EPA Fuel Economy Myth: Too High, Too Low? 1378
ThosLives asks: "I have seen here on Slashdot , and just about every other publication, numerous articles about fuel cells, hybrid vehicles, and the inaccuracies of EPA fuel economy stickers. For instance, today there is a review of the Toyota Prius that had the famous line 'Since no car really achieves the EPA estimated mileage...' I happen to drive a car with an EPA sticker of 21 city 25 highway (all figures in miles per gallon). I've driven the car for 47000 miles and the lowest I've ever seen is 23 and some change; the highest, 36.3 (I'm probably about 60% highway 40% stop-and-go and yes, the high was on a long highway trip). My all-time average is about 28.5. As most people get less than the EPA mileage, how does the Slashdot readership fare when it comes to EPA sticker vs actual experience, and on what type of vehicle?"
"Am I a rare breed that can drive my car (2.0L I4, 170 HP, 6-speed manual) aggressively (I've had coworkers and friends say 'woah!' more than I'd like to admit *grin*) and still stomp the EPA sticker? Did I get lucky with a phenomenal car? Am I enough of a counter-example to thwart the belief that the EPA figures are 'too liberal'? Are fuel economy issues just FUD from [insert lobby group of choice]? Or is the answer simply 'it depends on how you drive, what you had for breakfast, and the color of your neighbors' cat?'"
Thus the phrase... (Score:5, Funny)
I get reasonable mileage... (Score:3, Funny)
Of course, I drive like a little old lady from Pasadena (not the one of the Beach Boys fame, though). I usually skip breakfast (perhaps it saves weight?), and my neighbors cats are grey...
Depends on Cat (Score:5, Funny)
My mileage dropped drastically after pieces of the neighbors' cat got caught in the air intake.
If it hadn't been a black cat I wouldn't have run over it at night.
So, yes, mileage depends on the cat's color.
I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!!! (Score:2, Funny)
How the English improve their MPGs (Score:5, Funny)
Just do what we do -- use a bigger gallon!
Low-tech solutions to hi-tech problems
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I get reasonable mileage... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:2, Funny)
I constantly get stuck behind people that annoy me.
Einstein was wrong. Apparently, there is a 'center of the universe.'
Re:How the English improve their MPGs (Score:3, Funny)
(got this from a Brit -- don't be mad
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:70 MPG in the Insight, depending on weather! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:4, Funny)
I'm convinced that it's not the grannies, but the Buicks. Every one I've encountered has driven below the speed limit and comes to a complete stop at every turn, even merging into highway traffic. I will never buy a Buick because they seem so incredibly hard to drive.
Signed,
A fellow Pennsylvanian.
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:2, Funny)
How would the state test for emission compliance?
SUVs (Score:2, Funny)
0 City
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:4, Funny)
If that's a bean burrito, I'm guessing the rider has one instead...
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, common sense is the key term. Take yesterday afternoon. I'm leaving a friend's house. Driving safely through the neighborhood, I pull up to a stop-sign. A child on a bike turns off the sidestreet, onto the one I'm driving on. He proceeds to ride right up the middle of the street. He knew I was there, because he looked me right in the eye before entering the intersection.
I pull away from the stop-sign and he proceeds to continue riding right up the middle of the street. The road widened enough for me to pass, but then the kid meandered towards the "middle" of the new, wider road. After a 1.5 blocks of this, I sound the horn to let him know I'm there, and he scowls at me, like I'm the one disrupting traffic. I roll down the window and ask "Who told you it was safe to ride your bike on the middle of the street like that?" "My mommy." came the reply.
Moral of the story? Common sense breeds more common sense. Parents who are stupid have children who are stupid. In the end, I realized that I should have just run his ass over and saved us all a few welfare dollars later.
Re:Thus the phrase... (Score:4, Funny)
On the same note, if you make cars that get 50 mpg and are affordable (less than 20k) then yes, more people would buy them, and drive them instead of using public transport, since it would be a price advantage to drive your own. Not counting the fact that your own car is more convenient, etc. This would mean even more traffic because it would be cheaper, more pollution because many individual cars make more smog than one bus/train, and more traffic problems, PLUS we would have to build yet MORE roads to support all the new econo-boxes, all in a vicious cycle brought upon us by the people who are demanding high mileage cars.
My solution is everyone buy a new truck that gets 13mpg avg. like my new Chevy 2500HD. This way we won't be tempted to drive so much, and be forced to suffer all the problems that good gas mileage brings.