"real World" Fuel Economy Vs. Epa Estimates

Consumers have a tendency to think that the big black numbers on a automobile window sticker, which list the EPA estimated MPG rating, are what they will ultimately obtain while they are driving that automobile. Regrettably, this is another example in the category of the, "Read the fine print." The fine print actually states, in essence, actual performance may be different based on many factors.
What you as a car shopper need to know is that the MPG you get might just be less. A great deal less.
Truthfully a great deal of time and expertise is invested into testing for fuel performance. And these numbers that they come up with are a good source of important data when you are comparing two candidates for your next purchase. What is missed by many though is that, The testing includes a number of assumptions are made regarding driving habits. Those assumptions are now outdated; hence the discrepancy.

New vehicles are inspected by the manufacturer according to guidelines outlined by the EPA. The EPA in turn studies the results and confirms ten percent of the test results with additional testing. The cars are tested by placing the drive wheels on a "dynamometer," a machine that permits the inspectors to perform driving simulations even though the automobile is actually not moving. The automobile is tested based upon to two different "schedules" to produce the city and highway ratings which are posted on a car's window sticker. (MPG ratings are also included on the "Specs" page of all the automobiles on Edmunds.com.) The two schedules are meant to represent different styles of driving that would be encountered in the two types of driving:

City: The test is started with the automobile’s engine cold. The car then is “driven” in such a way as to replicate 11 miles of stop-and-go peak traffic. Idle times are integrated in the test; average speed is 20 mph and top speed is 56 mph.

Highway: This test simulates ten miles of a mixture of rural and interstate highway driving. The car is warmed up before the test begins and the average test speed of about 48 mph is maintained. The top speed attained is 60 mph. This test is motion from start to finish, no idling.

The EPA admits that test results might differ from real-world fuel performance ratings. It attributes to — among other things — the fact that the test cars are in their perfect state and thus will get better results. But by looking at the EPA's testing procedure, it is obvious to anyone that the habits of today's drivers are not duplicated. On most highways, speeds of well over 60 mph are common resulting in substantially lower MPG ratings. Also, although the EPA tried to duplicate city driving by integrating periods of idling, today's overly congested roads produce far more and longer prolonged stops.

Article Source: http://www.search4allinfo.com

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