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Biggest influence on mpg is usually the driver - I once bought a car from a mate, he used to get 25mpg, I got 40 mpg.
Computer readings, by the way, are not to be relied on, brim-to brim calculations are the only reliable way of measuring consumption (fill till the pump knocks off, note mileage, drive 200 miles and refill, ideally at the same pump, simple calculation, 4.546 litres = 1 gallon)
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Biggest influence on mpg is usually the driver - I once bought a car from a mate, he used to get 25mpg, I got 40 mpg.
Exactly right - many years ago, all the middle managers at my employers got the same Caravlier 1.8 SRi on a fully expensed basis - two of them drove like Hoke Colborn in Driving Miss Daisy - I was the mad, would-be boy racer who drove fast everywhere (and filled my wife's car up each week!) but we all returned the same overall mpg - 27mpg, those were the days!
Edited by RT on 15/06/2016 at 21:17
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Hi all, thanks for all your replies.
I appreciate your views, However I purposely didn't put any details about the car because that's not the focus of my enquiry.
I really want to know if there is any more objective way of disputing the fact that I dealer tells me I should get around 36mpg, but in reality I only get 25mpg.
I did a brim-to-brim calculation, based on doing 170 miles, a mix of local and motorway, and calculated I got 25mpg.
When I disputed this, the dealer asked me to take it in for a check. In the 15 minutes they had the car, they came back and said they took it for drive and it averaged 30-34mpg. However, the reading on my dash gave an avg of 28 on that occasion. I asked how can you say it averages 30-34 when computer says 28. They would not answer.
They based their '30-34' on real-time mpg as they were driving. Well, on that basis, I could say it averages 0-99!
As I have continued to drive, monitoring as I go to try and maximise consumption, it is still averaging only 25mpg.
The fact is though, if they have made a claim on their advert that it achieves 36mpg, but is only actually achieving 25mpg, then there could be a Section 75 CCA claim through credit card company.
I could accept a few mpg difference, but a 33% reduction on what they claim? That's a bit hard to swallow. I am a long-time steady driver.
What I need is to gather the evidence. So, does anyone know if a garage is able to provide that objective measure?
Thank you.
Edited by denirosdoll on 15/06/2016 at 21:21
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However, the details of the car are actually critically important.
You say that the dealership 'tells you' that you 'should get' 36 mpg. Is that the 'official' MPG for the car ? Because if so, then that is the ONLY figure that the dealership is allowed to give you.
Most cars get 20-30% worse than the official figures. So if the 36mpg is the official figure, then what you are getting sounds about right.
Also, the exact details of the car help in other ways. For example, I've got a BMW 325d estate. In 'SE' spec, people tend to get close on 50mpg. In 'MSport' spec, with bigger wheels, wider tyres, etc. people tend to get closer to 45 mpg. Which is virtually what I've got, over 30k miles. The 'official' figure for my car, incidentally, is 55.4mpg. So I'm getting close on 20% worse.
We also have a Mitsubishi Shogun Sport. When we got it, it was running on standard road tyres, and did 30mpg. But was useless on the fields. With BF Goddrich A/T tyres, it does 27mpg. But it's actually useful.
The devil is in the details, as always. You want meaningful and helpful answers, you've got to give details.
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Dealers and manufacturers don't "advertise" mpg - they've been banned from doing that for decades - they are however obliged to show the results of official tests.
As you've probably seen the official figures are generally ridiculed as being total unrealistic.
I have a large SUV, it's official figure is 42.8 - I'm averaging 30 which is consistent with previous cars I've had - so IMO, 25 average from an official 36 is about right.
Edited by RT on 15/06/2016 at 21:48
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Dealers and manufacturers don't "advertise" mpg - they've been banned from doing that for decades - they are however obliged to show the results of official tests.
This one does! And if it is stated on the advert, and the customer relies on that information, then it comes under Section 75
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Dealers and manufacturers don't "advertise" mpg - they've been banned from doing that for decades - they are however obliged to show the results of official tests.
This one does! And if it is stated on the advert, and the customer relies on that information, then it comes under Section 75
You'll need to sue the government and the EU - they mandate the test and specify what can/can't be put in adverts.
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Dealers and manufacturers don't "advertise" mpg - they've been banned from doing that for decades - they are however obliged to show the results of official tests.
This one does! And if it is stated on the advert, and the customer relies on that information, then it comes under Section 75
How exactly was this 'advertised'? Most showrooms put a card in the cars which gives the official EU tested MPG and emissions, tax band etc.
This is NOT an advert, it is what they are legally restricted to showing.
IF the dealer placed an advert in local press or a poster at the showroom claiming 36 mpg they were breaking the law and should be reported to Trading Standards.
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Not at all. Lots of adverts for cars - whether on ebay, AT, motors, etc. say '40 / 50 / whatever mpg' within the body of the advert. All they are doing is repeating the official combined figure for the car, but putting it somewhere more visible for a prospective customer. Convenience for the customer, and I don't imagine for a minute that TS would be interested.
As long as they do that with the official figures, then they certainly aren't breaking any laws.
If, on the other hand, they said 'Official figures 36 mpg, and that's what you will get", or if they've used some nonsense, picked-out-of-thin-air figure, then yes, they've opened themselves up to trouble.
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Not at all. Lots of adverts for cars - whether on ebay, AT, motors, etc. say '40 / 50 / whatever mpg' within the body of the advert. All they are doing is repeating the official combined figure for the car, but putting it somewhere more visible for a prospective customer. Convenience for the customer, and I don't imagine for a minute that TS would be interested.
As long as they do that with the official figures, then they certainly aren't breaking any laws.
If, on the other hand, they said 'Official figures 36 mpg, and that's what you will get", or if they've used some nonsense, picked-out-of-thin-air figure, then yes, they've opened themselves up to trouble.
Correct, Rob, I did say "claiming 36 mpg" meaning using the phrase is isolation rather than "official figure 36 mpg", possibly not explained too clearly. Again, a sale person should make clear the distinction to a prospective customer (but do they all dos so?)
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I still think if you told us what car it is and what milage we would be able to tell you whether the mpg is accepable. Then we could advise you what to do next.
Some people get 60+mpg on a 1.9 Golf; I don't, I get neare 45mpg, but it is my fault for pressing the peddle too hard.
So come on, we are all dying to know what you've got.
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