Not that we didn't already know that but due to gas prices as they are there's been closer speculation and testing regarding the MPGs you find posted on the car's stats sheets. As sampled from the article read off of yahoo (which can be read but linking off of Consumer Reports above)
"The guidelines for the tests were set by the federal government decades ago, in the late 1970s."
You think much has changed since then??? Sheesh even the way cars are made is far beyond the iron tanks of Continentals and Fifth Avenues back then.
"...Chrysler says the four-wheel drive diesel version of the Jeep Liberty gets 22 mpg in the city. Consumer Reports tested it and found it got more like 11 mpg.
Honda claims its hybrid Civic sedan gets 48 mpg in the city. Consumer Reports found it only gets 26 mpg -- a 46 percent difference.
Chevy's Trailblazer EXT four-wheel drive is supposed to get 15 mpg in the city. For Consumer Reports, it was 9 mpg."
WOW - can you imagine expecting 22 and getting 11! Now in my experience, and I have been through MANY a vehicle, I check my own mileage and I've found them to be quite close and I do tend to drive hard on a vehicle so...I don't know if this is off of the hybrid and diesel models especially or not.
I did have a Liberty that was a V6 and on a good day saw 18 mpg HWY yet I now run about with a V8 Explorer third row and receive (on a good day) 19-20 mpg HWY. So, I'm not sure that I'd go with this full board however I have heard the hybrid stats were pumped beyond truth and without testing or owning one I can't say if that is valid or not. Anyone care to share the hybrid experience?
At any rate, I've been car shopping again; I'm going for my Saab 9-3 FINALLY and I don't really care what the MPG is on it anyway but I did find the article interesting and for those who are in the market looking at that as a factor, BE AWARE - seriously!
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My Honda Civic (1993, non-hybrid) gets over 40MPG. I used to think I was just really bad at division, but no, the car is just really good with gas. When I looked it up on a fuel economy website, I saw that my mileage was about what they listed. When I bought the car, it said it would get in the 30s, so that was 10 + years of a nice surprise! Woo!
My Honda Element is a 4WD and she gets (slightly) more than she's supposed to. It ranges from 20-26 MPG, depending on where I'm driving.
When I had my 1989 full-sized Dodge Dakota 4WD, V6, 3.9 L truck? Well, that got 18-19. (Bad me!)
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