Whether it is the season of the car show or just the season of springtime, many people may be thinking about buying a new or used car. All of the commercials, print, radio, and internet advertisements will do their best to convince the public that one car is better than another is. There has been a lot of debate about the fuel efficiency of the European model car versus the domestic cars, which has produced no clear winner. While it may be easier to distinguish the differences between the import car and the domestic one visually, things like fuel efficiency become a bit more difficult to determine because of the myths surrounding them. Once you can tell the myths from the truths, the choice may be a bit clearer.
What are the Myths Surrounding Gas Usage?
One of the major myths surrounding import cars are that they are much more fuel-efficient that the domestic cars. In the past, this may have been the truth. There have been many reports that announce that the fuel economy of American cars constantly lag behind the imports, particularly the European and the Asian car model. Now with new technology in the automotive industry, those gaps are not as glaringly wide as the reports make it seem to be. Some people have felt that American cars are less fuel-efficient because they are larger and heavier. Other people believe that the reason American cars perform below the imports is the way that Americans drive. While driving habits can affect fuel efficiency, they cannot differentiate between the origins of the car; poor driving habits will decrease fuel efficiency in any car, regardless if the car was produced in Europe, Japan, or America.
What are the Truths Surrounding the Gas Usage?
The biggest truth about gas usage in all cars is that the mileage stated by the manufacturers falls short of the usage that is actually experienced by drivers. Road tests are performed on tracks that are meant to simulate real driving conditions in real-world circumstances, but modern driving conditions are rarely represented in those tests. Some manufacturers execute some creative, but legal, methods to make gas mileage to appear higher than what it really is. Some of them tape up the cracks around the doors and the grille to make the car aerodynamic, make adjustments to the wheel alignment and the brakes, and the roads on which the tests are performed are smooth and even. None of those conditions simulates real driving conditions. There have been many reports that consistently tell consumers that imports produce better gas mileage, but most of them do not adequately explain the reasons for it. Most European cars operate on diesel fuel and most American cars operate on unleaded gasoline, but the imports sold in America are sold as both diesel and unleaded models.
What Choices Can Be Made?
Once you realize that most of the time, the fuel efficiency that is stated by the manufacturer is based on unrealistic driving conditions and that most European car models operate on diesel fuel, you may be able to make a better decision when choosing the car of your dreams for your spring and summer getaways.