I saw a very whiny story on NBC news the other night - complaining
about cars not getting nearly the mileage their owners were led to
believe by the EPA stickers. This always happens when gas prices go up
and the media is complicit in the "blame the EPA for my lousy mileage"
mentality. There was NO MENTION of driving habits, maintenance or
inflating tires properly.
They even had the nerve to criticize the EPA for neglecting to let the
car idle in traffic for a while during the test. DUH... should you
complain that your mileage won't be quite up to the estimate if you are
NOT MOVING while your engine is running?
Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
you drive conservatively and take care of your car. My 4-cyl 87 Camry
was rated at 25/31 and I consistently made 27 or 28 mpg around town for
the 15-1/2 years I owned it. It easily did 40 mpg or better on the
highway at 65. My current 03 Matrix is also rated at 25/31 and I am
consistently hitting 30 mpg in mostly suburban driving. It's not quite
as good as the Camry on the highway (35 or so) but I also drive it
faster.
Come on people, if you are myopic enough to buy gas guzzling cars, let
the tires go flat and drive with a lead foot, then at least stop
complaining... and please.... LEARN HOW TO DRIVE
Mark wrote:
[color=blue]
> I saw a very whiny story on NBC news the other night - complaining
> about cars not getting nearly the mileage their owners were led to
> believe by the EPA stickers. This always happens when gas prices go up
> and the media is complicit in the "blame the EPA for my lousy mileage"
> mentality. There was NO MENTION of driving habits, maintenance or
> inflating tires properly.
>
> They even had the nerve to criticize the EPA for neglecting to let the
> car idle in traffic for a while during the test. DUH... should you
> complain that your mileage won't be quite up to the estimate if you are
> NOT MOVING while your engine is running?
>
> Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
> easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
> you drive conservatively and take care of your car. My 4-cyl 87 Camry
> was rated at 25/31 and I consistently made 27 or 28 mpg around town for
> the 15-1/2 years I owned it. It easily did 40 mpg or better on the
> highway at 65. My current 03 Matrix is also rated at 25/31 and I am
> consistently hitting 30 mpg in mostly suburban driving. It's not quite
> as good as the Camry on the highway (35 or so) but I also drive it
> faster.
>
> Come on people, if you are myopic enough to buy gas guzzling cars, let
> the tires go flat and drive with a lead foot, then at least stop
> complaining... and please.... LEARN HOW TO DRIVE
>
> Thanks for reading my little rant...
>[/color]
I saw the stories too. For the most part, most people get below the EPA.
YOu have to remember not all areas of the country are flat, at a
constant temp, or have other conditions that maximize economy.
In Nebraska, i don't think any of my cars have really exceed the
sticker. Usually under. My 96 s10 2.2 does about 17/23 in normal
weather.
Bob
----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
[url]http://www.newsfeeds.com[/url] The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
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Mark wrote:[color=blue]
> I saw a very whiny story on NBC news the other night - complaining
> about cars not getting nearly the mileage their owners were led to
> believe by the EPA stickers. This always happens when gas prices go up
> and the media is complicit in the "blame the EPA for my lousy mileage"
> mentality. There was NO MENTION of driving habits, maintenance or
> inflating tires properly.
>
> They even had the nerve to criticize the EPA for neglecting to let the
> car idle in traffic for a while during the test. DUH... should you
> complain that your mileage won't be quite up to the estimate if you are
> NOT MOVING while your engine is running?
>
> Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
> easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
> you drive conservatively and take care of your car. My 4-cyl 87 Camry
> was rated at 25/31 and I consistently made 27 or 28 mpg around town for
> the 15-1/2 years I owned it. It easily did 40 mpg or better on the
> highway at 65. My current 03 Matrix is also rated at 25/31 and I am
> consistently hitting 30 mpg in mostly suburban driving. It's not quite
> as good as the Camry on the highway (35 or so) but I also drive it
> faster.
>
> Come on people, if you are myopic enough to buy gas guzzling cars, let
> the tires go flat and drive with a lead foot, then at least stop
> complaining... and please.... LEARN HOW TO DRIVE
>
> Thanks for reading my little rant...
>[/color]
Same old story - nobody wants to take responsibility for their own
actions. And the media is quick to ell us It's Not Your Fault - it's
"THEM".
On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 06:38:08 -0800, Mark wrote:
[color=blue]
> I saw a very whiny story on NBC news the other night - complaining
> about cars not getting nearly the mileage their owners were led to
> believe by the EPA stickers. This always happens when gas prices go up
> and the media is complicit in the "blame the EPA for my lousy mileage"
> mentality. There was NO MENTION of driving habits, maintenance or
> inflating tires properly.
>
> They even had the nerve to criticize the EPA for neglecting to let the
> car idle in traffic for a while during the test. DUH... should you
> complain that your mileage won't be quite up to the estimate if you are
> NOT MOVING while your engine is running?
