Carmakers scam motorists with false fuel economy figures

Carmakers scam motorists with false fuel economy figures

Just three out of 200 new cars are as fuel efficient as the manufacturers claim, according to a major British study.

The study, by the respected British consumer group Which?, found that most cars fall short of their claimed fuel economy figures by an average of 13%, with the worst short by 120%.

The two worst offenders were hybrids, which are supposed to offer vastly better economy. In fact, the claimed fuel economy of the Mitsubishi Outlander hybrid was out by a staggering 120%. The Outlander hybrid had a claimed consumption of 1.9 litres per 100 kilometres, but actually used 4.2 litres per 100 kilometres.

Similarly, the Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid was supposed to use a mere 1.8 litres per 100 kilometres, but actually used 3.5 l/100km, a difference of 94%.

Other serious offenders were the Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 diesel automatic, with fuel economy figure that was 55% worse than claimed, together with the BMW X4 diesel 3.0, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and the Toyota Yaris hybrid, all of which fell short by 33%.

The only three cars to reach their official figures during testing were the:

• Skoda Roomster 1.2-litre, five-door, manual
•
• Mazda 3 Fastback 2-litre
•
• Skoda Yeti 2-litre, five-door, automatic diesel

Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car review website dogandlemon.com, agrees with the UK report, saying: “Our actual road tests show that it’s rare to find a vehicle where the claimed fuel consumption figures match reality.”

“It’s important to realise that the fuel consumption figures quoted by the government aren’t based on actual driving by actual people – they’re conducted in a laboratory by the car companies themselves. These figures are then passed on to the public as if they were gospel.”

Matthew-Wilson is particularly concerned about the habit of quoting so-called ‘average’ mileages. These figures are obtained by combining estimated figures for fuel consumption on the open road with estimates for round-town motoring. This so-called average may be wildly inaccurate, he says.

“For example, according to the official figures, a Toyota FJ Cruiser uses an average of 11.4 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres. However, in the real world, this vehicle averages nearly 14 litres per 100 kilometres. Around town – which is where most of these vehicles will spend their days – the fuel consumption will be over 18 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s far, far higher than the so-called average figures quoted by the the government.”

Matthew-Wilson adds:

“It’s easy to come up with impressive fuel economy figures if you drive slowly down long, clear roads or on a factory test track. It’s also easy to come up with impressive fuel economy figures in a laboratory. However, the only fuel economy figures that really matter are the ones achieved by ordinary motorists on a daily basis.”

“Consumers have a right to accurate information about the fuel consumption of their vehicles before they buy. It’s bad enough that the car companies lie; it’s worse that the government helps them do it.”

The 10 worst offenders for false fuel economy claims:

1. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, 2014-on
2.
Claimed economy 1.9 l/100km. Actual economy 4.2 l/100km

(out by 120%)

2. Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid, 2012-on
3.
Claimed economy 1.8 l/100km. Actual economy 3.5 l/100km

(out by 92%)

3. Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 diesel automatic, 2011-on
4.
Claimed economy 7.5 l/100km. Actual economy 11.6 l/100km

(out by 55%)

4. BMW X4, 2014-on
5.
Claimed economy 6 l/100km. Actual economy 8 l/100km

(out by 33%)

5. BMW 4 Series Grand Coupe 2.0, 2014-on
6.
Claimed economy 6.3 l/100km. Actual economy 8.4 l/100km

(out by 33%)

6. Toyota Yaris 1.5 Hybrid, 2012-on
7.
Claimed economy 3.3 l/100km. Actual economy 4.4 l/100km

(out by 33%)

7. Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 diesel, 2006-2014
8.
Claimed economy 3.3 l/100km. Actual economy 4.3 l/100km

(out by 33%)

8. Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 petrol, 2010-on
9.
Claimed economy 5.1 l/100km. Actual economy 6.6 l/100km

(out by 29%)

9. Nissan Qashqai 1.5 diesel, 2014-on
10.
Claimed economy 3.8 l/100km. Actual economy 4.8 l/100km

(out by 26%)

10. Peugeot 208, 2012-on
11.
Claimed economy 4.3 l/100km. Actual economy 5.4 l/100km

(out by 26%)

ENDS

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