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

This is interesting:

Consumer Reports looked at about a million responses to their vehicle owner survey and discovered a strong correlation between a vehicle's real world fuel economy performance and the owner's satisfaction with the vehicle.

Fuel economy was more influential than:

• acceleration
• horsepower
• price

For example, looking at 2014-15 Ford Fusion owners:

• 45% of owners who reported getting 15 mpg were satisfied with their vehicle
• but 70% were satisfied who were getting 30 mpg
  

(FYI, the combined EPA rating for non-hybrid 2015 Fusions ranges from 25 to 29 mpg)

And they say the correlation held across all vehicle types -- it's not just about hybrids or thrifty econoboxes.


Source: Better Fuel Economy a Priority for U.S. Drivers - Consumer Reports

A lesson for automakers? Better to under-promise and over-deliver?

As 15 mpg better economy gets a 25% improvement on user satisfaction, I am happy to confirm that I am almost 112% satisfied with my 55 mpg Insight :D

Funny.

Your post made me realize though the "risk" to owner satisfaction in high mpg vehicles might be greater -- there's a lot more apparent variability in the MPG of a 50 mpg vehicle than a 15 mpg one.

I am very satisfied with my Corolla. My last tank was 42mpgUS (50mpgImp), with 187,500 miles (300,000kms) on the ODO, the toaster has still got it. I am trying my first tank with a freshly engine oil change of 5w40 oil to see if it makes a difference (so far it is the same)

Actually all of my vehicles meet or beat EPA so I am quite happy.

I can't complain about my Insight

I killed my IMA battery being an idiot http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post514886 and I am still pulling over 70 mpg and beating the EPA estimates by a wide margin!

This tank will be a pretty good one; I'm currently at 575 miles with 6 bars left and the FCD reading 77.0 mpg

I was reading some where that fuel economy was pretty far down on the list of people out to buy a new car.
I guess once you buy it and have to pay for it then people start to care about fuel economy.

The only thing the dealers care about is getting the vehicle off their lot.

In a country where 53.7% of new "car" sales are pickups and SUVs and 90% are automatics, practicality and driveability are apparently tied for last on our priority list.

It's nice to see that economy is high up. Pity it generally moves up only after the purchase, though.

I don't believe it one bit.

First, Duhmericans prefer SUVs and pickups for their solo commuting, and supersize them please. If they cared one whit about fuel economy this would not be so.

Second, Duhmericans drive like they are late to the fire. If they cared one whit about fuel economy they would put some air in the tires and calm down behind the wheel.

Okay if you're getting 15mpg in a Fusion you're obviously a ****ty driver, and are probably very aggressive, you know like flooring it all the way to the stop sign then slamming on the brakes, or doing the same in rush hour. This would indicate to me that the driver is just frustrated in general, and that's probably why they aren't satisfied -- every time they get behind the wheel they go mental.

That must be the difference between con-Fusion and pro-Fusion... ;)