>
> Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
> easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
> you drive conservatively and take care of your car. My 4-cyl 87 Camry
> was rated at 25/31 and I consistently made 27 or 28 mpg around town for
> the 15-1/2 years I owned it. It easily did 40 mpg or better on the
> highway at 65. My current 03 Matrix is also rated at 25/31 and I am
> consistently hitting 30 mpg in mostly suburban driving. It's not quite
> as good as the Camry on the highway (35 or so) but I also drive it
> faster.
>
> Come on people, if you are myopic enough to buy gas guzzling cars, let
> the tires go flat and drive with a lead foot, then at least stop
> complaining... and please.... LEARN HOW TO DRIVE
>
> Thanks for reading my little rant...[/color]
The last time prices went up, there was a story on NECN (New England Cable
News) where they were interviewing a guy, at the pump, complaining about
the high cost of gas...while filling up his EXCURSION!!!
If you're gonna cry about it, buy a Prius! What a fool.
On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 09:00:23 -0600, Bob Urz wrote:
[color=blue]
>
>
> Mark wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I saw a very whiny story on NBC news the other night - complaining
>> about cars not getting nearly the mileage their owners were led to
>> believe by the EPA stickers. This always happens when gas prices go up
>> and the media is complicit in the "blame the EPA for my lousy mileage"
>> mentality. There was NO MENTION of driving habits, maintenance or
>> inflating tires properly.
>>
>> They even had the nerve to criticize the EPA for neglecting to let the
>> car idle in traffic for a while during the test. DUH... should you
>> complain that your mileage won't be quite up to the estimate if you are
>> NOT MOVING while your engine is running?
>>
>> Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
>> easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
>> you drive conservatively and take care of your car. My 4-cyl 87 Camry
>> was rated at 25/31 and I consistently made 27 or 28 mpg around town for
>> the 15-1/2 years I owned it. It easily did 40 mpg or better on the
>> highway at 65. My current 03 Matrix is also rated at 25/31 and I am
>> consistently hitting 30 mpg in mostly suburban driving. It's not quite
>> as good as the Camry on the highway (35 or so) but I also drive it
>> faster.
>>
>> Come on people, if you are myopic enough to buy gas guzzling cars, let
>> the tires go flat and drive with a lead foot, then at least stop
>> complaining... and please.... LEARN HOW TO DRIVE
>>
>> Thanks for reading my little rant...
>>[/color]
> I saw the stories too. For the most part, most people get below the EPA.
> YOu have to remember not all areas of the country are flat, at a
> constant temp, or have other conditions that maximize economy.
> In Nebraska, i don't think any of my cars have really exceed the
> sticker. Usually under. My 96 s10 2.2 does about 17/23 in normal
> weather.
>
> Bob[/color]
I'm like Mark here. I generally do better than the stickers. But, I have
almost always lived in rural or suburban areas, and when I have had to
travel I was generally going the OPPOSITE way from the gridlock, so I
usually had smooth sailing. On cars rated 25-30, I did 30-37. Where I live
now I can run my cars in their most effecient ranges and manage to
consistantly run 5 or more MPG over EPA. I have a Chrysler LHS that during
the fall I was gettin 30 MPG overall with. It does have a lot to do with
driving habits. Toyotas don't seem to mind being pounded on; my GTS gets
better mileage at 70-75 than at 40MPH. The Chrysler needs to be driven
like you have an egg between your foot and the throttle to get the kind of
mileage I was getting, and does much better at 45-50 or 62MPH. At 70 you
can watch the fuel guage drop.
[color=blue]
>
> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
> [url]http://www.newsfeeds.com[/url] The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
> ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----[/color]
It also depends what state mandates the gasoline formulation, IMHO. My
Highlander, here in Northern California runs low 20's on highway. In Idaho,
Washington or Oregon I run about 10% better. I probably drive a bit hard to
get best mileage but In summer I am over 17 in town and about 21 on highway
with V-6 AWD. about 23 up north
Ron
Mark wrote:[color=blue]
>
> I saw a very whiny story on NBC news...[/color]
You can stop there....Calling the stuff on TV at 6:30 pm
"news" is false advertising. Especially true for NBC and
CBS. At least Dan is leaving the "news" department and
working full time for the tabloid departement (60 minutes).
He was always better suited for National Enquirer style of
semi-fictionalized reporting than for honest news reporting.
I think a lot of it also has to do with traffic. Here in So. Cal I can
get 34mpg hwy in my '94 Saab 9000 cse if there is no traffic and I'm not
stop and go. If I do wind up in stop and go traffic my mileage drops to
17-20 mpg.
I've also been tracking the MPG in my '04 Pilot. In town/traffic I get
about 14-15mpg. In open road driving I can get 18-20mpg. Not bad for a
6cyl SUV IMO.
