[thechat] Traffic Light Cameras

[Chris Spruck]

-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Burns <yumyum at easyweb.co.uk>
Sent: Aug 17, 2004 8:09 AM

>> Along these lines, I'd be curious to hear from Martin what he gets for
>> *real world* mileage rates.
>>
>A shade over 50 MpG thus far, compared to my A3's long term average of 31.2.

That's cool - you must be doing all the proper maintenance things and driving habits they recommend to really optimize it. I've actually been able to exceed the highway mileage ratings for my 2002 VW GTI by as much as 7 mpg. I don't know if VW posts the "real" numbers or the EPA numbers, though.

>> Apparently, the miles per gallon (or km/liter) that the
>> manufacturers put on the stickers (based on EPA requirements, at least in the US - no
>> idea what they do for the UK or elsewhere) is measured by exhaust instead of actual fuel
>> consumption, so the typically high numbers you see for hybrids aren't actually what you
>> get.
>
>Presumably then, non-hybrids will also not achieve the claimed rates.

Of course. Any numbers claimed by the government are probably more along the lines of a "suggestion". :)

Chris