explain this photo

[a priori]

Unfortunately, I've seen it before. I just comes from starting the car cold, driving it around like a wild man and then parking it without turning it off.

Really, you don't need to have driven it wildly, you only need to have turned it on, moved it a little bit and then parked it in ready for more than 5 minutes. They very likely pulled it from the lot, drove it up to the garage for a photo and left it in idle whilst taking pictures.

(I do kind of like the other, more imaginative options a bit better than mine.)

[JimboK]

I agree that the visible bar is likely a short drive, maybe no more than around the parking lot, that burns a little gas. Then it was allowed to sit still in READY long enough for the "invisible" bar to register.

[TonyPSchaefer]

Originally Posted by JimboK

I agree that the visible bar is likely a short drive, maybe no more than around the parking lot, that burns a little gas. Then it was allowed to sit still in READY long enough for the "invisible" bar to register.

I think you give them too much credit. If that car were driven around the parking lot, the bar would be higher simply due to the fact that there would be more "miles" into which to divide the "gallons." I actually use this technique starting my commute intentionally driving out of my way to make sure I do not sit as Priapus warms up.

I propose that six minutes prior to taking the picture, the car was moved a little. Since it was in warm-up mode, it sat there and idled. Of course, Free Bird was on the radio so he sat there and listened to it. Then the guy left it on, went inside, got the camera, came back and took the picture.

But I do agree that 19MPG is easily achievable in parking lots where the car is jockied around and never gets the opportunity to achieve full warm up and certainly doesn't have the opportunity drive under ideal circumstances to earn some decent mileage.

[JimboK]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

I think you give them too much credit. If that car were driven around the parking lot, the bar would be higher simply due to the fact that there would be more "miles" into which to divide the "gallons."

OK then, a real tiny parking lot.

[TonyPSchaefer]

Originally Posted by JimboK

OK then, a real tiny parking lot.

[Monty Python]
Oh well, a real tiny parking lot maybe, but not a very large parking lot. That's what I'm saying.
[/Monty Python]

[bbald123]

This is normal. This is what my MFS looks like when I'm stuck in traffic with a cold ICE.

[ursle1]

this is what mine looked like when I picked the car up new from the dealer, lot's of idleing while checking under the hood for rats, or getting paid to check for rats but leaving them there, or the blind leading the blind, it idles for hours because the dealer is clueless, like the dudes at carmax

[Viscor]

1st bar: Drive up hill with AC on full? Drive your car like a 16 year old with his 1st car?

2nd bar: Piece of cake. Leave the AC on full while parked. Your gas engine will start running and you'll get a bar with zero mpg over 5 minutes.