Craig
In article <1110465488.894665.125970@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
[email]markpippin@email.com[/email] says...[color=blue]
> I saw a very whiny story on NBC news the other night - complaining
> about cars not getting nearly the mileage their owners were led to
> believe by the EPA stickers. This always happens when gas prices go up
> and the media is complicit in the "blame the EPA for my lousy mileage"
> mentality. There was NO MENTION of driving habits, maintenance or
> inflating tires properly.
>
> They even had the nerve to criticize the EPA for neglecting to let the
> car idle in traffic for a while during the test. DUH... should you
> complain that your mileage won't be quite up to the estimate if you are
> NOT MOVING while your engine is running?
>
> Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
> easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
> you drive conservatively and take care of your car. My 4-cyl 87 Camry
> was rated at 25/31 and I consistently made 27 or 28 mpg around town for
> the 15-1/2 years I owned it. It easily did 40 mpg or better on the
> highway at 65. My current 03 Matrix is also rated at 25/31 and I am
> consistently hitting 30 mpg in mostly suburban driving. It's not quite
> as good as the Camry on the highway (35 or so) but I also drive it
> faster.
>
> Come on people, if you are myopic enough to buy gas guzzling cars, let
> the tires go flat and drive with a lead foot, then at least stop
> complaining... and please.... LEARN HOW TO DRIVE
>
> Thanks for reading my little rant...
>
>[/color]
That is pretty good mileage for Highlander. My wife has a 05 Highlander
Limited FWD and it never gets more than 21 mpg. It usually gets around 18 of
mix driving in Southern Orange Couty, CA. The 20 mpg was achieved during our
trip to Phoenix between Xmas and New Year 3 months ago. The information
display in that car never tells you the truth about the gas mileage
consumption. It always shows that we are getting around 22 mpg and in fact
we only get 19 from it. The speed limit is 75 mph on I-10 and people usually
drive minimum 85 mph on I-10 between LA and Phoenix. Even though there is
nothing but desert between LA and Phoenix, the road is not flat, either.
I also niticed that Toyota cars get pretty bad gas mileage during cold rainy
day. My 99 Sienna usually gets 19 in mixed driving, but it only gets 16 or
less in cold rainy days.
"ron" <randus3remove@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:gq_Xd.16202$OU1.14766@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...[color=blue]
> It also depends what state mandates the gasoline formulation, IMHO. My
> Highlander, here in Northern California runs low 20's on highway. In[/color]
Idaho,[color=blue]
> Washington or Oregon I run about 10% better. I probably drive a bit hard[/color]
to[color=blue]
> get best mileage but In summer I am over 17 in town and about 21 on[/color]
highway[color=blue]
> with V-6 AWD. about 23 up north
> Ron
>
>[/color]
On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 09:28:37 -0600, Rex B <rex@inoli.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Mark wrote:[color=green]
>> I saw a very whiny story on NBC news the other night - complaining
>> about cars not getting nearly the mileage their owners were led to
>> believe by the EPA stickers. This always happens when gas prices go up
>> and the media is complicit in the "blame the EPA for my lousy mileage"
>> mentality. There was NO MENTION of driving habits, maintenance or
>> inflating tires properly.
>>
>> They even had the nerve to criticize the EPA for neglecting to let the
>> car idle in traffic for a while during the test. DUH... should you
>> complain that your mileage won't be quite up to the estimate if you are
>> NOT MOVING while your engine is running?
>>
>> Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
>> easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
>> you drive conservatively and take care of your car. My 4-cyl 87 Camry
>> was rated at 25/31 and I consistently made 27 or 28 mpg around town for
>> the 15-1/2 years I owned it. It easily did 40 mpg or better on the
>> highway at 65. My current 03 Matrix is also rated at 25/31 and I am
>> consistently hitting 30 mpg in mostly suburban driving. It's not quite
>> as good as the Camry on the highway (35 or so) but I also drive it
>> faster.
>>
>> Come on people, if you are myopic enough to buy gas guzzling cars, let
>> the tires go flat and drive with a lead foot, then at least stop
>> complaining... and please.... LEARN HOW TO DRIVE
>>
>> Thanks for reading my little rant...
>>[/color]
>Same old story - nobody wants to take responsibility for their own
>actions. And the media is quick to ell us It's Not Your Fault - it's
>"THEM".[/color]
Yeah, kinda childish. We want to hear from people who don't even care
about us, blaming others for problems. But then, these shows are very
popular, I guess there are many people who want to be treated like
children. Now this is just a guess...
