Interesting: The EPA doesn’t perform mileage tests

[mareakin]

I've sorta known this for a short while now but was still unclear how it all fits together.

Some clarifications here: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/12...ights/#comments

Excerpts:
Quote:
That’s right. The vast majority of mileage results come from internal manufacturer testing to EPA specs, reported to the government and duly republished. Since the penalty for lying to the government in this country tends to be rather massive for anyone not directly involved in the banking industry, one assumes the results are honest. When it comes to Hyundai, however, the issue isn’t quite as clear-cut.

 

[cchase]

Wasn't there something similar about the Sonata and the claimed vs. real world mpg?

Personally I've never owned a vehicle that didn't far exceed its estimated economy.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Quote:
Personally I've never owned a vehicle that didn't far exceed its estimated economy


Same here, particularly on the highway.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
Quote:
Personally I've never owned a vehicle that didn't far exceed its estimated economy


Same here, particularly on the highway.


Me too. So many people who think they are "good drivers" actually have horrid driving skills and technique.

 

[shanneba]

Originally Posted By: mareakin
I've sorta known this for a short while now but was still unclear how it all fits together.


The EPA verifies 10-15% of the results in their own labs.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/how_tested.shtml

More info on the lab:
http://www.epa.gov/nvfel/

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: mareakin
I've sorta known this for a short while now but was still unclear how it all fits together.

Some clarifications here: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/12...ights/#comments

Excerpts:
Quote:
That’s right. The vast majority of mileage results come from internal manufacturer testing to EPA specs, reported to the government and duly republished. Since the penalty for lying to the government in this country tends to be rather massive for anyone not directly involved in the banking industry, one assumes the results are honest. When it comes to Hyundai, however, the issue isn’t quite as clear-cut.




Calibrated, certified test labs are used for all sorts of things. Do you think when our municipality tests their water to the EPA tests, that the actual EPA tests it?

There are reasons why organizations like IEEE, ASTM, etc. exist.

And when the test protocols are out in the open, the software can be tweaked in an car's ECM to account for it, right or wrong. I believe that so long as it is what the end user would be buying, all is well.

 

[needsducktape]

I remember reading earlier this year, Motor trend tested all the small cars - Honda Civic, Corolla, Elentra - Well they said the 40mpg rated Elantra turned in the 2nd worse "real world average" mileage and the civic (Rated at 38mpg) actually turned in the best.

 

[R2d2]

I read the same thing, and wasn't surprised.

 

[needsducktape]

And this is why Honda -despite all the "they have lost their way" [censored] is still the king of the 4 bangers in my book.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: cchase
Personally I've never owned a vehicle that didn't far exceed its estimated economy.


In Canada, people are beginning to complain that real world fuel economy is poorer than what is reported by Environment Canada. The argument is that our system allows for manufacturers to have their vehicles excel at the test, rather than real world economy. There's a bit of a push to adopt the American's EPA testing rules, which turn out to be more accurate.

I've paid more attention to the EPA figures than to the Environment Canada figures for years now. To meet the Environment Canada figures in the real world requires a fair bit of granny driving.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: cchase
Wasn't there something similar about the Sonata and the claimed vs. real world mpg?

Personally I've never owned a vehicle that didn't far exceed its estimated economy.


Have you owned a Hyundai though? I actually happen to know a few folks who meet or beat the MPG in their old Honda's and moved to an Elantra and Sonata and cannot do it. They like their Hyundai's but they said MPG was not all it was cracked up to be.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
They like their Hyundai's but they said MPG was not all it was cracked up to be.


Strangely enough, it was Hyundai that was getting the biggest gripes up here for failing to meet the window sticker mileage.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: cchase
Personally I've never owned a vehicle that didn't far exceed its estimated economy.


In Canada, people are beginning to complain that real world fuel economy is poorer than what is reported by Environment Canada. The argument is that our system allows for manufacturers to have their vehicles excel at the test, rather than real world economy. There's a bit of a push to adopt the American's EPA testing rules, which turn out to be more accurate.

I've paid more attention to the EPA figures than to the Environment Canada figures for years now. To meet the Environment Canada figures in the real world requires a fair bit of granny driving.


Something happened between 2006 and now. Either the test got relaxed, or manufacturers learned some tricks to get the best results for the test, but real world mileage is much worse.

My 2006 Mazda 3 was rated by TC at 6.1L/100km highway and 9.2L/100km City. My real world mileage pretty much matches the test results without trying. I can beat the sticker, but I have to really drive carefully.
But now I see Camry, Equinox and other bigger cars rated at 6.0-6.1L/100 highway, something is definitely not right.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Something happened between 2006 and now. Either the test got relaxed, or manufacturers learned some tricks to get the best results for the test, but real world mileage is much worse.


That's pretty much what the critics were claiming - the manufacturers are building the cars to ace the tests, rather than ace real world fuel economy.