Real world MPG performance is a big factor in vehicle "owner satisfaction"

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Xist

Most drivers think they are better than average, which is statistically impossible.

Actually not impossible. The 'impossible' claim assumes a normal distribution (that is, the bell-shaped curve). If instead you have most people being fairly competent, but a small fraction being really, really bad, then most are above average.

Maybe a different example would make it clearer. Bill Gates' net worth is roughly $50 billion. Put him in a room with 49 homeless people, and make the claim that the average wealth of people in the room is $1 billion :-)

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

Unfortunately the EPA rule-making people have the same "not ME" attitude as the majority drivers that you describe, so it's sorta like expecting an idiot to comprehend that he/she *is* an idiot in the first place.

No, the problem is the EPA asks itself "How should we tell the factories to simulate the way idiots drive?" and the factories ask "How can I drive like an idiot and still get good test numbers to turn in?"

The test should simply be turning the car over to an idiot and reporting his mpg.