Editorial: Finally, a good estimate

Monday, Dec. 18, 2006 | 7:24 a.m.

T he Environmental Protection Agency made a long-overdue decision to make vehicle fuel economy estimates more closely match real-world driving conditions.

The 2008 model year for most vehicles will have the more accurate mileage estimates, and that may lead to something like sticker shock. The new test will lead to lower numbers, the EPA says. Most vehicles will see a drop in city mileage of 12 percent and a drop of 8 percent on highway mileage.

For the first time, the agency will require that vans and large SUVs undergo the same test. The agency gave automakers until 2011 to put the stickers on those vehicles, although it is expected that many models will have those numbers on cars next year.

For years the EPA's guidelines for the test have been at favorable conditions for fuel consumption - the test was conducted at a temperature of 75 degrees and the speed averaged 48 mph, never going above 60, which would have lowered fuel economy.

What the test failed to account for was everyday driving conditions, and the new tests account for using the air conditioner (a key for us in the Mojave Desert), driving at higher speeds and driving in lower temperatures. The new guidelines should serve as a wake-up call for consumers who think they have an efficient car - the changes will even knock down hybrid mileage by as much as 30 percent.

The new estimates, along with an informative sticker that will show the mileage range a driver could expect to see, will give consumers a more accurate estimate of what it will cost to run a vehicle, and with high prices at the pump, that is good news.