well, it;s not short, but simple enough for simpleton like you to understand?...I'll just republish it here in case u r too stupid to Google it! http://www.consumera...economy-ratings
EPA Fuel Economy Ratings Have Shortfalls Of Up To 50 Percent
Window Stickers Vastly Overstate MPG,Consumer ReportsStudy Finds
09/14/2005 | ConsumerAffairs
Fuel economy tests conducted by Consumer Reports show that government figures posted on new-car window stickers can have shortfalls of up to 50 percent, according to an investigation published in the October issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Hybrid cars and the diesel version of one small SUV are among the worst offenders, costing consumers hundreds of dollars more in fuel per year than they were led to believe.
In a study of 303 cars and trucks, model-years 2000 to 2006, Consumer Reports found that shortfalls in miles per gallon (mpg) occurred in 90 percent of the vehicles tested. The largest discrepancies involved city driving, with some models falling short of claimed mpg by 35 to 50 percent (see table).
Ironically, hybrids, whose selling point is fuel thriftiness, had some of the biggest disparities with fuel economy, averaging 19 mpg below Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city ratings. On average, our highway mpg more closely reflected the EPA rating. Still, hybrids won three of the best five spots for overall mpg in the magazine's testing.
"Current EPA figures are definitely misleading and ultimately expensive for consumers," said David Champion, Senior Director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Center. The magazine attributes the problem to the use of the EPA's outdated testing procedures, dating back to the 1973 oil embargo, which don't account for the increased drive time spent in dense traffic and faster highway speeds on today's roads.
The EPA also allows car manufacturers to use for testing purposes hand-built prototype vehicles and the most favorable test conditions for maximum fuel economy, yielding results that are nearly impossible for consumers to achieve.
By contrast, Consumer Reports buys new cars and trucks anonymously from dealerships and uses special test equipment to accurately gauge real-world fuel economy using public roads and the test track on its 327-acre test facility in East Haddam, Connecticut.
"Just one in ten of the vehicles we tested achieved fuel economies as good as or better than EPA estimates," Champion said. For consumers, the news means that their vehicles typically cost hundreds more per year to operate than they were led to believe. Put another way, when gas in August hit $2.37 per gallon, the mpg shortchange effectively boosted the price for some motorists to $3.13 per gallon.
Assuming 12,000 miles per year of driving over five years and no further increases in gas prices, Consumer Reports figures show it will cost Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck owners $2,558 more in fuel than the EPA estimates, $1,742 more for Mercury Grand Marquis owners and $1,316 more for Nissan Quest owners.
Findings
Here are some of the test results reported by Consumer Reports.
SMALL SUV - Jeep Liberty Diesel Ltd. (4WD)
EPA CITY MPG: 22
CR CITY MPG: 11
EPA SHORTFALL: 50 percent
HYBRID - Honda Civic Sedan
EPA CITY MPG: 48
CR CITY MPG: 26
EPA SHORTFALL: 46 percent
LARGE SEDAN - Chrysler 300C
EPA CITY MPG: 17
CR CITY MPG: 10
EPA SHORTFALL: 41 percent
MIDSIZED SUV - Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT LT (4WD)
EPA CITY MPG: 15
CR CITY MPG: 9
EPA SHORTFALL: 40 percent
MINIVAN - Honda Odyssey EX
EPA CITY MPG: 20
CR CITY MPG: 12
EPA SHORTFALL: 40 percent
LUXURY SEDAN - BMW 745Li
EPA CITY MPG: 18
CR CITY MPG: 11
EPA SHORTFALL: 39 percent
PICKUP - Dodge Ram 1500 SLT (crew cab, 4WD)
EPA CITY MPG: 13
CR CITY MPG: 8
EPA SHORTFALL: 38 percent
FAMILY SEDAN - Oldsmobile Alero GL
EPA CITY MPG: 21
CR CITY MPG: 13
EPA SHORTFALL: 38 percent
LARGE SUV - Dodge Durango Limited (4WD)
EPA CITY MPG: 13
CR CITY MPG: 8
EPA SHORTFALL: 38 percent
SMALL SEDAN - Ford Focus ZX4 SES
EPA CITY MPG: 26
CR CITY MPG: 17
EPA SHORTFALL: 35 percent
and that was as far back as 2005, nothing has changed!!
.....mostly due to heavy right foot???
Ford has been on the defensive, claiming some of its customers actually get more than 47mpg. It is all a matter of driving style, the company says.
True enough. Sudden acceleration and heavy braking can reduce fuel economy by as much as 33% on the open road, and up to 5% in cities. Keeping the air-conditioning on when it is not needed can add 5%-25% to the fuel bill. Making short trips, especially in cool weather when the engine never gets warm enough to function properly, will burn 10%-15% more fuel. http://english.cw.co...n=show&id=14040
some more???...
“Around town – which is where most of these vehicles will spend their days – the fuel consumption will be over 18L/100km. That’s nearly 60 percent higher than the so-called average figure quoted by the government.” http://www.caradvice...ccurate-report/
and finally....
Individual driving style can cause the second biggest variation, lowering fuel efficiency by up to 18 percent. Edmunds testing supports these conclusions. "Calm" drivers, those motorists who don't accelerate constantly and who avoid unnecessary lane changes, get 35 percent better fuel economy than other drivers. http://autos.yahoo.c...-175746134.html