For the first time in more than 20 years, the US Government is changing the way they calculate the estimated fuel mileage on window stickers. The changes will be seen starting with 2008 model year cars in the form of a newly styled window sticker and a new test procedure to better reflect the actual mileage customers can hope to achieve.
The test procedure is being changed for a lot of reasons, but mainly it's because the government has realized that people don't drive much like the computer model used in today's testing.
They are going to adjust the procedure to reflect our higher freeway speeds, the fact that people tend to accelerate much harder than the computer, our constant use of air conditioning and the effects of adverse-weather driving. We can only guess that most estimates will go down somewhat in this new formula. And we are not alone.
Scared at the possible backlash when their vehicles appear to be getting poorer mileage, major carmakers have banded together to create a website, www.mileagewillvary.com, to help educate consumers about the apparent drop in fuel economy.
Consumers tend to be pretty savvy and at times ignore the estimates altogether, so we expect most people will adapt pretty quickly. One area that may be a concern, however, is the CAFE requirements, which may or may not be altered to reflect the new measuring procedures.
[Source: Automotive News, sub req]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Professor Porsche @ Dec 12th 2006 12:10PM
There is a 412-page report from EPA FuelEconomy site that describes the above in full detail. I printed out the first 76 or so pages that have most of the tech info and many useful scatter plots and tables comparing the various methods.
This is a long overdue correction. The OLD EPA MPG rules used laughable assumptions, that overwhelmingly favored Hybrids. The speeds specified were HALF or a THIRD of what people actually are doing. They assumed no.. A/C and no cold weather operation in winter, which is a HUGELY UNFAIR assumption making the hybrids look good again, and undeservedly so.
The new rules will drop hybrid economy by 30%, thus bringing the MPG estimates much closer to REAL LIFE, OBSERVED MPG which is typically 44 and not 60 mpg for the PRIUS, which is the most efficient Hybrid (with the exception of the insignificant, 2-seat, science project Honda Insight)
BLS @ Dec 12th 2006 12:10PM
I will be interested how this will affect cars that qualify for the gas guzzler tax. For example the GTO was a gas guzzler but the corvette with same engine was not. That comparison is mostly a function of the cars weight.
I wouldn't be supprised if some of the heavy powerful luxury cars get dinged. How about the crown victoria?
Brian @ Dec 12th 2006 12:15PM
Wait, you mean I won't actually get 25 MPG in a Chevy Suburban??...lol...I agree, this is long overdue.
Hondafan @ Dec 12th 2006 12:23PM
The gov has known about this for a long time. Meticulous bean counting car buyers who tracked their mileage have complained for years, especially those who bought a car based on the projected EPA mileage on the Mulroney sticker and then complained they were defrauded.
This will burst the bubble that cars are becoming more efficient. The auto manufacturers play dumb stating it's not their numbers but the gov's numbers yet they know they are selling a product that won't get the mileage as claimed.
It will be interesting to see how car buyers react once this is implement. Will the trial lawyers start lining up to sue manufacturers???
Oliver @ Dec 12th 2006 12:24PM
My Rover estimates at 18. I never achieve that. 13 is the best I have done. One day I hope to plow into the back of a Prius.
Oliver
Ken @ Dec 12th 2006 12:25PM
Very long overdue, but will they be issuing revised numbers for older cars or will this just pertain to cars sold going forward?
Professor Porsche @ Dec 12th 2006 12:25PM
The comparison is a very detailed one and not a fuinction of the car's weight. I believe you were thinking of the new CLASSES of vehicles that is according to weight, so youc an compare similar designs.
THe Crown Victoria is a very fuel efficient car, gewtting routinely 30 MPG on real Highway trips fully loaded, it is not a StupidUglyVehicle. Despite the fact that it has 70s tech and design. A v8 pulling 4,000 lbs (5,000 loaded) on a flat road at low RPM can be very efficient.
The corvette will NOT be penalized, since its very efficient GESRBOX with the 6 speed manual has a top gear of 0.5 ratio, that allows it to actgually get 28 MPG highway if driven at the speed limit.
The ones that will suffer are mainly HYBRIDS and hopefully SUVS too.
bad blooooood @ Dec 12th 2006 12:28PM
#3 First of all the least powerfull Suburban gets 17MPG
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm
I love this law, now consumers will see that Prius gets about 40 MPG, but they'll also see that GM doesn't make any cars that get better than 30 MPG.
DCWF @ Dec 12th 2006 12:29PM
I’m not sure whether the “old” (i.e. current) rules favored hybrids, or whether hybrids where designed to do well under those rules. Remember, we manage what we measure. It will be interesting to see how the marketplace adjusts.
bad blooooood @ Dec 12th 2006 12:37PM
Hondafan, i hate lawyers, but you do make an interesting point, manufacturers KNEW that the numbers EPA provided were false, and they actively lobied the government not to change them. In other words, say we have a pill that all(all cars get below EPA) people in USA say gives them diaria, but drug companies lobby FDA to say that the pill infact does not cause diaria...........that is agains public good, and in that situation there's a posibility to win money.
