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May 25, 2016
Beginning with the 2015 model year, the Canadian government introduced corrections to the lab tests for fuel consumption ratings. Overall, the advertised fuel consumption dropped by 15 to 20 percent to more closely mirror real-world experience.
According to the Natural Resources Canada website, Fuel consumption testing helps consumers make informed, energy-efficient purchase decisions by providing a reliable comparison of the relative fuel consumption performance of different vehicles.
Here are the results, comparing the Energuide ratings with the observed fuel consumption of four small vehicles in a recent APA comparison test: all were refueled together at the beginning and end of the test day, and driven on the same mix of secondary roads and highways. All but the Spark featured automatic transmissions.
Test Day Observed Fuel Consumption
| Ford Fiesta |
6.4 |
6.3 |
-2% |
Chevrolet Spark
(Manual Transmission) |
5.8 |
6.4 |
+10% |
| Honda Fit |
5.7 |
6.3 |
+11% |
Toyota Yaris
(Mazda built) |
5.6 |
7.0 |
+21% |
The Fiesta essentially matched its highway number during APA’s testing. The Yaris sedan is actually a Mazda 2 built under contract for Toyota and features a Mazda powertrain; its observed fuel consumption was significantly higher than the Energuide rating. Moderate temperatures in the spring and fall most often yield fuel consumption figures closest to Energuide figures as the air conditioning in the vehicle is not being used.
The APA will continue to report on the relationship between published fuel economy and the APA`s testing as our information accumulates. At this time we can say from reports received from the general public that some vehicles with turbocharged gas engines continue to burn significantly more fuel in the hands of owners than their published ratings would lead you to believe.
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