Here is a question for you guys..

It seems to me alot of people get really bent out of shape with even the smallest innacuracies that various news articles provide on hybrids. Green Hybrid has thread upon thread ripping apart anything they believe is a negative representation


Now, I look through the Mileage database and I see a few people who are what i believe mis-representing the millage of their car. Im not going to point to any names because I have been banned once for my opinions, but a little bit of searching will allow you to see what I am talking about

The problem is some people are posting their highest ever acheived MPG instead of their actual lifetime MPG in relation to the millage posted. Why is this decieving?? because when you look at the list you are lead to believe that they have acieved that millage throughout lets say 70,000 miles when in reality (Some even post it in their siganture) their LMPG is much lower.

Maybe this is a good topic to discuss so for some, so that some of these discussions aren't seen as hypocritical

 

It is hard to say what is going on but I wouldn't rule out misunderstanding the interface or having a life outside of HybridGreen.com. For example, a single entry for 90,000 miles on a vehicle that was purchased used suggests the poster put the current odometer in rather than the last tank miles. I made and corrected a simular mistake with my first entry. Alternatively, a contributor may be keeping more detailed records in a journal and making quarterly or 'get around to it' updates.

I have 'cut and pasted' data into excel from Prius I vehicles to understand temperature and trip duration effects on MPG. I can't use suspect data from those having too few entries but it is easy enough to filter them out. No one is being 'paid' for their entries so it really isn't something I lose sleep about.

As for 'bragging rights,' that and $4.50 will get someone a latte. Heck, I turned hypermiler in January and it isn't as if a golden trophy arrived the next day in the mail . . . or did HybridGreen.com shipping screw up again? <grins>

Bob Wilson

 

Hello bwillson4web

I understand what your saying, and i know what your saying about mistakes causing inaccuracies but that is slightly different

I think you are right about the missunderstantings. Maybe their should be 2 databases, one for Best millage ever received and one for actual lifetime mpg. Im not really talking about being off 1 or 2 mpg, but the people who are posting their all time best MPG instead of actual mpg could be throughing the database of significantly.

Its like if i took my insight to the bottom of a big hill, reset the trip millage, and then redlined it to the top, achieved 18mpg and posted it in the database beside my millage (Approx 90,000miles) Not only would that screw the whole average up on the database, but it would detract from what i see as its intentions.

 

I think my first "tank" was for 70k or 80k miles because I had been driving this car for two years by the time I heard about this forum. I was getting 42 mpg. After practicing some of the hypermile tricks, I raised the lifetime mpg to 43. While that doesn't sound like much, it's about $2 or $3 per fill-up. It all adds up!

 

Hondasucks,

As far as we are aware, the entrees in the database are accurate on the whole. There will always be small variances and mistakes, but there is no threat of dishonest contributors skewing the results. I would not be so skeptical.

 

You don't think posting your highest MPG as opposed to your lmpg effects the database as a whole?? Then would their be a problem posting the lowest ever mpg achieved by a hybrid?

The mediums are based on averages. And as a few cars are concerned the one or two who car posting highest acheived may be enough to show the medium as either above epa or below epa.

Im just saying that maybe their should be better clarification on the database Also, im not being skeptical, because this is provavble fact based on posted figures and members own signatures, I will PM you a name if you want LoL

 

It is easy to 'cut and paste' the detailed vehicle records into an excel spreadsheet and convert back to miles and gallons and recalculate the averge MPG. Then eliminate all single entry records and calculate the average MPG for 'trustable' data. It took me 10-15 minutes to do this for the Prius I database:

45 MPG - current Prius I average
45.9 MPG - calculated using > 5 tank entries and usable miles

My experiment suggests those with lower MPG rates are more likly to make data entry errors. BUT it is not a significant source of error.

Bob Wilson

 

Your right, but it is still not correct


By eliminating the low ones you are selecting your pool. I took your advice and i cut and paste the insight into the chart and i will work on it later.


What im proposing is Substituting those who are using their highest ever MPG with their LMPG with people who have them listed seperatly within signature/post etc and you will see the average DROP.