Real-World Fuel Consumption Question

[bayonic]

There is a very informative thread about the actual real-world average fuel consumption in this forum as well as other car forums in other countries.

While FC calculations is not an exact absolute value and there are numerous parameters and variables affecting it , I believe that taken as an average, it does provide a good reference.

When shopping for a new vehicle that still has to be released or had just been launched here in the Philippines; the only reference for FC is the published FC from the manufacturer and forum postings of actual owners in various car fora.

My question is this :
Will there be a BIG DIFFERENCE in the average FC , for the exact same vehicle , when it is driven in the U.S. and when it is driven here in the Philippines ???



tia

[shadow]

I'm not an expert but I would believe that FC of the same car model will have a big difference between here and the US....factor such as traffic, weather etc...will play a major role on the consumption difference

[ghosthunter]

My question is this :
Will there be a BIG DIFFERENCE in the average FC , for the exact same vehicle , when it is driven in the U.S. and when it is driven here in the Philippines ???

yes. Especially when comparing "city" FC figures. This is from my personal experience driving in the US and here.

[mbeige]

Definitely. The standard tests done by the EPA in the US used to be at the dynamometer machine. This means that:

1. Wind resistance and aerodynamics are not factors in these tests
2. Inertia, mass and weight are not factors
3. Only engine output and absolute fuel consumption are measured at constant dyno speeds
4. Stop and go situations are not taken into consideration

That's why there came news that EPA will change the way they conduct tests. As for me, the way I do it is I try to look at the standard EPA ratings and deduct at the most maybe 5-10MPG, with a minus 5 for using the AC with a full passenger and cabin load, and minus 10 for combined minus 5 situations (use of AC and full passenger load) as well as stop and go traffic.

Also note that using electronics will consume fuel, because the alternator is run by a belt, which the engine drives. So using headlights (that also use interior lights as well as tail lights, etc), using wipers, using the radio, subwoofer/amps, etc all increase fuel consumption.

Finally, road conditions such as hills, potholes, speed bumps, twisty roads, etc all add to the fuel consumption. Hills require you to give more fuel so you can overcome the hill. Speed bumps require you to slow down, so when you accelerate once more that consumes more fuel. Twisty roads may cause you to slow down to be on the safe side.

There are many factors that can contribute to less than "standard" fuel consumption ratings.

[Taurus]

Absolutely, unquestionably, undeniably and without a doubt . . . will affect FC from different countries.

One major factor is the quality of the roads, even though there might be numerous stop signs for every intersection of the state in the US, the poor quality of the roads here affect the average FC of a car compared to other countries.

[meledson]

There are a lot of variables to consider in "real world situations".

[Camgen6]

That's why there came news that EPA will change the way they conduct tests.

They already did, starting with 2008 models, I remember posting it here, just couldn't find it. Here's the link.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ratings2008.shtml

[XTO]

Definitely yes, very true ang very real road mass and condition to vehicle ratio will harden this answer. Parang FC of the 50’s in the Phils = FC of 2000 in the US.

[bayonic]

yes. Especially when comparing "city" FC figures. This is from my personal experience driving in the US and here.

thanks for the replies.

sir ghosthunter : it may be difficult but can you quantify the difference ? if say the average FC for city driving in the U.S. ( based on actual owners experience is 20 Miles per Gallon ; what would we expect the corresponding FC would be in Metro Manila


thanks again

[niky]

Depending on traffic, some 2-4 mpg less.

20 mpg = 8.5 km/l. Most people here average 7-8 km/l in the city using similar vehicles to those used in the US.

Whenever we compare fuel economy cross-ocean, my economy figures are usually much lower than those of US board members with the same vehicle.