Fact check: "most fuel efficient luxury fleet" claim by BMW vs. Lexus, Audi, Acura...

[encore888]

There have been commercials for BMW's EfficientDynamics trademark, which have been airing lately. This is part of the manufacturer's efforts to brand itself as more eco-friendly. Any genuine effort has merit, and in particular the new four-cyl 320d in Europe is quite good, and even the Hydrogen 7 and newer concepts are interesting. However, here in the U.S. one notices...

Fall 2008:
"BMW 3 series. 28 mpg."
(billboards...328i, 21 mpg combined, 28 highway, that's true...).

Early 2009:
"More models with [28] mpg than any other luxury manufacturer"
(they were all 3-series variants IIRC...that's an interesting way of counting, but ok).

Current 2009:
"The most fuel-efficient luxury fleet in the automotive industry with models up to 36 miles per gallon.*
(in TV ads, and in print, and on their website). Versions of this ad have a narrator, some not, and some small fine print.

What is it? What is the asterisk referring to, and the text flashed at the bottom of the screen? This:

As followers of the news on this forum may know, there are CAFE fuel ratings, there are www.fueleconomy.gov ratings, and other measures by reputable companies. The CAFE ratings don't separate out luxury brands like Cadillac or Lexus. But studies of the EPA ratings do. Here is a refresher:

Ranking the Luxury Automakers on Fuel Efficiency
ForbesAuto using EPA ratings, 2008

1. Lexus 20.51 mpg (8.71 kpl)
2. Volvo 20.44 mpg (8.68 kpl)
3. Acura 20.27 mpg (8.61 kpl)
4. Saab 19.41 mpg
5. Audi 19.28 mpg
6. Porsche 19.22 mpg
7. BMW 19.10 mpg
8. Jaguar
9. Infiniti
10. Cadillac

http://ca.autos.yahoo.com/p/524/the-...-luxury-brands

Also another independent study:

Cars.com True Mileage Index
Cars.com using mpg ratings weighted by # cars sold, 2008:

1. Lexus 21.0 mpg
2. Audi 20.1 mpg
3. Acura 19.8 mpg
4. BMW 18.9 mpg
5. Volvo 18.9 mpg
6. Infiniti 18.8 mpg
7. Mercedes-Benz 18.8 mpg
8. Lincoln 18.5 mpg
9. Jaguar 18.3 mpg
10. Cadillac 17.7 mpg

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story....bject=fuelList

And moreover, when using the Highway MPG ratings at the official EPA website, fueleconomy.gov, one finds:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/bymake/BMW2009.shtml
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/bymake/BMW2010.shtml

2009-2010 BMW models: 15.79 city, 23.68 highway, 19.73 combined

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/bymake/Lexus2009.shtml
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/bymake/Lexus2010.shtml

2009-2010 Lexus models: 19.13 city, 24.67 highway, 21.90 combined

Considering how advertising claims need to be taken with a grain of salt, one nonetheless wonders about misleading impressions. The ads claiming 'most fuel efficient luxury fleet' do so based on selective data interpretation. Only when you look at the first '09 links, leaving out the '10 models, can you get an edge on highway mpg: 23.68 vs. 24.12. Even further, the calculations are heavily weighted by the 3-series contribution, by adding multiple data points for the many variants. Yes, the 335d gets a combined 27 mpg (23/36 - doesn't average) according to the EPA, the best in their U.S. lineup, which can compare with the RX 450h's 29 (AWD 30/28) and 30 (FWD 32/28) mpg ratings. However, for all their vehicles, the actual average of models available right now is a different story. As of right now, the EPA ratings indicate that at least one other brand has higher city, highway, and combined mpg ratings. And the other studies verify this.

And that "www.fuelefficiency.com" website? A generic domain name site, NAmedia owns it, for "paid search and development purposes." Click on the links for 'fuel economy' and it brings up Google search items for links as disparate as 'Honda Insight' or even 'Audi: Truth in Engineering.' Other car TV ads have relied on 'independent' sites, but this one seems less plausible. And they claim to be the 'leading fuel site on the net'!

[CDNROCKIES]

I thought the same thing when I first saw the BMW tv ads?

How can they claim to be the greenest luxury brand?

[RXSF]

lol they must have meant fuelefficiency.gov

but anyways, i dont think it is possible to beat lexus in this arena, unless they dont count lexus as a true luxury brand

[Och]

Who cares....

[The G Man]

I am sorry, I thought I was in the Prius forum there for a moment

[SLegacy99]

I guess the HS250h is now the most efficient luxury vehicle in the States.

If BMW were to DI their N/A 3.0L engine they could boast better than 28 MPG.

[mmarshall]

Originally Posted by SLegacy99

I guess the HS250h is now the most efficient luxury vehicle in the States.

Yes, probably. I can't think of any luxury-nameplate vehicle in America that will beat it in the MPG department. Mercedes is currently working on hydrogen fuel-cell A and B-Class models, but does not seem likely to bring them into the American market.

If BMW were to DI their N/A 3.0L engine they could boast better than 28 MPG.

By DI, do you mean diesel or Direct Injection? BMW already has an in-line-six diesel here in the American market.

[1SICKLEX]

Wow, very good thread!! Lexus simply offers vehicles that show you can get MPG and Power.

Not sure why fuel economy and luxury still are seen as foes. They can co-exist (diesels, hybrid, new better tech petrol engines)

[IS-SV]

Just another brand ranking that makes little difference. But for specific models which is how most purchase decisions are made, Lexus does well on the blend of power and economy.

[AlexusAnja]

This is same as the Whopper vs. Big Mac debate. BK always claims "more customers prefer the Whopper over the Big Mac" but then why are Big Mac sales so much higher than Whoppers?

Marketings is maybe one half step up from lawyers (sorry you lawyers out there) level of truth. You can always fine "SOMEONE" out there that will have "SOME" research to back your point.

AND OF COURSE, all claims have the little "*" and then notes on the advertising. Like anything "pas performance is not indicative of future results..."

If we believed everything we read, medical reform would become true, spring water is the purest water in the world, 5 out of 6 dentists recommend Dentine...

[The G Man]

Come on people, who really buy a $60000 luxury car over another just because it gets 1 or 2 MPG better gas mileage.

[IS-SV]

Originally Posted by The G Man

Come on people, who really buy a $60000 luxury car over another just because it gets 1 or 2 MPG better gas mileage.

That's the reality in the US market for sure. But for some on CHIT CHAT it's another story.

[FisforFast]

In reference to the IS F... I don't know about you guys but I can't find a single high-performance Bimmer that can manage 19 mpg city, 25 mpg hwy and maintain a 0-60 time of more or less 4.4s.

[mmarshall]

Originally Posted by FisforFast

I can't find a single high-performance Bimmer that can manage 19 mpg city, 25 mpg hwy and maintain a 0-60 time of more or less 4.4s.

With a 4.4 second 0-60 time, few people are going to expect 25 MPG to start with....or even 19 MPG. Engineers do good job, but they can't work miracles.

[1SICKLEX]

Originally Posted by FisforFast

In reference to the IS F... I don't know about you guys but I can't find a single high-performance Bimmer that can manage 19 mpg city, 25 mpg hwy and maintain a 0-60 time of more or less 4.4s.

Yup and avoids the gas guzzler.