Auto Express finds misleading car fuel consumption figures
Some statistics saying how many miles a vehicle does to the gallon are as much as 20% too high, according to checks made by Auto Express magazine. Some owners who were told their car could do 40mpg are finding it will only do 30mpg.
The magazine said it had checked consumption figures which are produced by car manufacturers based on a Government-approved test covering a mix of driving in town, country and on motorways. These figures appear in new car sales brochures and handbooks.
Auto Express editor David Johns said: "The official test is carried out on a mechanical rolling road and bears no comparison to real-life driving on UK roads. Our test team discovered that on average, cars are around 17-20% less economical than the official claims. This discrepancy could end up costing drivers hundreds of pounds more than they'd bargained for."
He said that official figures showed the UK's best-selling car - the Ford Focus - would do 55.4 miles per gallon on the open road, but that the magazine had discovered the actual figure was 23.3% lower at 42.5mpg.
Mr Johns added: "For someone covering 20,000-miles each year this represents an extra £240 on fuel. Fiat's popular Panda, which is supposed to return 76.3mpg out of town, really only manages 58mpg. That's a difference of 24% or £268 per year.
"Our report proves that current economy figures are at best misleading. The tests aren't representative of how the average person drives.
