Fuel Economy: What You Should Know if You’re in

Fuel Economy: What You Should Know if You’re in the Market for a New Vehicle

If you’ve been kicking around the idea of buying or leasing a new SUV and upgrading to a more fuel-efficient model, it’s important to know that you may not be comparing apples and apples. This year marked a change in how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines how the fuel economy of brand new 2008 cars, pick uppickup trucks, and SUVs is calculated.

Prior to 2008, the EPA, along with automobile manufacturers, used a method of testing a vehicle’s ratings that let’s just say, didn’t adequately recreate real-world conditions. The vehicle was placed on a set of rollers called a ‘dynamometer’ that allowed the car to sit in place while turning the wheels of the vehicle. Although the drag on the rollers was adjusted to better simulate various driving conditions, the vehicles were never tested in environments where wind resistance could influence the amount of fuel being burned, and the accessories were never running. Hence, the test created a level playing field for all vehicles of the same class to be compared, but the results...