01 Apr 2013, 11:53 AM
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Hall of Famer
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: The Barren Wasteland
Posts: 1,218
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It doesn't piss me off because it's not accurate...
Quote:
First, VW used to sell the same (or similar?) Passat as is sold in Europe here in the US. But it didn't sell very well. It was too expensive and too small in the mid-size sedan segment. So they came up with a larger version with a better price point; and of course the size effects the mileage. [Americans are not nearly so concerned with mileage as Europeans are.]
Second, the way the US' EPA calculates mileage is different than the way the European equivalent does it. "The cycle is different," he said. The driving course and rigor set in the dynamometer is different. The fuel types used are different. The EPA estimates for diesel mileage tend to be lower than reality. For example, while the EPA says the Passat is 44 mpg, the Consumer Reports number comes in at 51 mpg.
"The number for the combined US cycle for the US Passat is 35 mpg, whereas the same powertrain in a European Passat gets 61.2 mpg on the Euro cycle."
Third, a US gallon (3.79 L) is less than an Imperial gallon (4.546 L).
Fourth, the US government doesn't stipulate to an automobile company what vehicles they can and cannot sell, other than setting the regulations for things like emissions, with which the manufacturers are required to comply.
Fifth, dealers are independent from VW and are not always aware of certain aspects of the auto business.
This explanation seems rational to me, and accounts for the seeming discrepancy in mileage between the US Passat and the European Passat.
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