A recent mini-scandal reveals what many drivers have long suspected: The gas mileage claims listed prominently on the windows of new cars can be overstated. Unfortunately, this may not be an isolated incident. The acronym “EPA” is featured on the mpg ratings of new car stickers, but the Environmental Protection Agency does not conduct fuel economy tests on all vehicles. Instead, according to the Associated Press, how things work is that automakers do their own tests, and “the EPA enforces accuracy by auditing about 15 percent of vehicles annually.” Obviously, this system opens up the possibility that automakers could be inflating their vehicle mpg ratings, purposefully or “by accident.” After receiving complaints from drivers about the fuel economy of the 2012 Hyundai Elantras, the EPA conducted an audit, which exposed the fact that the majority of 2012 and 2013 Hyundai and Kia models had inaccurate, inflated mileage ratings. For most of the affected cars, sticker ratings had to be lowered by a mere 1 mpg or 2 mpg. The Kia Soul Eco, however, is now rated at 29 mpg on the highway, down 6 mpg from the 35 mpg that used to be listed on the window. That’s quite a bump, one that’ll be noticed by drivers who take fuel economy into consideration when choosing a new car—and who doesn’t do so nowadays? (MORE: Worst. Gift. Ever! The 6 Kinds of Presents You Should Never Give) As an Automotive News story pointed out, the revelation undercut one of the main selling points—often the biggest selling point—for consumers who’d decided to go with a Hyundai or Kia: In researcher AutoPacific’s 2012 New Vehicle Satisfaction Survey, fuel economy was rated as an “extremely important” purchase reason by more than 90 percent of Hyundai and Kia buyers, well above the industry average of 75 percent. It was the No. 1 reason buyers chose an Accent, Elantra, Veloster and Sonata Hybrid, as well as the Kia Rio, Soul and Forte. As an overall brand attribute, fuel economy was rated fourth, behind quality, reliability and … Continue reading Just How Often Are Car MPG Claims Inflated?