EPA Ratings

  • 2013 Nissan Leaf

    It often takes awhile to get gas-mileage ratings onto the EPA's official website, and it's no different with electric-car efficiency numbers. Now we have the final ratings for the 2013 Nissan Leaf compact hatchback: It's rated at 115 MPGe, up from the 99 MPGe for 2011 and 2012 models. MPGe stands for Miles-Per-Gallon-equivalent, and it's a measure of the distance a plug-in electric car can travel on the same amount of energy that's contained in 1 gallon of gasoline. That 115-MPGe rating is made up of two components: 129 MPGe on the city test, 102 MPGe on the highway cycle. (Nissan had earlier...

  • 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel
    GM Engineer Drives 2013 Chevy Cruze Diesel 900 Miles On One Tank

    Chevy's Cruze diesel is one of the more significant cars arriving this year. It's not just economical by Chevy's own standards, but at 46 mpg highway it comfortably takes the fight to the class-leading Volkswagen Jetta TDI too, With a 15.6 gallon gas tank, that 46 mpg should be enough to get you...

  • 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2012
    Should EPA Gas-Mileage Ratings Tests Change? What You Need To Know

    Your mileage may vary. We've heard it for years, we all know it's true, and yet we put our trust in the EPA's fuel-efficiency ratings as a guide to what kind of gas mileage a car will really get. Now, two cars--the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid and the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid--have brought the failings of...

  • 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid
    Reader Q: 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Vs Other Hybrids

    With two dozen hybrid models now on the market, and several mass-market plug-in hybrids as well, weighing costs and benefits can get a lot more complicated. Take, for instance, our reader Catherine Chan-Smith, who wrote to ask for advice: I've read your article on the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In...

  • 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
    2014 Mitsubishi Mirage: EPA Gas Mileage For Manual Car Revealed

    The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage is due to arrive in U.S. dealers this fall, but until now we've only known the EPA gas mileage of the CVT automatic variant. At 37 mpg city, 44 highway and 40 mpg combined it's one of the most efficient subcompacts on the market, and thanks to Mitsubishi Canada announcing...

  • 2013 Hyundai Sonata
    2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: Minor Updates For Better Mileage

    The 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is the third year for the carmaker's first hybrid-electric vehicle. And Hyundai's made some minor updates to the mid-size hybrid sedan that competes head-to-head with the Toyota Camry Hybrid (which pioneered the segment), the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and later this year...

  • Fuel gauge

    If you're used to driving around in a Prius then average miles per gallon of 24.6 will sound a little poor in comparison. But that's the average economy of all cars, light trucks, minivans and SUVs purchased in the U.S. in March--and it's an all-time high. 24.6 mpg is 0.2 mpg higher than January and February's revised figures, both the previous record holders. Rising average fuel economy is a consistent trend at the moment, with several months last year also setting records. The data is sales-weighted, so the highest-selling models have the greatest effect on the figures--it'll be a while...

  • 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI Six-Month Road Test
    Diesel Vs Small Turbo Gas Engines: Does Real-World MPG Matter?

    As fuel efficiency standards tighten continuously between now and 2025, buyers will have more powertrain options to chose from. And many have suggested there's a battle coming among smaller gasoline engines, diesels, and hybrids. If so, we hope that buyers will do the research to look at the...

  • Fuel gauge
    Gaming The EPA Gas-Mileage Tests: Well, Europeans Are Worse...

    A few recent, high-profile cases have brought fuel economy testing procedure into question. When Kia and Hyundai are being sued for inaccuracies in reported EPA figures and Ford hybrid drivers are missing out on official numbers by 20 percent, suggesting the designs of some vehicles may enable them...

  • 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
    2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid: Quick Gas-Mileage Test

    The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid is VW's second hybrid model, and the first hybrid sedan we've had in the U.S. market from the German automaker. It's also interesting because the Jetta is available with a fuel-efficient TDI turbodiesel engine--and VW discovered that hybrid and diesel buyers are...

  • 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Los Angeles, August 2012
    Ford C-Max Does Not Beat Prius V Wagon In Real-World Use

    We've written quite a lot about the gas mileage of Ford's two new 2013 hybrid models, the C-Max and Fusion hybrids. That's because a lot of shoppers and buyers have been talking about it. Both cars are rated at 47 mpg combined, and neither car seems to achieve anything close to that rating in...

  • 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid, test drive, Catskill Mountains, NY, Mar 2013
    2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid: Quick Winter Gas Mileage Test

    The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the second of Ford's two hybrid models, both all-new for 2013. The Fusion Hybrid, unlike the C-Max Hybrid compact hatchback, is a four-door mid-size sedan aimed right at the heart of a high-volume market segment. Competitors for the Fusion lineup include the Toyota...

