Re: mileage (was RE: overdrive)

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

The aliens commander decided Farmer <pharmer@domain.elided> would make a perfect
specimen for dissection, and he yelled...

>Here's a question:  what speed is the highway mileage calculated
>at?  I'm assuming 55 mph for 1980?  And, 65 for the 90s?

Don't quote me on this Ken, but I could swear I read somewhere that the EPA
mileage tests are done on a closed oval track at *very* consistent speeds
and gradual accelerations and decelerations.  The highway test was
something like 50 mph.  The city test involved driving at a steady speed of
like 35 mph with a specific number of starts and stops for every so many
miles of driving.  Basically the tests have little to do with real world
driving and are designed to wring the best possible fuel economy from the
vehicle in question.

It would be interesting to read a copy of the EPA testing procedure.

Regards,

John L.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
jlandry AT halcyon DOT com      | 
Conservative Libertarian        |  "The road to  tyranny, we must never
Life Member of the NRA          |   forget, begins with the destruction
WA Arms Collectors              |   of the truth."
Commercial Helicopter - Inst.   |                     William J. Clinton
http://www.halcyon.com/jlandry/ |    10-15-95, speech at the Univ. of CT