^^ most if not all cars and motorcycles have the speedometer read high but the odometer must still be accurate. i guess it's just safer to have a person actually going a little slower than they think they are.

Motorcycles are the worst. most speedometers read around 10% high in my experience, but again the odometer must be accurate or there would be legal issues for sure.

 

I also find it strange that the 2014's and 2015's have different mileage figures. For what was supposed to be "basically equivalent" engine, it would be nice to get an explanation as to what is causing the differences.

 

i read in another thread (maybe the "week 27 build") that BMW/Mini did the testing with the 2014 cars in green mode which isn't valid since the cars do not default to this mode. Not sure if it's true or not.

 

"Yeah, and?"....

If mileage was the biggest concern, would have bought a hybrid. The Mini is a blast to drive, does not get "poor" fuel economy and is a lot cheaper to fill up and drive then my other daily driver, a 4Runner. Every time I get in that car, it's fun. THAT's what we bought. The rest is ancillary.

 

I understand the EPA wants to accurately display MPG figures for all cars in the US. And I applaud them for their civil service. With that said let's face it a few mpg off plus or minus is not that big of a deal since we all have different driving habits. For example I have 400miles on my Mini so far and I have an average speed of 33 mph per daily commute with an average 34 mpg in sport mode! I would say that's pretty good! Most mid sized and up cars are in the low 20's at best. The Prius does better I'm sure but it has more complex energy recovery system and its pretty boring to drive.

 

is this a joke?

ratings still matter. they can't say the car gets 50mpg and has 200hp when it doesn't. not, "well the driving experience is still great." this is the kind of attitude that allows automakers to get away with this. instead of designing a better, more efficient motor, just slap a better rating on it, and say "YMMV" for anyone who doesn't hit it

 

Fuel economy is a big factor for me, and of course I also want the driving dynamics. Yeah, if fuel economy was the only thing, I'd go for a cheap Prius C.

I ordered a 2015 based on 2014's mileage figures. I feel I have been tricked, as much as the people who already own their 2014 models. My order is just being loaded onto the ship now, so I can still walk away from the purchase.

My Mazda CX-5 (2.5L, AWD) compact SUV gets 28 mpg with mixed driving. Considering the cost of premium fuel that MINI requires, I expect even higher fuel economy figures.

 

Ratings don't matter much to consumers, mostly to beaurocrats. I have never looked at an EPA mileage rating in my life, but I do track my mileage tank to tank (not that I do anything about it). We have people on this forum who say they routinely get >40 MPG in their MCS. OK fine. I get about 31. The 2014 and 2015 cars will get the same I bet.

 

Yep, I guess Mini got one over on me.

 

This is the best comment ever!

Honestly, I cannot wrap my brain around anyone expecting something from MINI for this issue. Speaks volumes about this country and saddens me.

 

 

So you think it's okay for BMW to accidentally report a much better fuel economy number, and later get caught and do nothing about it? That would be embarrassing for such a company. That's called false advertising. But if you love the company so much, then I have no way to convince you.

Didn't Hyundai do something similar, and then they settled by paying for all the lost fuel economy figures?

There are much more ridiculous things happening in this country (sued for mcdonalds serving hot coffee, apple iphone vs samsung galaxy, subsidized cell phone system, ...), and I don't think this is one of those.

 

There are bigtime fines for speedometers that read too low of a speed as well which is why my GPS says 70mph and the speedo says 73-74mpg.

 

One of the factors in not fixing my 2006 R50 was the expected gas mileage of a 3-cylinder, which is not as appealing now.

 

I don't think it was a joke - it didn't make me laugh. Or was it a bad one?

He was just explaining why he bought what he bought and how he enjoys it.
I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

WE'RE GETTING 28 MIXED MCS regular mode.
Conservatively driven. 2,000 mi.

 

This is about what we get, too. I guess I could eke more out of that if I used Green mode but to be honest, Green mode is so anemic in this car that it takes the fun out it, so we mostly keep it in Mid.

 

Irrespective of what mileage owners are actually getting (no two people drive exactly the same), BMW is required by law to follow an EPA prescribed test procedure to measure mileage. It's completely controlled including things like ambient air temperature, fuel temperature, and on and on. Having precise rules is the only fair way to compare different models from different manufacturers.

Since everyone uses their cars differently, sure, some owners will see lower mileage and some higher. And you can be sure that very few owners have the equipment to measure their actual mileage with the accuracy that EPA and the manufacturers do.

You can argue that the EPA procedure is not representative of how you drive, but how you drive is not representative of how the next owner drives. The bottom line is that BMW got caught overstating the statistic. With the measuring equipment and the precise nature of the test that the car manufacturers and EPA use, there's just no excuse for this to happen. Wonder if there are fines levied by EPA.

 

If they intentionally overstating, that's really dumb on their part. They have to have been aware of what happened to the others that overstated. And if they screwed up the testing accidentally, that's just as dumb knowing how big the focus is on this.

 

The 3 cylinder still did great though, the changes for the Justa are minor, to say the least.

 

If I could confirm the EPA's findings I would be a bit upset. As it is, I seem to be one of many who are actually getting better mpg than either the EPA or MINI state in their figures.

With my '14 MCS over the past 4000 miles I am getting a combined 30.6 MPG. I'm seeing 38+ mpg highway which is frankly astonishing me.

 

From MotoringFile ...



There's a difference of 1 MPG for combined and city driving ... some people need to get a grip

 

+1 to that.

 

I find this thread and topic very interesting as I read and re-read posts. I have been in and around the MINI brand since its reintroduction to the US Market in 2002. I have owned several and enjoy the driving experience, the quirkiness and the community very much. For me, and most if not all early adopters, these were the primary factors for purchasing the vehicle. The MINI brand has never really strayed from that recipe - sure, the versions get a little bit bigger with each redesign and include more safety features, power and tech each time around, but the core remains the same regardless of what folks post. That is a testament to the brand's philosophy and mindset.

Sadly, though in a way, the brand is growing and attracting a larger demographic capturing folks from markets it never ventured in before. The end result is a double-edged sword of attracting many new owners who would have never considered MINI, as well as owners who know nothing about the heritage of the brand and care only about size (for parking), fuel economy and/or safety. The MINI was never envisioned to be an economy car, but a premium driver's car that happens to offer good fuel economy. It didn't initially have "competitors", and folks who purchased them were not cross-shopping the vehicle with cars like the Honda Civic, Toyota Prius or even the VW Golf. However, 12 years later the US market has changed and there is now a whole segment of fun little frugal cars like the Fiat Abarth and Ford Fiesta ST and vehicles like the Prius C, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris are more popular and folks are cross-shopping more than ever in this segment.

I am not trying to come down on anyone posting here, just trying to understand the thought process. With Hyundai a few years ago, they intentionally overstated the highway MPG figures on MANY models to achieve the claim of having the most models with 40mpg or greater on the freeway. The fact that this wasn't true and disputed as well as false advertising in a grand scheme led to a huge series of fines and ultimately a "settlement" to the consumer. It's a bit apples and oranges to the MINI situation.

However, those who feel like MINI screwed them, mislead them, lied to them, or duped them into buying the product, will certainly try and go after the company and good luck to you fine folks. The rest of us will enjoy our well-engineered and fun to drive British icons with a big smile on our face knowing we are getting pretty good fuel economy as well. A nice trade off.

 

Granted the difference in city mileage was only 1 mpg, but how about the variance of more than 10% on highway mileage! That's what all the dealers quote in their ads. Given how precisely the tests are run and how precise the measuring equipment is, there's really no excuse for any variance whatsoever. An error of more than 10% is just complete negligence. You are being too kind to them