BLS @ Dec 12th 2006 12:39PM
Good call on the Crown Vic. For some reason I thought it was sub-20 mpg on the highway.
Anyway, having worked for the government and seeing what pushovers they really are. Any car that was not a gas-guzzler in the old system will probably be 'grandfathered' in the new system as not a gas-guzzler. (See medicare Physician reimbursments)
Will @ Dec 12th 2006 12:48PM
I heard that CAFE will NOT be affected by this change. The article indicates MAY. Anyone have more info?
BTW my '02 Z06 routinely gets 17.5mpg while driving in suburbia. Even with my lead foot.
Brian @ Dec 12th 2006 12:50PM
#8 Thanks for the update, I was being sarcastic. And actually some Suburbans are rated at 21 highway.
Bob King Neverland III @ Dec 12th 2006 12:52PM
I don't think this will make any difference in people's decision to buy a car. Aka my dumass ex-wife and her new fiance (a prick) bought a Ford Expedition last month. They didn't tell me, I just drove by to see what was going on.
Gale @ Dec 12th 2006 12:53PM
I applaud the efforts. The 2005 Maxima I now drive is the first car I've owned that got the mileage the sticker said it would get (it says 19/28 and I get 23-24 in mixed driving and 26-28 highway).
I've found the average American driver is too competitive to get good mileage. We have to keep up with the person next to us. Anyone who has set the cruise control on 70 and drive the Interstate knows how many folks speed up when being passed. How many times do you see jackrabbit starts at lights, even with high fuel costs? Driving like boy racers never will get us good fuel economy.
On the other side of the argument, my buddy drives his Prius like a grandma and still doesn't nearly get what the sticker said. Some level of standardization would be a welcome change from the BS we see on the stickers today.
Accordsforall @ Dec 12th 2006 12:58PM
This just turns me on...
SUVS not getting their assumed miliage?? Suburbans not getting better than 17mpg? And that ROVER about to plow into the back of a Prius.. All that Rover needs to do is get a nice flat tire and watch as it does "The Donut".. ROLL BABY... ROLL!"
This is.. EXTREMELY LONG over due. About damn time. Maybe the SUV market can go to where its supposed to go.. right down the crapper.
Richard Warren @ Dec 12th 2006 1:03PM
Who cars? You get what you get. The keyword here (and always has been) ESTIMATES. Gee, it even says that on the sticker.
Estimate:
to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of
to determine roughly the size, extent, or nature of (Got that? roughly)
implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.
If you ever believed this the Dr. will examine you now.
Michael Karesh @ Dec 12th 2006 1:04PM
The CAFE and gas guzzler formulas either will be adjusted to account for the difference with the new system or will continue to be based on separate tests run using the old system.
There's no potential for lawsuits here. Posting the EPA numbers was law, the manufacturers had no choice in the matter. They might have lobbied one way or the other, but they didn't actually write the law.
The GTO was considerably heavier than the Corvette and had a much larger frontal area, and both should have a significant impact on fuel economy. No mystery there.
Hybrids ratings might drop, but they'll remain significantly higher than others.
My site has a real-world fuel economy survey, which asks about driving style and conditions as well as MPG figures. Results:
http://www.truedelta.com/fuel_economy.php
Professor Porsche @ Dec 12th 2006 1:04PM
" I heard that CAFE will NOT be affected by this change. The article indicates MAY. Anyone have more info?"
I read that CAFE will NOT be affected too. The new rules are mainly to better inform consumers, so they do not complain if their Prius gets 44 instead of the alleged (ludicrous) 60 MPG.
The old rules were derived under ridiculous assumptions, such as driving at.. 48 mph highway average and 21 mph (SIC!) city average, NOT using A/c and not operating Hybrids in cold weather, when their MPG Sinks, and they do NOT shut off at lights because the heater (or the A/C) has to be on!
"BTW my '02 Z06 routinely gets 17.5mpg while driving in suburbia. Even with my lead foot."
Was the Z06 around in 02? (isn't that the 500 HP version? or is it called the Z07?)
Cars can get MORE than the EPA IF driven at lower speeds.
Car Mags that do MPG maximizing runs routinely drive them at 35 MPH (!), which gives the top MPG for a tiny 4-cylinder.
A clean air filter and well-inflated tires and cruise control, even at 70 and not 55 mph, will exceed EPA in my Accord 5-speed 1990. In fact, I get 32 vs 31 EPA even with the cruise at 80-90 mph.
Around town I have very short trips with cold starts and get 20 mpg with the accord, and 13 mpg with the "Magnificent 7" (1998 BMW 740iL, really a 4.4 lt V8).
But I reserve the big Bimmer for long highway trips, where it gets excellent 24 mpg with the cruise at 80 and 90, and many times exceeding these speeds for short times.
Johnny @ Dec 12th 2006 1:05PM
I'd love to see you tow my boat with your boring ole Accord.
Wooo hooo...that is one fun car you have. NOT!!!