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Cars with smaller engines may guzzle more fuel than bigger cars, study finds
Researchers tested more than 500 cars of varying models on British roads
Miles per gallon fuel consumption widely differs from manufacturers' claims
Emission Analytics said it was because cars are tested at slower speeds
Motorists who think smaller cars guzzle less fuel may want to think again after research revealed that bigger vehicles may actually be cheaper to run.
While drivers are often led to believe that smaller cars can travel more miles per gallon (mpg), research by Emission Analytics found that they often use up more fuel because they generally have to work harder to accelerate.
As part of the research, the data company - which studies fuel consumption and emissions figures for road vehicles – tested more than 500 cars.
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The study tested fuel economy in 500 vehicles and compared engine size to miles per gallon. It found that small cars (with an engine of one litre or under) had the biggest variance in advertised mpg figures and actual mpg
Researchers chose a range of different models, and a mix of both petrol and diesel vehicles, and drove them for three hours on British roads while studying the amount of fuel they used.
They found that all of the cars tested travelled on average 18 per cent fewer miles per gallon than stated in manufacturers' specifications. The data analysts said this was because the vehicles accelerated more and travelled at higher speeds on the road than in official testing regimes.
The greatest variance between manufacturers' claims and actual performance was found in vehicles which had an engine of one litre or under.
They achieved 36 per cent less than expected in terms of fuel economy, after fuel consumption measured at 38.6mpg – differing significantly from its advertised 60.3mpg.
Cars with an engine size of between one and two litres performed at 21 per cent less in fuel economy while engine sizes of between two and three at 15 per cent less.
In comparison, vehicles with an engine of five litres or more had just a one per cent variance between its actual mpg and its advertised mpg.
An Emission Analytics spokesman said: 'For maximum fuel economy you should look for a one to three litre engine, as these will return around 45-46mpg.
'And, to avoid being too disappointed with the result, pick a two to three litre vehicle as it will be only 15 per cent worse than you were told you could achieve.'
Nick Molden, Emission Analytics' founder, said the remarkable difference between advertised miles per gallon figures and the actual figures was down to the way vehicles are tested.
He said official testing regimes involve lower rates of acceleration and lower speeds than those demonstrated by car owners.
He told The Telegraph: 'The problem at the moment is how official tests are leading people to outcomes that are not helping the environment.
'Where people buy engines that are below one litre, you are getting worse fuel economy, therefore you are getting worse CO2 and you may also be getting more nitrogen dioxide, and that's not what is intended by the regulations.'
Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'These astonishing figures only fuel the debate on the worth of official mpg data.
'Well over two million new cars will be sold in the UK this year, with small vehicles topping the sales chart.
'But how many drivers will actually get what they think they have paid for? The answer, in terms of fuel efficiency, must be not many.'
Read more: LINK
Whats the best highway cruiser? a gas guzzling high revving noisy underpowered 1.0L, or a big quiet engine thats purring just ticking over a low revs, a tough choice LOL the penny is starting to drop at long last.
Researchers tested more than 500 cars of varying models on British roads
Miles per gallon fuel consumption widely differs from manufacturers' claims
Emission Analytics said it was because cars are tested at slower speeds
Motorists who think smaller cars guzzle less fuel may want to think again after research revealed that bigger vehicles may actually be cheaper to run.
While drivers are often led to believe that smaller cars can travel more miles per gallon (mpg), research by Emission Analytics found that they often use up more fuel because they generally have to work harder to accelerate.
As part of the research, the data company - which studies fuel consumption and emissions figures for road vehicles – tested more than 500 cars.
The study tested fuel economy in 500 vehicles and compared engine size to miles per gallon. It found that small cars (with an engine of one litre or under) had the biggest variance in advertised mpg figures and actual mpg
Researchers chose a range of different models, and a mix of both petrol and diesel vehicles, and drove them for three hours on British roads while studying the amount of fuel they used.
They found that all of the cars tested travelled on average 18 per cent fewer miles per gallon than stated in manufacturers' specifications. The data analysts said this was because the vehicles accelerated more and travelled at higher speeds on the road than in official testing regimes.
The greatest variance between manufacturers' claims and actual performance was found in vehicles which had an engine of one litre or under.
They achieved 36 per cent less than expected in terms of fuel economy, after fuel consumption measured at 38.6mpg – differing significantly from its advertised 60.3mpg.
Cars with an engine size of between one and two litres performed at 21 per cent less in fuel economy while engine sizes of between two and three at 15 per cent less.
In comparison, vehicles with an engine of five litres or more had just a one per cent variance between its actual mpg and its advertised mpg.
An Emission Analytics spokesman said: 'For maximum fuel economy you should look for a one to three litre engine, as these will return around 45-46mpg.
'And, to avoid being too disappointed with the result, pick a two to three litre vehicle as it will be only 15 per cent worse than you were told you could achieve.'
Nick Molden, Emission Analytics' founder, said the remarkable difference between advertised miles per gallon figures and the actual figures was down to the way vehicles are tested.
He said official testing regimes involve lower rates of acceleration and lower speeds than those demonstrated by car owners.
He told The Telegraph: 'The problem at the moment is how official tests are leading people to outcomes that are not helping the environment.
'Where people buy engines that are below one litre, you are getting worse fuel economy, therefore you are getting worse CO2 and you may also be getting more nitrogen dioxide, and that's not what is intended by the regulations.'
Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'These astonishing figures only fuel the debate on the worth of official mpg data.
'Well over two million new cars will be sold in the UK this year, with small vehicles topping the sales chart.
'But how many drivers will actually get what they think they have paid for? The answer, in terms of fuel efficiency, must be not many.'
Read more: LINK
Whats the best highway cruiser? a gas guzzling high revving noisy underpowered 1.0L, or a big quiet engine thats purring just ticking over a low revs, a tough choice LOL the penny is starting to drop at long last.
