Threxx

A local Saab/Caddy dealer has been advertising the 9-3 as:
"up to35 MPG!"
In both print and TV ads.

They also advertise the CTS as 31mpg in the same way... if you look up their EPA highway ratings even in their best configuration they get at 5-6 mpg worse than they're being advertised on the highway and of course even worse on the city.

My guess is that the legal loophole they might be working on is how EPA mileage ratings given on window stickers give the average highway rating in big bold numbers, but then below it also give a potential range that individual consumers could experience depending on their driving style, weather conditions, if the stars are aligned correctly, etc.

Is this legal? If so are we going to get to the point where because some dealers aren't being honest, others will be 'forced' to adopt practices of similar dishonesty?

muckz

Maybe he's using imperial gallons, in which case 35 imp gal is equal to 29 us gal.

graham

No offense to fellow board members but the dealer is probably just lying.

KyleW93z

My parents get upwards of 35 mpg in their 9-3. They have seen as high as 37 highway. So its not impossible. My dad drives like a grandpa most of the time though.

Threxx

That's what EPA ratings are there for. Give a real world standard basis for comparison. Anybody could come up with far better or far worse mileage in any car.

I routinely get well above the EPA ratings in all vehicles I drive. But when dealers start advertising "up to 50 mpg" and then you show up at the dealer and they say "well this one guy we know did it by driving 10 under the limit, shutting his engine off going down hills, and minimizing the use of his brakes so much that he'd coast up to green lights just assuming they'd go red before he could get there anyway."

DAKMOR

Is this legal? If so are we going to get to the point where because some dealers aren't being honest, others will be 'forced' to adopt practices of similar dishonesty?
__________________

KyleW93z

Oh i completey understand, and i didnt communicate that very well in my previous post, or at all. At least they aren't numbers that are unattainable....

Isn't VW doing the same thing essentially with their new TDI's? They have the EPA advertised, then their own independent testing.

centric

This is just another indication that the crack-induced 2008 EPA ratings need to change. People KNOW they can get more than the rated mileage. Kudos to VW for going to an independent rating service.

guionM

The EPA window sticker rating came about because of advertized claims of unscrupulous dealers and manufacturer advertizements that didn't tell the whole story during Energy Crisis I. An infamous example at the time involved a full sized vehicle that claimed to get the same fuel economy as a much smaller Japaneese import. There was small print to keep from being sued, but it was still the peak of some of the ridiculous claims that came up.

The EPA ratings clearly state and have always said from the very begining "These numbers are for comparison purposes only...Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive...".

About a decade ago, there were complaints from people that the mileage they got from their cars was lower than what was on the sticker, even though the purpose was clearly stated it was to offer a standard to compare with other cars. So, a couple of years ago, the EPA recalculated mileage lower. Feedback seems to show everyone is happy getting better mileage from their cars than they feel was advertised, so complaints about the new rating is pretty much unheard of.

The EPA rating should be a non-issue with everyone. It actually has no bearing on anything other than to compare it with other vehicles under the same conditions. CAFE measurements are actually pretty generous, and tends to run a bit on the high side.

The EPA ratings are purposely low. If you exceed it, so what? Under the same conditions, another vehicle will also get much better mileage than the EPA rating as well.

DAKMOR

But by how much? My driving style tends to put a much bit more of throttle into slower accelrating vehicles than vehicles that accelerate quicker even if they're int he same category/class/price range. I wouldn't be able to tell mush of a difference between the two unless I took a 72 hour test drive.

rlchv70

I'd be interested in hearing what they say when you ask them about the discrepancy.

You can always let the BBB know...

jrp4uc

Maybe it's the CAFE numbers the dealer is advertising.

stereomandan

The only way I'm going to get 35 mpg in my CTS is to drive 45-55 with no stopping. At 60 mph I'm at about 30-32 mpg, at 70 mph I'm at 26-28 mpg, at 80 mph I'm at 24 mpg. All city is about 18 mpg. That's with the 3.6L VVT V6. (Non DI)

That advertisement is very misleading, and should be stopped. I would hate to see the competition doing the same. It could seriously mislead customers when cross shopping vehicles.

Dan

Dan Daly

Car dealers lie and manipulate?!?!?

Threxx

Well of course... but this is a form of lying I have yet to see and one that could cause a lot of additional confusion among otherwise uneducated consumers.