Cars fuel efficiency falling way short

[D_Barbi_Queue]

Has anyone else caught the findings of Consumer Reports recent study on the actual fuel efficiency of cars and the figures on the new car window stickers? It's a pretty interesting article - 90% of the vehicles they studied falls in this category, some up to 50% less than the figures they're supposed to live up to.

It's b/c a recent problem for me when I moved to the city and my vehicle (which used to get 18-19 miles per gallon) now only gets 12-13.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005...as_mileage.html

 

[Pecker]

TAG, since you've moved to NYC, you're getting a different blend of gas than you were before.

For instance, in my area of Central VA, a few years ago the EPA decided that we were polluting too much and changed the amount of oxygen with which our gasoline is mixed. My highway mileage dropped from 31 to 23mpg.

They continue to give with one hand while taking with the other.

 

[SpeedoGuy]

I found the figures quoted on the window of the car to be pretty close to my actual highway mileage. My actual city mileage was a bit less than quoted on the sticker.

SG

 

[Dr Rock]

why do you need a car in NYC?

 

[Bananaman]

These things vary all over the map, TAG. It's true that most vehicles don't live up to the mileage claims on the sticker, however it can occasionally be the opposite, too. The tests that determine those sticker claims are conducted under controlled conditions, not in the real world, so while they're useful to a degree in comparing one vehicle to another, they're not a very good indicator of "on the road" performance.

Pecker is right on the money with his observation that you're getting a different blend of gasoline, as well. Your type of driving has probably changed significantly too. These are two major factors in gasoline consumption, but by no means all of them.

FYI, I'm an old hot rod builder & general car nut, and I do try to stay up on things in the automotive industry, but I am not an engineer. That being said, I do have to make one observation.
They reformulate gasoline, supposedly to control pollution, but you get worse mileage? You burn more fuel to do the same amount of work, and it creates less pollution? Hmmm, something doesn't add up here, but then again, it's the government telling us that this is so. Go figure.

B-man

 

[jonb]

That's why I check myself. Some of the factors:

Gas brand. Some are high-quality. Others are the crystal meth of oil.
Modifications. I use four-prong spark plugs instead of the standard ones. Huge jump. Also a K&N filter improved it slightly.
Other fuel sources. Ethanol or hybrid. NOT hydrogen.

 

[D_Barbi_Queue]

Dr Rock - I don't live IN the city, I actually live about 45min to an hour north of it. It just feels like the city to me compared to where we just moved from.

I do know that most gas stations put about 10% ethanol (?) in their gas which is not supposed to effect the gas mileage. I also know that I do a LOT less highway driving than I used to and there is a lot more uphill and downhill action.

Banana - you're also right about it going the other way too. Consumer Reports found that a few vehicles actually did better than they said. Most of the discrepencies came from city driving mainly b/c how the federal testing is far from how people really drive.

Oddly, the biggest discrepencies were with the hybrid vehicles, which on average were about 19mpg below their claimed mpg.