With so many car buyers focused on getting rid of our gas guzzling SUVs and trading it all in for a more fuel efficient vehicle, some may be surprised to learn that the part of the sticker price where it indicates how many miles per gallon you are supposed to get may actually not be true. In fact, it is sometimes WAY off from what you really end up paying in gasoline expenses over the course of the year. But how can you tell whether the mpg rating is off for the car that you are interested in purchasing?

At Edmunds.com, they came up with a True Fuel Consumption Calculator (TFC) that calculates how much fuel you are really saving over the cost of the year. In order to get the most out of this handy dandy tool, it helps if you know what kind of a driver you are. For example, I know that I put a ton of miles on my vehicle each year because I drive back and forth to visit my immediate family (who live out of state). Therefore, having a tool like this is really convenient. It can also be a lifesaver if you are getting ready to purchase a new car and are concerned about fuel efficiency.

Burning Up Gas…and Money

According to Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor over at Edmunds.com, the current system that is in place to measure a vehicle’s fuel efficiency by its miles per gallon (mpg), creates an inaccurate perception about fuel consumption overall. He explains:

The current system of measuring a vehicle’s efficiency by mpg creates an inaccurate perception about fuel consumption. Because as the mpg rating of a vehicle rises, it appears that it does so proportionately. What this means is if you were to trade in a car getting 12.5 mpg for one getting 25 mpg, it would obviously deliver fuel economy that was twice as good. But if you later traded that car getting 25 mpg for one getting 50 mpg, that exchange would not save you twice as much.

Here’s why: Imagine three cars lined up side by side. They all drive 100 miles. Since each car has a different fuel economy rating, they each burn different amounts of gas to travel that same distance. [source]

So, what does this mean to you, the driver? According to Reed, it means the following:

• Trading in a gas guzzler for a midsize sedan provides substantial savings.
• Trading in a midsize sedan for a high-mileage hybrid would hardly be worth the expense in fuel (especially when taxes and other fees are considered).
• Fuel economy improvements from 12-20 mpg are significant.
• While extremely high-mileage hybrids  provide eco bragging rights, they don’t save much more gas than midsize sedans

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