diesel. You could just buy a Toyota... made by a company that actually seems to realize that efficient vehicles are a good thing.

(They'd be even better if they started bringing over the wonderful, 6-year-old diesel version of the Yaris, that gets 63MPG.)

At one point around 1990, Austin in the UK produced a Montego (mid-sized saloon car) with a Perkins Diesel engine that could perform 100 MPG (note: British gallons) and 100 MPH (but not at the same time)

Pictures of Austin Montego: http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/index.htm?sipanimont ef.htm

Reference to the 100 MPG / 100 MPH Montego : http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t =31246

they come in plenty different sizes these days.
Ford
Renault
VW
Skoda

"an ideal situation would have fuel cells charge batteries or ultracapacitors, producing electricity faster than it's used at cruising but slower than it's used during acceleration."

And this is where you run into problems. For instance, the Honda hydrogen car that is in limited production, is so over-engineered, it costs a million dollars (or some outrageous sum beyond any typical means) to build, it is totally impractical.

I still think the whole hydrogen economy is a scam meant to put off the envitable. Car companies could right now make a totally normal, everyday useful car with reasonable space and performance with a combined fuel usage of 61.4mpg.

They are not doing that, instead they are talking hydrogen economies and hybrids.

And my point is not so much to point at the car companies (they want to make cars that sell) as to governments that legislate.

If governments WANTED to lower consumption, they could.