Mileage May Vary

In these times of growing issues of oil availability and environmental damage, it's almost too much for some people to hear that starting with the 2008 model years cars, our fuel mileage will be dropping...significantly.

Over the last decade or so, it has come to light that the procedures used by the EPA to test the fuel mileage we see on the window stickers are drastically inaccurate. They have drivers on the highway cycle driving an average of less than 50mph in a day where people are pushed out of the fast lane doing 80. In the city cycle, cars are driven at an average of around 20mph and are not subjected to A/C use or other accessories that drive fuel consumption up considerably.

In order to remedy this situation, the EPA has decided to, instead of completely changing their processes, add to their list of tests including ones that take into account the faster speeds, harder acceleration and varying weather conditions that we all drive in each year. Also, some tests will be conducted with the air conditioning on to test how much fuel such accessories consume. In the end, an average will be collected from all that and be slapped on the side of your new car.

This change is sure to create an uproar within environmental communities who will claim that the automakers have been lying to us all along. And other changes will have to be made to other government fuel consumption committees to revise their standards so as not to invalidate all the work that has been put into more fuel-efficient vehicles. We must realize that these new tests are not saying that the cars we drive are less efficient then they have been. You will get the same range you have since you got your car. The EPA has just found more accurate ways to test cars so we have a better idea of the gas we are using.

If you would like more information on the new testing procedures along with a calculator to determine the mileage of your current car, go to www.fueleconomy.gov and click on New MPG Ratings.