The Mileage-Per-Gallon Fraud

mpb=miles per burrito

The "fraud", if there is one, is limited to how well the specified test runs (in which the offical mileage figures are based) matches what "average" drivers could achieve city/highway.

The problem is -- could vs would. Most people tell me that they also experience lower mileage than the offical figures (any car). But I believe that has more to do with "average driving habits" than potential "reasonable" performance. I believe that because I have ALWAYS managed to get slightly better than the published figures with every car I have ever driven << and since I'm in my 60's, that's quite a few >>

And I do NOT mean by using all the tircks of a "ton-miles per gallon" rally.

I mean normal driving including usually faster than posted. Except paying attention -- like see that red light 1/4 mile ahead? why charge up to it and brake when you can take your foot off the gas now and maybe when you get there the stopped cars will have cleared and you continue never having really changed speed much. Like no point pushing the pedal farther down than the engine will accept when accelerating << no point reving higher than the max torque point >>

yeah - the hybrids are a different situation because they are supposed to operate so differently in mostly city driving with lots of stops, versus mostly open freeway driving.
For myself, I actually have been getting near the mpg listed for a 96-99 nissan Sentra (many cars made in the early 2000s had larger engines than in the mid 90s and get lower mileage) - so about 39mpg in situations where I have to drive a long distance away and fill the tank to the top, then measure mileage and the amount required to fill again. What I think is crucial is following the easiest steps for keeping mileage low - i.e. drive like you have an egg under the gas pedal and dont' accelerate quickly, stay fairly slow if you're going up a hill, avoid stopping and idling, don't use air conditioning much and keep windows closed. Once with a different nissan sentra '86, the starter engine broke in Oregon and I didn't want it to go out so I'd have to do a start with a screwdriver again - so I tried finding 55mph semitrucks, and you can draft (like bike racers) by driving as close as you dare without risking running into the truck - and it raised mileage discernibly.

It's all in driving habits. The reason anyone doesn't get not only the posted mileage, but better then, is how they drive. I have a car that posted 26mpg. I was lucky to get 23mpg. But, I was driving the car hard and fast. When gas went to $3.50 a gallon locally, I changed my driving habits. I drove a different route, took off like Grand Paw, coasted to the stops like Grand Paw, I drove most the time 5 miles under the speed limit, never broke 50mph. Now I had been driving the interstate at 78mph. Just by slowing down, not taking off fast, keeping it under the posted speed limit, I was able to get over 30mpg.
Fraud????? no these cars will get the posted and better then mpg. But it's up to you to do it. Stop stomping and tromping, speeding and racing, and the car will do better then you think.
Bring any car to me and I promise I can get better mileage then posted.