Why do we use MPG?

Question

Why do we measure gas mileage in miles per gallon? We aren't burning miles, we're burning gas. So wouldn't it make sense that we measure the gas burned per mile? Rather than miles traveled per gallon? Everywhere else in the world uses Liters burned per 100 kilometers, so why not the USA? Using MPG just makes it easier for car manufacturers to manipulate their statistics to fool the consumer. I say we all write letters to congress and tell them we want to change to gallons per 100 miles!

aaahh you're all missing the point! I'm not suggesting we change to kilometers, or that we change it to gallons per mile, that wouldn't work out! I'm saying we change it to gallons USED per HUNDRED MILES! I'm sorry if you cannot grasp the math surrounding this change, maybe you should all go back to school.

Answer 1

Americans still like their pounds, inches and miles, so I doubt that the US would even think of changing to a measure that involved litres and kilometers. If all the cars are rated in MPG this gives the same kind of comparison as litres per kilometers. They both measure distance to fuel consumed.

Why would switching to litres per 100 km make a difference in the manipulations of statistics? The automakers would just have a different standard they could manipulate. I don't know that they do very much of this, but I recall reading that the Japanese car makers have used methods for measuring horsepower and fuel economy that give them an edge, and the American car companies have accused them of cheating on the federal standards.

Answer 2

Very funny! Tell me what the difference is, or did you not think about it first!

What prey tell is the difference between miles per gallon and gallon per mile? Though essentially you are answering the same question with a different set of circumstances, one which is a hell of a lot more complicated!

You tell me, is 20 mile per gallon easier for the common person, or is .5 gallons per mile cut it for you?

And I think manufactures can manipulate a cars performance far easier at 100 miles than they can at 1!

We don't use liters or kilometers per hour! You want to use them knock yourself out!

Answer 3

That's just silly! Why change? It's a tried and true measure of efficiency for cars and used for every car sold and driven in America. Do you have difficulty understanding MPG? It's an American standard; well used and well understood. Why reinvent the wheel?

p.s. Congress (as yet) has nothing to do with it. What do they do? Arrest anyone who uses MPG instead of Gallons/100 miles?

Answer 4

Liters per 100 kilometers is much easier for manufacturers to manipulate than MPG. So you are saying we should change the whole country over to the metric system just to make you happy? While your at it "burning daylight" is a term we should outlaw because we aren't really burning daylight are we."paper Tiger" should also be against the law, I mean really ,a paper tiger."lame duck" as a political term must also be outlawed huh.

Answer 5

its basicly saying how many miles you can go on one gallon of gas...

ok hippy put your tin foil hat back on... how does telling us how far the car can go on 1 gallon of gas ¨manipulate us¨

and y would u want to do that... i mean change the gallons per 100 miles... how often do u travel more than 100 miles... it would just make things more confusing and since we r confused it would be easier for car companies to ¨manipulate¨ us cuz we dont understand wtf u r talking about.

Answer 6

Especially with gas prices so high, the MPG is good info to know. If I am going to give up arms and legs for gas, I prefer a car which will take me further with that gas.

Answer 7

It's just standard we follow. I believe in Eurpean countries, they use something similar to what you are suggesting. Liters per 100 Km.

Answer 8

huh? that doesnt realy make any sense its the miles traveled per galleon how does that not make sense.

Answer 9

I have to agree with everone else ...I like MPG.....