We had a 1990 Geo, a Chevy made by Suzuki.
It would get 40 - 50 mpg. Absolutely unbelievable. So we bought a brand new 1999 Geo and it had to struggle to get 35 mpg.
The first was so light because it lacked the necessary safety gear. Those crash regulations got rid of everything: Convertibles, sporty hatchbacks, you name it. Those designs became so difficult to make that no one really makes them anymore.
I have a 2003 Suburban as my daily driver, and I took a Cruze on the trip. The visibility from the Cruze is so bad because of the amount of steel in the body that it needs a backup camera. I have a backup camera in my Suburban (that I put there myself).
It’s actually just as hard to maneuver that Cruze as it is the Suburban. Visibility simply sucks in the Cruze. Again, the new safety regulations lead to a broad change in vehicle bodies that now a reverse camera is required in all cars 2017 and newer.
The new Colorado is the S10 replacement. It’s as large and as difficult to see out the back as the old Avalanches which were criticized throughout the world as being a terrible design. Now everything is tough to see out of.
But good looking ! Today’s cars and trucks are simply beautiful.