Reply #2: A lot depends on how they're driven

[AndyA]

People today are in a hurry. So they stomp on the gas when the light changes, keep their foot on the pedal until the last second, then hit the brakes, they speed up, slow down, speed up, etc., all of which greatly reduce gas mileage.

Use of air conditioning also lowers fuel economy, and lots of people run the A/C even on mild days instead of using the vent setting, because they can't tolerate to be the slightest bit uncomfortable.

Many cars are loaded down with useless junk, too. I saw an SUV the other day, and the woman driving it was moving stuff around to make room for more stuff. She had so much crap in the back seat, a person couldn't sit there if they wanted to. All of that adds a lot of extra weight, which lowers the miles per gallon a vehicle gets.

The way a car is driven has a great impact on the fuel economy, and the way Americans drive today, they waste more gas than they save, even if they do buy an economy car.

Americans need to clean out their cars, leave a bit earlier so they aren't in such a rush, and use common sense when they drive.