Canadian driver compact test

[bobwill]

So, these guys go out to test 10 economy cars to see which ones really have the best gas mileage.  Nice test, we've seen where some EPA numbers don't seem to mesh with reality, so good to see a repeatible test.
Here's the tragic flaw: 5 cars with manual transmissions, 5 cars with automatics.  No, it's not 5 cars tested, and then showing how much better the fuel economy of the manual transmission is for that same model.  Nope, 10 models, 5 were blessed with an manual, while others got automatics.
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/50-litre.htm

To add insult to injury, they then listed the MSRPs for the vehicles tested.  So, not only do the cars that were arbitrarily given automatics get hit with a fuel economy disadvantage, but they cost more because of the nearly $1000 transmission option.

[ifcar]

They also chose an AWD Aerio, for whatever reason. It got last place, imagine that.

[bobwill]

Well, I guess it could have been worse, they could have tested a VW TDI, but as a requirement of the testing it had to be conducted with gasoline. :D
That POS VW didn't move 1 d***ed inch under its own power during our test!

[SJ_GTI]

I just read it an it does seem silly the way they set it up.

[Raghavan]

God, that's a bad test. All should be manual, and all should be two wheel drive.

[Raza]

They also chose an AWD Aerio, for whatever reason. It got last place, imagine that.

That's insane.  AWD cars usually get better gas mileage than comparable two wheel drive models because they get more power from less gas, since the transmission uses the same throttle input to power both sets of wheels without opening up for more fuel.

:D    

[ifcar]

They also chose an AWD Aerio, for whatever reason. It got last place, imagine that.

That's insane.  AWD cars usually get better gas mileage than comparable two wheel drive models because they get more power from less gas, since the transmission uses the same throttle input to power both sets of wheels without opening up for more fuel.

:D  

Who are you mocking there?  <_<  

[Raghavan]

They also chose an AWD Aerio, for whatever reason. It got last place, imagine that.

That's insane.  AWD cars usually get better gas mileage than comparable two wheel drive models because they get more power from less gas, since the transmission uses the same throttle input to power both sets of wheels without opening up for more fuel.

:D  

:blink:    

[City Pig]

If you read the discussion in the forum  on that site, you'll see that the guy who participated in the test gives some input into those variations. The main reason is that the manufacturers were told what the test was about and asked to send a car. They sent whatever they wanted. Hence the reason the had some AWDs, some manuals and some autos. It was all up to them. You'd think they'd send whatever would give the best mileage, no?

[BMWDave]

If you read the discussion in the forum  on that site, you'll see that the guy who participated in the test gives some input into those variations. The main reason is that the manufacturers were told what the test was about and asked to send a car. They sent whatever they wanted. Hence the reason the had some AWDs, some manuals and some autos. It was all up to them. You'd think they'd send whatever would give the best mileage, no?

I would definitely think that...the only justification I can think of is that the automakers sent whatever they had available.

[ifcar]

If you read the discussion in the forum  on that site, you'll see that the guy who participated in the test gives some input into those variations. The main reason is that the manufacturers were told what the test was about and asked to send a car. They sent whatever they wanted. Hence the reason the had some AWDs, some manuals and some autos. It was all up to them. You'd think they'd send whatever would give the best mileage, no?

I would definitely think that...the only justification I can think of is that the automakers sent whatever they had available.

Or they weren't told the nature of the test they were sending cars for. They may have just called Suzuki and asked for an Aerio test car, for example, and Suzuki sent its fully-loaded top-of-the-line AWD automatic model.  

[City Pig]

If you read the discussion in the forum? on that site, you'll see that the guy who participated in the test gives some input into those variations. The main reason is that the manufacturers were told what the test was about and asked to send a car. They sent whatever they wanted. Hence the reason the had some AWDs, some manuals and some autos. It was all up to them. You'd think they'd send whatever would give the best mileage, no?

I would definitely think that...the only justification I can think of is that the automakers sent whatever they had available.

ifcar said: Or they weren't told the nature of the test they were sending cars for. They may have just called Suzuki and asked for an Aerio test car, for example, and Suzuki sent its fully-loaded top-of-the-line AWD automatic model.

[bobwill]

I think it's entirely plausible that GM had Saturn send out a 2.4L car and chevy send out a 2.2L car to show that the larger engine only pays a minimal penalty in gas mileage.

[ifcar]

No such angle was developed in the story though. They just went with the numbers that they got from their widely-varied group.  

[Raza]

They also chose an AWD Aerio, for whatever reason. It got last place, imagine that.

That's insane.  AWD cars usually get better gas mileage than comparable two wheel drive models because they get more power from less gas, since the transmission uses the same throttle input to power both sets of wheels without opening up for more fuel.

:D  

Who are you mocking there?  <_<

The test.  Not you.

[ifcar]

Sounded like something that would emerge in an argument, but I didn't think it was mine. Doesn't sound too much like the article either, they simply ignored the differences between the cars.