Consumers doubt accuracy of fuel economy listed on window stickers

A new AAA survey reveals that one-in-three Americans do not believe the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new vehicle window sticker accurately reflects the fuel economy they achieve when driving. AAA found that driver behaviors and environmental conditions, rather than vehicle shortcomings, are likely responsible for most fuel economy variances.

“For years, we’ve heard that drivers question whether the fuel economy rating for their vehicle is accurate,” said Jim Lardear, director of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “In the interest of our members, AAA aimed to address this issue with a multi-phase testing series designed to uncover the real reasons behind fuel economy variations.”

AAA engineers conducted a comprehensive analysis of 37,000 records submitted to the EPA, representing over 8,400 vehicle make, model and year combinations, to identify trends in real-world fuel economy. Findings include:

• Owners of vehicles equipped with manual transmissions reported 17 percent higher fuel economy than EPA ratings.
• Owners of diesel-fuel vehicles, including light trucks, reported 20 percent higher fuel economy than EPA ratings.
• Truck owners with gasoline-fuel V-8 engines reported fuel economy five percent higher than EPA ratings, while owners of turbocharged V-6 engines reported fuel economy that was nine percent lower.
• Owners of sedans with V-6 engines reported a nine percent higher fuel economy than EPA ratings, while owners of turbocharged four cylinder engines reported fuel economy that was four percent lower.
• Minivan owners reported real-world fuel economy that was equal to or slightly lower than EPA rating