Industry News from Yes Insurance

Almost £200 million a year extra is being spent by Britons on fuel because their cars do not do as many miles per gallon (mpg) as the manufacturers say they should.

According to a What Car? survey of 85 different models, cars were on average eight per cent more fuel-thirsty than their official mpg figure suggested.

Toyota's Prius, the car billed on the fact that it is environmentally friendly, missed its official target by almost 14mpg, with the car able to run for 52 miles on a gallon of fuel.

However, the editor of What Car? is adamant that the problem lies not with the manufacturers, but with the European Union, who decide the conditions under which the cars should be tested.

"The fault lies not with manufacturers but the unrealistic testing method enforced by the EU. Tests are carried out in laboratories, not on roads," said Steve Fowler, according to the Mirror.

The Mercedes SLK 350, Ford Mondeo 2.2 TDCI, Fiat Croma 2.2, Toyota Avensis 2.2 D-4D and Volkswagen Golf GTI were the only cars that outperformed their official mpg number.

With the added cost of fuel revealed, drivers may be encouraged to try to save money on other things related to their motor, such as their car insurance.


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