] Hybrid cars are hot, but not as hot as their owners, who
] complain that their gas mileage hasn't come close to
] well-advertised estimates.
]
] Don't knock the car companies for inflated claims:
] Experts say the blame lies with the 19-year-old EPA
] fuel-efficiency test that overstates hybrid performance.
] ...

[ Also, " The EPA test "has inherent shortcomings, irrespective of what kind of car is being driven," says Philip Schmidt, professor of engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Schmidt says hybrid cars use computers to more precisely control the flow of gasoline and have more efficient catalytic converters, which reduce the amount of emissions. Schmidt "wouldn't rule out" that hybrid cars' ability to limit emissions contributes to the disparity in EPA versus real-world numbers.

Federal law requires that auto manufacturers use only EPA estimates when promoting their vehicles' fuel economy, according to Toyota spokeswoman Nancy Hubbell.

I don't imagine this is the last we'll see of this issue. Certainly, my car doesn't get near the stickered milage, though i blame most of that on the way i drive, which is to say, fast and at higher RPM. Still even when i was trying to be efficient, i didn't get there, so clearly the tests are overstating the reality in most cases.

Does anyone get MORE miles to the gallon than indicated by their sticker? -k]

Wired News: Hybrid Mileage Comes Up Short