That MPG figure on your vehicle sticker might not be as accurate as you think.
According to a recent study, thousands of vehicles found real-world MPG values significantly vary from the estimates given by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). AAA conducted the study and found that more than 8 in 10 drivers got better fuel economy than what’s estimated by the EPA. In fact, U.S. drivers are reporting that they get 12 percent better fuel economy than window-sticker estimates, which might be surprising to some considering numerous automakers have had to revise their figures in the past few years for being too high.
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The study found that diesel owners are reporting 20-percent higher fuel economy while those with manual transmissions got 17-percent better MPG. Unfortunately owners of vehicles with turbocharged engines aren’t as lucky. Although the technology helps maintain performance while improving fuel efficiency, V6 turbo owners are reporting nine-percent lower fuel economy than estimates while turbo-four owners are seeing four percent less.
Of course driving habits play a major role in just how many MPG you get, and it’s likely that turbocharged vehicle owners have a bit heavier of a foot. In contrast, diesel owners benefit from plenty of torque, which means their gas pedal probably sees a bit less usage.
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