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Electronics=junk.Technology=junk. Computer controls is for emissions NOT fuel economy. I actually worked on a few vw rabbit diesels and their owners stated that they got mid 50s to 60 mpgh. But that's old news and epa rated them at 53 mpgh. A few reasons. All energy comes from the fuel tank and most everything now is electric on the car plus a/c is used more. The more electric used =more fuel used to charge the battery. The use of fuel injection. As soon as they out controls for emissions(fuel inj.computer controls) mileage was not a priority.Another reason in the rating that they wont tell you. Computer control-fuel injectioned cars are more consistent.A car with a 14 city and 22 highway rating will be close to that in mpgs. In a carbureted car with the same numbers the actual mpgs would and could be 2 mpg to 30. This is from my experience.You could have ''milage runs'' which they (and I ) used to do. Driver habits(driver control) over electronic controls ,with a 70s or early 80s car will produce good numbers.We used to get high 20s with a full size car(real full size car 4000+lbs.around 17 1/2 ft.long.) and low 50s with a compact .The colt was adveraging over 40 for both city and highway and highway was 45 to 50 (epa 43-45). And the corolla was (32-38 epa) adveraging 36.5 (both c &h) with 41 mpg city ''milage run''.Another nice one was the datsun b-210 epa 36-48 mpg.You could get 42 city with good control.

They might try to ''explain it away'' with excuses like todays drivers are in more stop and go driving or their ratings are ''real world''. Pooie. Actually the old(70s,80s) ratings were conservative and accurate.

Tell me about it. I bought a Geo Metro in 1993 that cost $8000 and gets 50mpg. I'm still driving it today.