MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

There has been a lot of discussion around the web about the revised EPA ratings vs the old ratings vs real world ratings, so it is nice to see that one source, over 150,000 total miles of driving, is sharing their real-world numbers with several vehicles.

Some of the highlights:

Cars

-Prius leaves the Jetta TDI in the dust - 49.8mpg to the VW's 38.2 - That is over 11mpg difference!

- BMW 335d manages 32.9MPG

- 2010 Mercury Milan (Mercury still exists? ) does 38.8 MPG

- G37x averages 23.6 MPG, pretty respectable for a 330hp engine powering 4 wheels in an overweight pig of a car

- GS 460 returns 22.8 MPG, better than even the GS 450h (22.7)

- Genesis 3.8 averaged 21.5 MPG over the duration of it's stay with CGA, which is rather dismal compared to it's acclaimed rivals, but top of it's class in this rating

- LS 600hL managed 18.7MPG- respectable for a 440hp AWD sedan weighing 5K lbs.

- BMW 128i returned only 22.7 MPG

SUVs

- Saturn Vue Hybrid is the highest rated SUV, with an average of 31.6MPG

- Mercedes GLK 350 returned only 18.6MPG- rather dismal for it's size and power rating

- Mazda CX-9 eeked out 21.4MPG, besting the Highlander slightly

- RX 450h (31.0 MPG) lays the smackdown to the Touareg TDI (21.8 MPG) and X5 Xdrive35d (23.9 MPG)

- Chevy Tahoe hybrid averages 22.8MPG - also better than the Touareg

- Mercedes GL 320 BlueTEC returned 22.2 MPG- another great showing


Article here: http://consumerguideauto.howstuffwor...-champions.htm

UberNoob

excellent guide

GS460 looks to be a better deal than the GS450H now
that extra trunk space is enuf to forget about any hybrid tax incentives

IS-SV

No surprise to me that revised EPA methods track closer to reality. Most of us observe it daily on our vehicles.

mmarshall

That may shortly change when the Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner gets the Fusion's new advanced hybrid system. On the Fusion, that system gives 41 MPG in the city. Most full-hybrids get better MPG in the city because the electric motor runs more and the gasoline engine less.

The future of the VUE, of course, with Saturn's recent sale to Penske Motors, is also in doubt.

92 SC400

Interesting numbers. I would have thought the 128i would have done better. Was the RX FWD or AWD? Not sure if it mentions this in the article because I haven't read it yet.

Och

iTrader: (3)

This is what I've been saying for the longest time, these new "clean" diesels are nowhere near as efficient as the traditional diesels, they also have a complicated emissions system that will be unreliable and expensive to repair, and the low sulfur diesel doesn't have the lubricants of traditional fuel diesel, so these engines will wear out faster.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

The RX was a fwd. 31 mpg is not too shabby. I'm surprised by the rather weak showing of the Yaris as the one we have regularly runs ~36/37 mpg. Then again, ours doesn't drive as much as theirs. I think we put 6k miles on last year.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

The tax credit only applies to new vehicles. I don't see the incentive in purchasing a used GS450H over a used GS460 if fuel savings & the Federal tax incentive is your think.

flipside909

My 09 IS F EPA is 16 City/24 Highway. I just achieved a 26.4 average going 80 most of the way on my trip back from San Francisco. The EPA numbers are definitely underestimated most of the time.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

I agree- especially when you see many of our GS 460 and LS 460 owners getting into the 30MPG mark on the highway, yet it is rated significantly lower than that. When I worked at a dealer, many of our customers were averaging 22-25mpg in combined driving in the LS. Sounds crazy, but true.

P.S., nice numbers on the F

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I wouldn't say they're underestimating, especially considering the kind of test they do to derive the numbers. My GS is rated 23-24mpg highway and I usually get 30-31mpg on a long trips. But on local highways, I'll get right about 23mpg, which is on par with the EPA's rating. In fact I can get any of my cars to beat the EPA's rating as long as I take a long trip without many stops. However long trips do not represent the normal highway mpg.

But then again, mpg will fluctuate depending on where you live. Traffic jams will dramatically lower your fuel economy. Hell I use to get maybe 18mpg on the highway because I was sitting in traffic for so long.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Remember the Top Gear episode with the Jag vs the 2 econo cars? They had to get from pont A to point B on one gallon of gas.. All thre cars blew the EPA #'s out of the window and averaged some high numbers on the highway.. I have that episode on my I-pod somewhere..

SLegacy99

450h needs some updates like the RXh got.

I8ABMR

I am glad someone is keeping them honest. I am tired of them posting the cars efficiency while at 55 mph with no AC and only the driver in the car. We nee it to be measured at 80 mph with the AC on and 1-2 passengers

UberNoob

do you mean by turning it into GS500H?
or a battery repack?

they did a battery repack on the GS450h not long ago, but i still find the trunk too small to be useful