Why does the same car in Europe get 60mpg compared to America where it gets 35 MPG?

Question

If you look at a mini cooper / Smart car most european cars get close to 60 MPG where as to get this in the USA you have to but a prius all small cars get around 35 MPG for the same car??

Answer 1

Most Americans can't fit in those small cars> And won't drive them> Comfort is the price we pay>I drive a 7000lb Dodge diesel $X$ at 20mpg>So the smaller car per weight should get 100+ mpg as the weight is what 1200 lbs>So there not that good on fuel or mileage> For what you have to suffer with> And with 4 people if they fit will not get any wheres near 60 mpg> Hope you never get in a fender bender>Or there then a coffin> Your call>

Answer 2

I agree with the others.  Europeans use the metric system.  Probably measured in kilometers per liter.  The cars over there do not have smog controls.

Answer 3

politics

Answer 4

Multiple reasons, many of which you've already received.

* Imperial gallons are bigger than US gallons.

* Different testing methodologies.  (Remember, the US EPA just revised their methods recently -- before that, the US numbers were considerably higher than they are now -- for the same cars.)

* Different engines, transmissions, tires, emissions controls, standard equipment, etc.

The Smart car is a great example: In Europe it is available with engines (both petrol and diesel) that can achieve 60MPG.  In the US, it's a crappy engine (and it requires PREMIUM!) that struggles to get 41MPG on the highway.  Inexcusable, yet people still buy them.  (As David Hannum once said, there's a sucker born every minute.)

Answer 5

I think you are referring to European car getting 60 Kilometers per gallon, instead of 60MPG

Answer 6

Politics.

European cars are forced to meet efficiency standards. American cars aren't(which short term is good for the car industry)

Result: american cars don't sell well outside the US.

Answer 7

standards are different, here in the us we have 87, 89, and 93 " premium" gas. In europe the standards are different, not just gas, but the car computer,  

Answer 8

small engines in europe,,,and less pollution controls

Answer 9

I think diesels are bigger in Europe, while the U.S., gas is more common. Not sure...

Answer 10

two things.

1.  difference in size of gallons, as DoH stated is about 30% larger in UK than US.  that allows for a car that gets 35 here to be rated at about 47 there.  

2.  difference in testing.  the way they test for HWY is different than the way we test here for HWY, further enlarging the discrepancy already given.

Answer 11

This is more than likely due to different testing standards.

Answer 12

Check your figures again. Europe is on Kilometers/Litre (5/8 mile //quart approximately). Secondly even similar cars are different due to emission standards and other matters.

Answer 13

In america,the politicians and the big 3 and oil barons have agreed to make cars less fuel efficient,hence you dont get the mpg and your constantly going to the gas station,that's why.It's also called greed,greed,greed.

Answer 14

FACT: The cars sold in Europe are different than the cars sold in the US, so you are not comparing apples to apples.

Answer 15

Hybrids and smaller engines (in terms of capacity [liters]) are more prevalent there, their rating systems may be different, their driving styles are different as well.

Answer 16

Because in the UK a gallon = 4.54609 liters a.k.a. an Imperial gallon.

In the US a gallon = 3.78541 liters

The mini in the UK is advertised at 53.3MPG

The mini in the US is advertised at 37MPG.

Didn't work out the math, but I'm sure if you factor in the differences in a gallon they are close to the same.