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Old 08-19-2005, 08:40 AM
AZCivic AZCivic is offline
Conservative Socialist
 
Real Name: Brandon
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Hybrids: 1997 Civic HX
Posts: 878
Default Re: Owner's MPG Figures vs EPA Ratings

Quote:
Originally Posted by KLCarch
the manufacturers will NEVER put FCGs in the big cars. the trouble is- as has been mentioned inumerable times- we here all buy the car for fuel economy, so we care- and there that guage is, right in your face, telling you what's real.

actually- the thing that bugs me most about the epa test- is it's done in a building on a treadmill/roller. wind resistance is SO KEY to energy consumption at speed. this takes no account of aerodynamics & physics in account! how can they do highway tests without wind resistance????
#1, my sister's husband has always been in to boats, and his last three tow vehicles (Ford Excursion, Caddy Escalade, Ford F-250 Powersmoke) have all had fuel consumption displays. I remember riding in the Excursion several years ago when he said "Hey, watch this," and reset the FCD which is mounted by the inside rear view mirror. It took a moment and then came up and showed our fuel consumption of about 3 or 4 miles per gallon, I believe. Towing a huge boat uphill at 30mph will do that for you.

At any rate, maybe it does make a difference considering he went to the relatively smaller Escalade and now owns a far more efficient diesel. Anyway, the EPA test uses a load based dyno that provides resistance based on the calculated drag and weight of the vehicle. They're not idiots.

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