I was curious as to whether the MPG I've been getting in my 2002 Outback Sport was normal, as 20 city/25 highway seemed crappy. To my surprise...

 

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/17464.shtml

 

I'm curious to know how how your actual MPG compares to the MPG listed on the site.

 

The data on the site goes back to 1986.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymake/Subaru1986.shtml

it lists the XT FWD manual as 29 - i don't think that's even close unless the one that i owned was a freak. on all highway trips they can get 40 mpg. i realize all highway isn't normal, but still 29 seems offly low. i've gotten 29 in an AWD XT6 before.

 

the justy is only listed as 33, that seems low. but maybe the reports of 35 mpg XT's and justy's are more anomaly's than normal?

They revised the EPA standards last year to reflect a more "realistic" view of driving. They say the old standards considered highway driving to be traveling at 55mph with 5 min. average of sitting in traffic. the new standards place highway driving at 70mph with something like 30 min. of stop and go traffic. I may be off on these numbers a bit, but you get the idea.

 

I've looked up every car i've ever owned and I always get what the old number is or better and I'm always going about 70mph or better on the freeway (it would be suicide to do otherwise around these parts). For example, my '96 OBW 2.2l 5spd is listed as getting 19/26 as the new epa number. I've always gotten 30mpg average, closer to the old epa number of 29mpg. Our honda civic hatch is listed at 27/34mpg is with the old number being 32/37 which is what our average is.

 

Mileage is so dependent on driving style and it wouldn't surprise me at all that the only reason the epa had to revise their standard was because everyone is in such an all-fired hurry to get nowhere in particular.