The car industry has kept a dirty little secret for years: The widely publicized Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy ratings overstate the miles per gallon you're likely to get.
Those of us who calculate our mileage at every fill-up already knew the truth. The general public began to notice when the redesigned Toyota Prius hit showrooms several years ago. Although the EPA said the Prius got an astronomical 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway, Prius drivers -- and the news media -- registered miles per gallon in the 40s.
Toyota and other
car makers
acknowledge that the
EPA numbers often
overstate fuel
economy, but the
testing process and
window-sticker
ratings are
controlled by reams
of regulations. Now,
new tests for 2008
models will more
closely reflect
real-world fuel
efficiency. Look for
the revised numbers
on the window
stickers of 2008
vehicles. For now,
check out
Kiplinger's new tool
that gives estimates
of what fuel economy
would be for
hundreds of 2007
models under the new
tests.
Driving like Grandma
Mileage tests were developed when we more or less channeled our grandmothers' driving. For years, cars have been run in a lab on a treadmill with the air conditioners turned off, with conservative speeds and without any fast starts.In 1985, after an EPA study found that drivers were achieving lower fuel economy than predicted by the tests, the agency concocted a formula on paper to lower the official figures. But the formula didn't bring the numbers down far enough, and in 2002, the environmental group Bluewater Network, a division of Friends of the Earth, petitioned the EPA to update its procedures.
The
new
standards
will get
closer
to
reality
by
factoring
in
higher
speeds,
stop-and-go
driving,
more-aggressive
acceleration,
use of
air
conditioning
and
driving
in
colder
weather.
Mileage
will
still
vary,
but the
tests
will
reduce
estimated
city mpg
by 12%,
on
average,
and
highway
mpg by
8%,
according
to the
EPA.
Hybrids'
fuel
economy
is
likely
to get a
haircut
of up to
30% for
city
driving
and 20%
for
highway.
Fuel-economy confusion
Car makers generally approve of the new tests because they have heard enough grumbling from buyers. "It isn't good for anybody" when customers don't get the fuel economy shown on the window sticker, says Edward Cohen of Honda North America. But given the lower mpg estimates, car makers have a tricky marketing problem to reassure buyers that the 2008 models aren't less efficient. You can expect to see advertising that addresses the differences.One of the first car makers to face that challenge is Mitsubishi, which introduced its redesigned Lancer sedan in March. The 2006 Lancer (Mitsubishi skipped the 2007 model) gets EPA-rated fuel economy of 27 mpg in cities and 35 mpg on highways. The numbers for the 2008 model will fall to 22 and 29 mpg, respectively. On lists of top fuel misers, the new Lancer will be a no-show, at least until the other 2008 vehicles debut. One fix, at least for the Lancer, will be listing miles per gallon under both the new and the old testing procedures, says Moe Durand, the product public-relations manager for Mitsubishi.
The window sticker for all cars is undergoing a slight redesign, to allow annual estimated fuel costs to be more prominently displayed. For more information about the new fuel-economy labels, see Mileagewillvary.com.
This article was reported and written by Mark Solheim for Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine.
