QOTD: A Mileage Miracle?

It seems readers gravitated to Chris’ recent review of the Silverado 1500 Duramax. Indeed, I was curious to see just how well General Motors’ new 3.0-liter inline-six diesel handled day to day life and, more importantly, how well it performed at the pumps.

Looks like the pickup’s fuel economy was worthy of note. With each full-size member of the Detroit Three now fielding an oil burner, light-duty diesel fuel economy has become another arena in which to do battle. Of course, the industry has always used fuel economy as a yardstick (despite it not being much of a selling point at various times in history), and as always, the buyer’s mileage will vary, regardless of what EPA figures appear in the window sticker.

Have you ever been pleasantly surprised?

By that I mean, has your brand spankin’ new vehicle ever surpassed the EPA’s figures by such a margin, you took note? Keep in mind that a vehicle gets gets better gas mileage than advertised is like being handed free money. An allowance doled, out over, time at the pump.

I’ve been disappointed with MPG results on week-long test drives in the past, and it should come as no surprise that the most egregious gaps are found in gas-sucking full-size pickups and SUVs. After all, a big fuel bill means less-than-advertised real-world MPG results are felt more acutely in the wallet.

Sure, some of those tests featured variables that would diminish pump performance: cold weather, winter tires, and the fact that no reviewer ever replicates the EPA combined test cycle. Our mileage does vary, and so will yours. Still, disappointment sometimes crops up after a warm, sedate week spent driving in the city and on the highway.

Elation sometimes rears its head, too, as a vehicle can surprise its driver with boffo economy. Has your ride ever topped its EPA rating by such a degree, it made you want to call a friend and brag?

[Image: Murilee Martin/TTAC]