Toyota says EPA 50 MPG Now Official

Uhh... prior to model year 2008, there were only 2 portions/cycles to the EPA test: a city and highway one. For MY 2008+, they added 3 more. See Fuel Economy Test Schedules. Yes, they're done in specific lab conditions w/a very specific driving schedule but again, there are 3 new sets of schedules and conditions.

There's also some formula to convert pre-MY08 numbers to MY08+ numbers.

Your statement regarding CR isn't totally right either. See New EPA mileage figures.

 

Any testing, EPA, Euro, or Japanese is going to involve a set of reproducible protocols that all vehicles go through. They are done under controlled environments so we can tell relative performance. Other tests are often not reproducible or little more than stunts and there in lies the rub.

• 17 MPG - "Top Gear"
• 39 MPG - Edmunds (also 53 MPG for one tank)
• 42 MPG - Consumer Reports
• 46-47 MPG - EPA averages 2004-2008, over 500 drivers
• 47 MPG - USA EPA combined
• 47 MPG - Median of 1,700 GreenHybrid drivers
• 109 MPG - 2005 Prius marathon

So how many miles per gallon does any car get? In the USA, we find an EPA sticker and that seems to be fairly accurate for the NHW20 when compared to a significant sample set of drivers.

So it is small wonder that VW is trying to get some traction with their "GREENHUMAN" Jetta TDI stunt or that our friends at "Top Gear" USA decided to rebuild a diesel Rabbit and achieve, 7-7-7:

7 seconds - 0-60 mph (waiting engine transplant)
70 MPG - mileage, highway
$7,000 - purchase (waiting engine transplant)
​

Monday night's "Top Gear" had a 750 mile endurance test on one tank over a fixed time. I noticed that "The Stig" didn't participate. But regardless of any stunts, the current Prius is at the top of the MPG heap and the 2010 pretty much cements it.

Bob Wilson

 

Handling better ... mpg better .... but but but what about the TDI ?

(crickets)