July 16, 2007
Honda Faces Legal Challenge Of Hybrid Mileage Claims
Honda is facing what appears to be the first legal challenge of the mileage claims of hybrid vehicles, The Boston Globe reports. John Tue says he bought a Honda Civic hybrid based on its advertised mileage – 49 miles per gallon in the city, 51 miles per gallon on the highway, but after 6,000 miles of driving, True said he averaged just 32 miles per gallon in mixed city/highway driving.
In March, True filed a class-action lawsuit in U S District Court in Riverside, California.
The suit notes that while the Environmental Protection Agency and automobile window stickers say “mileage will vary,” some Honda’s advertisements read “mileage may vary.” That implies that it’s possible to get the mileage advertised, according to True’s attorney.
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Reader Comments
I have also been disappointed in my Honda Civic Hybrid mileage. It averages between 33 and 34 miles per gallon on a mixture of local and highway driving. I love the car otherwise.
Hazel Barbour | July 18th, 2007
While I don’t have experience with the Civic Hybrid, I have a friend who drives a Insight. He is able to exceed the mileage spec’s for his car, often getting 80 MPG. According to him, short trips kill his average mileage as does high-speed (>70MPH) driving. Driving habits play a huge role in fuel efficiency.
Eli Meyer | September 12th, 2007