We’ve all done – got to the end of a long journey and wondered where the fuel has gone.
Testing for actual mpg
And no you probably haven’t made a miscalculation because the published fuel economy figures which you use for the trip are quite often nothing like you will get in ‘real world’ driving.
That’s going to change now with the launch by What Car? of their True MPG which aims to give Britain’s car buyers the most realistic fuel economy information possible.
Their test cars use real roads in exactly the same conditions that every motorist faces every day to find out the vehicle’s true fuel economy.
Until now, the only information that’s been available is the car makers’ own figures, which are determined under EU law and are conducted in laboratory conditions on rolling roads.
Not any more. Car buyers can log on to www.whatcar.com/truempg/mpg-calculator and work out the fuel economy they can expect to get from their next new car.
The mag’s editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: “With rising fuel prices, the miles-per-gallon issue is high on every motorist’s agenda. Countless car buyers are frustrated that they don’t match the official government fuel figures. True MPG will allow motorists to select a car personalised to their driving needs and budget. We hope that it will become invaluable in the complex and emotional car-buying process.”
Just to give you an example of some of the fuel economy variations I’ve gone through their list and selected these as decent examples (the average fuel economy variation appears to be 10-20% on the published figures though the ones below are obviously greater).
Combined average miles per gallon test figures
CAR TESTED GOVT MPG TRUE MPG
Audi A4 2.0 TDIe 136 SE Technik 65.7mpg 54.3mpg
BMW 118d SE 62.8mpg 47.2mpg
BMW X1 sDrive20d Efficient Dynamics 62.8mpg 50.8mpg
Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge 58.9mpg 44.3mpg
Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi Econetic 78.5mpg 62.1mpg
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi 115 Zetec 67.3mpg 43.1mpg
Ford Focus 1.6T 150 Ecoboost Titanium 47.1mpg 35.1mpg
Ford Focus Estate 1.6 TDCi 115 Titanium 67.3mpg 42.3mpg
Ford S-Max 1.6T 160 Ecoboost Titanium 40.4mpg 29.8mpg
Hyundai i10 1.2 Classic 61.4mpg 46.5mpg
Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi Active 76.3mpg 54.4mpg
Kia Picanto 1.0 2 67.3mpg 41.2mpg
Kia Rio 1.25 1 Air 56.5mpg 46.4mpg
Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi Ecodynamics 1 88.3mpg 70.6mpg
Mini 1.6D Cooper 74.3mpg 52.5mpg
Nissan Micra 1.2 DIG-S Shiro 65.7mpg 44.1mpg
Peugeot 107 1.0 Allure 65.7mpg 52.3mpg
Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 104g 70.6mpg 46.0mpg
Toyota Prius 1.8 VVT-i T Spirit 70.6mpg 52.2mpg
Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion 74.3mpg 51.8mpg
Volkswagen Up 1.0 75 Black 60.1mpg 47.1mpg
Volvo S60 1.6 DRIVe 115 SE S/S 65.7mpg 50.1mpg