Hybrid Car Review

This is so stupid it makes my head hurt. A Honda Civic Hybrid owner is suing Honda over their mileage claims.

But the EPA is the one who mandates those fuel economy figures on the sticker.

The driver estimates he gets 32 mpg in mixed driving after 6,000 miles, even though the Civic Hybrid is rated to get 49/51.

The lawsuit may come down to a simple wording change. The EPA says mileage will vary, while Honda advertisements say mileage may vary. According to the plaintiff's attorney, that implies it's possible to get the mileage advertised.

That's because it is possible to get the mileage advertised. All Honda needs to do is bring in one hypermiler to counter that claim. Put one guy or girl up on the stand who can show they get well over the mpg rating from the EPA and that argument is out the window.

"I can tell you that the 49/51 figures are EPA numbers, not Honda numbers," Honda spokesman Sage Marie said Thursday. "Some customers achieve the EPA mpg figures and some don't, as fuel economy performance is a function of conditions, traffic, driving style, load, etc."

He said the "vast majority of Civic Hybrid customers are satisfied with the performance since it delivers consistently and substantially higher numbers than comparable nonhybrid vehicles in the real world. It is possible to attain the EPA estimates, and customers do all the time."

What it comes down to (most of the time) is driving habits. Aggressive driving kills fuel economy every time. The plaintiff in this case will have to show that he consistently drives well. And how do you do that?

But what really drives me nuts about this case is it's the EPA that rates cars, not carmakers. But suing the car company is probably more profitable.

Source: Hybrid owner sues Honda over mileage claims