On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 18:06:51 +0000, Tony wrote:
[color=blue]
> That is pretty good mileage for Highlander. My wife has a 05 Highlander
> Limited FWD and it never gets more than 21 mpg. It usually gets around 18 of
> mix driving in Southern Orange Couty, CA. The 20 mpg was achieved during our
> trip to Phoenix between Xmas and New Year 3 months ago. The information
> display in that car never tells you the truth about the gas mileage
> consumption. It always shows that we are getting around 22 mpg and in fact
> we only get 19 from it. The speed limit is 75 mph on I-10 and people usually
> drive minimum 85 mph on I-10 between LA and Phoenix. Even though there is
> nothing but desert between LA and Phoenix, the road is not flat, either.
>
> I also niticed that Toyota cars get pretty bad gas mileage during cold rainy
> day. My 99 Sienna usually gets 19 in mixed driving, but it only gets 16 or
> less in cold rainy days.[/color]
I noticed maybe a 10% drop in economy from summer to winter, if even that.
Of course, mine are all '80's cars...
[color=blue]
>
> "ron" <randus3remove@pacbell.net> wrote in message
> news:gq_Xd.16202$OU1.14766@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...[color=green]
>> It also depends what state mandates the gasoline formulation, IMHO. My
>> Highlander, here in Northern California runs low 20's on highway. In[/color]
> Idaho,[color=green]
>> Washington or Oregon I run about 10% better. I probably drive a bit hard[/color]
> to[color=green]
>> get best mileage but In summer I am over 17 in town and about 21 on[/color]
> highway[color=green]
>> with V-6 AWD. about 23 up north
>> Ron
>>
>>[/color][/color]
Mark wrote:[color=blue]
> Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
> easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
> you drive conservatively and take care of your car.[/color]
Agh! You used the "A" word. Whole hypothesis falls apart in huge
crumbing mass of little bits.(oddly not unlike legos?)
The problem is that the test is outdated and has a 20mph speed
for city and a 45mph for highway, with very gentle cycles
inbetween. Manufacturers gear the cars to do well at those
exact speeds, of course, so as to satisfy their fleet/type
efficiency requirements, so you get silly data that isn't
close to reality.
All it really does is tell you a range compared to other
vehicles. A Pruis will get better mileage than all but
about a handful of vehicles, for instance. The numbers
are moot beyond that.
"Joseph Oberlander" <josephoberlander@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:EN0Yd.5234$oO4.1201@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
>
>
> Mark wrote:[color=green]
>> Assuming the tests are fair across manufacturers, I believe it's pretty
>> easy to achieve the EPA numbers (at a minimum) in everyday driving if
>> you drive conservatively and take care of your car.[/color]
>
> Agh! You used the "A" word. Whole hypothesis falls apart in huge
> crumbing mass of little bits.(oddly not unlike legos?)
>
> The problem is that the test is outdated and has a 20mph speed
> for city and a 45mph for highway, with very gentle cycles
> inbetween. Manufacturers gear the cars to do well at those
> exact speeds, of course, so as to satisfy their fleet/type
> efficiency requirements, so you get silly data that isn't
> close to reality.
>
> All it really does is tell you a range compared to other
> vehicles. A Pruis will get better mileage than all but
> about a handful of vehicles, for instance. The numbers
> are moot beyond that.[/color]
I know with my car, once I hit 45 it'll go into OD and have the TCC kick in.
It's rated for 30 mpg on the highway and last time I took it for a trip I
got ~38 mpg. You're right though, it's more for comparison then real world
numbers.
"Mark" <markpippin@email.com> wrote in message
news:1110465488.894665.125970@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>I saw a very whiny story on NBC news the other night - complaining
> about cars not getting nearly the mileage their owners were led to
> believe by the EPA stickers. > Come on people, if you are myopic enough to
> buy gas guzzling cars, let
> the tires go flat and drive with a lead foot, then at least stop
> complaining... and please.... LEARN HOW TO DRIVE[/color]
Does this apply as much to hybrid-engine cars? I heard that the percentage
of difference between "real world" mileage and EPA numbers was much greater
with hybrids. For example, a Hybrid rated at 38 city, 50 highway might see
real-world numbers consistently in the 36 range, while a traditional
gas-engine vehicle that also sees real-world numbers consistently in the 36
range would be more likely to be rated at, say, 33 city and 42 highway.
If this is the actual case, does it mean that the mileage of hybrid-engine
cars drops off more sharply under non-ideal conditions than that of
conventional-engined vehicles?
"Phillip Schmid" <schmste8@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:39bu7uF5s2qlrU1@individual.net...[color=blue]
>
> "Joseph Oberlander" <josephoberlander@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:EN0Yd.5234$oO4.1201@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...[color=green]
>>[/color][/color]
[color=blue]
>
> I know with my car, once I hit 45 it'll go into OD and have the TCC kick
> in. It's rated for 30 mpg on the highway and last time I took it for a
> trip I got ~38 mpg.[/color]
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