I guess it depends how that mileage is being reported. If we're talking about the CAFE standard "town" mileage, then yes, 18 mpg is probably normal. However, CAFE is a) a worst-case, "cold engine, AC on" metric, and b) not representative of typical mixed-use driving. My car's CAFE standard is 19/26 (town/highway), but I routinely get 25+ mpg and I can break 30 mpg on a long trip. Let's just make sure that we're comparing apples to apples here.

That said, I agree with the sentiments of this thread and, in particular, Hebe's eloquently-stated observation about a desperately-needed seismic shift.