Tag: gas mileage

Trump Thinks Your Car’s Gas Mileage is . . .Your Business . . .

Guest Post by Eric Peters

The Clovers are aghast that Trump is threatening to do the unimaginable – and stop threatening the car companies with federal fuel economy fatwas (and add-on fatwas forbidding or restricting how much plant food – carbon dioxide – cars may emit).

He appears to be entertaining the horrible idea that the people who buy cars ought to be free to decide for themselves how much fuel economy matters to them – since they will be the ones paying for both the car and the gas. And – oh my god! – that this is really none of the business of the “concerned” scientists and other professional busybodies who regard their opinions and preferences as holy writ enforceable at gunpoint.

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Why Your Mileage Will Vary…

Guest Post by Eric Peters

The window sticker says 25 city, 34 highway – but you find that you’re seeing much less than that.sticker 1

Is it false advertising?

Arguably, yes.

Minimally, it’s a case of not-so-good explaining.

I’ll try to fix that.

There is the advertised fuel economy – and then there is real world fuel economy.

The mileage touted on the window sticker is based on the mileage achieved during a test loop performed by the government (EPA), broken down in two categories – “city” and “highway” driving.

The problem with this is that it’s inherently imprecise. Every driver drives differently (e.g., accelerates more or less aggressively, drives faster – or slower, etc.). And of course, the roads you drive on – and the conditions you drive in (e.g., altitude, temperature) are inevitably going to be different than the test loop’s, too.

Hence the weasel words, “your mileage may vary.”

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