Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Co.p. are probably
wishing they'd never put those fun fuel economy monitors in their
gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles.
The displays are causing angst among some owners who aren't getting
the miles-per-gallon performance posted on their window sticker.
Frustrated consumers are asking dealerships to "fix" their vehicles.
They're writing to the automakers. And one, Pete Blackshaw of
Cincinnati, is chronicling his dismay publicly in his own Internet blog.
He says Honda is ignoring his claim that he's never gotten more than 33
mpg in his Civic Hybrid. The combined city/highway rating from the car's
window sticker is 47.
Don't blame Honda. Blame consumers' driving habits and, more
importantly, the federal government.
It's the government that for decades has required carmakers to
publish fuel economy ratings derived not from real world driving, but
from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emission testing procedures.
The numbers – displayed prominently on every vehicle's window sticker
– have always been a fraud of sorts, a quick-and-easy way to help car
and truck buyers comparison shop on fuel economy.
But most buyers don't bother to read the small print that states,
"Actual mileage will vary." And most drivers achieve only about 75
percent of the laboratory-generated figures.
Americans have largely overlooked the disparity as gasoline prices
have moderated, or were at least tolerable.
But the elephant in the living room isn't so easy to ignore amid
today's record fuel prices, heightened consumer interest in fuel
efficiency and the rising number of hybrids on the road.
In a demonstration of just how idiotic the situation has become, Ford Motor Co. hopes to
avoid the browbeating Honda and Toyota have endured by asking dealership
sales staffers to supplement their pitch for the upcoming Escape Hybrid
SUV with tips on how to drive to get the best mileage.
Forget for a moment whether hard-charging salespeople whose pay
depends on making the sale will want to hassle buyers about their
driving habits or lower expectations about their new vehicle.
Why should consumers have to put up with fuel economy labels that,
right off the bat, they have to discount?
If this were the way the government handled all labeling, we'd be
adjusting upward the calorie count printed on packaged foods and
guesstimating the active ingredients in every medication.
The EPA finally is looking at changing its fuel economy formula, but
it won't come quickly.
So would-be hybrid owners, beware: It'll take more than just a
gasoline-electric powertrain to get the fuel economy you think you've
been promised.
Ann Job is a California-based free-lance writer. She can be
reached at mailto:[email protected]
Latest Drive reports 
In Autos
Previous Story