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Old 12-05-2011, 07:27 PM   #24 (permalink)
Clev
Wannabe greenie
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Yorba Linda, CA
Posts: 1,098

The Clunker (retired) - '90 Honda Accord EX sedan
Team Honda
90 day: 29.49 mpg (US)

Mountain Goat - '96 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 SuperCab
90 day: 18 mpg (US)

Zippy - '10 Kymco Agility 125
90 day: 65.03 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladogaboy View Post
Yet the Prius is getting worse mileage.
Maybe they're the same Prius drivers who pass me doing 80 mph.

The EPA test is here:

Detailed Test Information

Click the "Highway" tab. You'll notice that the initial acceleration takes 29 seconds to get to 36 mph, and it only actually hits 60 mph twice during the entire test. The average is 48.3 mph.

Since the test is almost exactly the same for every car, I could see a manufacturer programming the computer to sense the pattern of driving and adjust factors appropriately to max out the test.

Or perhaps the Hyundai is more aggressive about upshifting, which increases its score on the gentle acceleration of the EPA test, and is also more aggressive about downshifting to make it more "sporty" for drivers.
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