  • 2011 Fuel Economy Labels

    Obviously, fuel economy will be an increasingly big deal in years to come. The gas-mileage ratings of new cars and trucks must double (and then some) between last year and 2025. But as two recent news events pointed out once again, EPA mileage ratings on the window stickers of new cars may not be what drivers get in real life. Due to what the companies called errors in testing procedures, Hyundai and Kia overstated gas-mileage ratings on 13 different vehicles from the 2011 and 2012 model years. The companies agreed to reduce those ratings and pay owners of the cars a lump sum for the extra...

  • 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2012
    Ford C-Max & Fusion Hybrid Gas Mileage Lawsuits Combined

    When journalists and buyers alike found they were struggling to hit Ford's gas mileage claims for the Fusion and C-Max hybrids, we knew it wouldn't take long for the situation to escalate. Ford now finds itself on the receiving end of a consolidated lawsuit from two Californian law firms, filing on...

  • 2013 Hyundai Elantra sedan
    Hyundai Will Settle Overstated Gas Mileage Lawsuits

    Last November, Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia found themselves in hot, and rather deep water. An EPA investigation found each manufacturer had overstated its gas mileage window stickers on 13 models--some by as much as 6 mpg. Hyundai has now agreed to settle lawsuits that followed the...

  • 2013 Nissan Leaf
    2013 Nissan Leaf: 75-Mile Range 'Anticipated' In New Test By EPA

    It's the last piece of information on the new and updated 2013 Nissan Leaf electric car that everyone's been waiting for: its range. The projected number, Nissan says, is 75 miles--but that shouldn't be compared to the 73-mile range of the 2011 and 2012 Leaf models. That's because the EPA changed...

  • Drag race between Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf electric cars (The Fast Lane)
    Kept Off Freeways, Electric Cars Outpace EPA Range, Says Edmunds

    Ask the average person how far an electric car will go on a charge, and they'll probably say "around 100 miles". In reality, most electric cars have an EPA range lower than that--the Tesla Model S an honorable exception--but driving conditions can have a large effect on just how far they'll go...

  • 2012 Hyundai Veloster: Six-Month Road Test
    Hyundai And Kia MPG Mistakes 'Betrayed' Buyers, Honda Exec Says

    Hyundai and Kia's recent EPA mileage overstating scandal has attracted sharp criticism from one top Honda Motor Co. U.S. executive. John Mendel, executive vice president of Honda's U.S. car sales, feels the Korean duo betrayed the trust of customers under competitive pressure. Mendel told industry...

  • 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, upstate New York, Dec 2012

    The 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid is a comfortable, quiet, well appointed five-door compact hybrid hatchback that appears to get 35 to 40 mpg in most real-world usage. But it is not a 47-mpg car, from the bulk of the evidence available. The C-Max is selling well--much faster than the original Prius did when it first went on sale, as Ford points out--and in many respects, it's a more pleasant car to live with than the Prius. The engine is far better insulated, so it doesn't rev nearly as loudly and sound so desperate under heavy acceleration. There's quite a lot more power from the combined...

  • 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
    Ford: High Hybrid Mileage May Require No-Fun Delicate Driving

    Ford is now clearly worried about the mileage ratings of its new 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid and 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Company officials said on Friday that while they complied with all EPA test requirements, a driver's individual style is critical to achieving published fuel-efficiency numbers. Both...

  • 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
    EPA To Dig Into Ford Fusion Hybrid, C-Max Hybrid Mileage

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to look into claims that two Ford hybrids don't meet their official fuel economy ratings in real world driving. We reported back in November that the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid struggled to attain their official ratings, even driven with...

  • 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
    Consumer Reports: New Ford Hybrids Don't Meet Mileage Ratings

    it's always nice when the big boys say, "You're right." We reported three weeks ago that Ford's new 2013 hybrids were not achieving their 47-mpg EPA gas mileage rating in real-world usage. Now Consumer Reports has confirmed that finding, based on its own testing, in videos and a blog post published...

  • 2013 Nissan Altima
    Green Car Reports 2013 Best Car To Buy Nominee: Nissan Altima

    Not all green cars are hybrids, diesels, or plug-ins. And with new fuel economy regulations now set through 2025, all cars are going to get more efficient--gasoline cars first and foremost. The new 2013 Nissan Altima mid-size sedan has the highest EPA rating for combined gas mileage of any gasoline...

  • 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Los Angeles, August 2012
    Ford Hybrids' Fuel Economy Failing To Live Up To EPA Ratings?

    This is starting to look not so good. It appears that two new hybrid cars from Ford--the 2013 C-Max Hybrid hatchback and the 2013 Fusion Hybrid sedan--may not deliver real-world gas mileage that's anywhere near their 47-mpg EPA ratings. Automotive journalists have been quietly discussing this for a...

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