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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mile Per Gallon (MPG) ratings are not exact predictors of the gas mileage that your vehicle will attain but estimates based on several variables including:

The physical location of your driving. Cars driven through the rolling hills of San Francisco for example, are going to use more fuel that cars driven around the flats of Las Vegas and cars that mainly travel on the highways will get better mileage than in stop and go traffic of the city. Colder climates mean longer warm up times to maximum engine performance which also results in lower MPG.

Your personal driving habits are also a major contributor to fuel use. If you have a heavy foot on the accelerator all of the time, your actual MPG will surely fall below the EPA rating. Running the Air Conditioner consumes large amounts of energy and the colder the setting, the more gasoline that is burned.

The maintenance of the car is another area where a tremendous difference can be made in fuel economy. The changing of the oil, filter, air filter and gasoline filter on a schedule for the climate and road conditions in which you drive is critical to fuel economy. Proper tire pressure and tread types both affect your mileage. Your vehicle owner's manual will recommend intervals for maintenance based on the climate of where you drive along with the temperature and other physical factors.

Even details such as the number of passengers and/or cargo (extra weight) regularly carried and recommended fuel grade for your engine are going to be considerations when trying to determine the actual MPG of your car or truck.

The (EPA) uses the terms "typical driver and conditions" when making their fuel use predictions and we all know that none of us ever seem to be typical.

For specific information to your vehicle and you, go to: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg /why_differ.shtml

Learn more about this author, Derek R. Snow.
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