EPA Mileage Testing Under Scrutiny

Legislation is winding its torturous route through Congress that may change the 30-year-old test by which the Environmental Protection Agency arrives at its city and highway estimated miles per gallon for all new model cars and light trucks. A provision in the Highway Bill that passed the Senate offered by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) would require the EPA to revamp its testing. Ever since the last gas crisis in the '70s, the government stamps an estimate of average gas mileage on new models' showroom stickers. EPA gets its estimate from lab tests where vehicles run on a dynamometer—sort of a treadmill for cars—that simulates driving at an average speed of 48 mph and at a top speed of 60. Unfortunately the test doesn't take into consideration the hallmarks of today's driving.

Reality
Consumer haven't been able to achieve that gas mileage for some time but, with gas prices skyrocketing more and more, buyers are taking a serious look at mpg in their buying decisions. New car shoppers can turn to two consumer organizations to get real mileage numbers.


Sally Greenberg, senior product safety counsel with Consumer Union notes that the organization "has recommended to EPA that the agency update its driving test procedures to bring [them] into sync with today's driving conditions—a test developed in the '70s when few cars had air conditioning and when long commutes and traffic jams were rare—is simply not going to deliver accurate information on vehicle fuel efficiency to today's drivers. While the EPA has made a few adjustments in the test and the mileage calculations, the test is still sorely outdated and isn't delivering accurate fuel efficiency information to consumers. EPA's inaction has prompted Congress to step in and tell EPA to get on the ball and update their testing methods." Consumer Union's road tests of 175 new vehicles from 2001 to 2004 showed that 157 got lower fuel economy than their EPA stickers stated.


For decades Consumer Reports published its own mileage figures. The mileage given in their publications is based on three different driving tests with a meter attached to the fuel system that measures every drop of gas used. Gabriel Schenhar, Consumer Reports senior auto test engineer, says that CR puts every car it tests through three separate driving tests by three different engineers. CR has a proscribed city course at their test track in Connecticut with signs designating the speed for that particular stretch and stop signs with designated idling times. That track is run three times by each engineer.


A freeway course is mapped out near the Connecticut facility and is run both out and back by the same engineer three times to allow for grade and wind. Each month the test cars are taken on a day trip lap of freeway and country roads. Five engineers test each car. In the Consumer Report publications, like their Car Buying Guide, the fuel tests are listed as city, highway, day trip and overall average. Since Consumer Reports accepts no advertising from any source, their information is available in the publications or for a membership fee of $4.95 per month or $26 annual on their web site www.consumerreports.org.