EPA reviewing two Ford hybrids on questionable fuel economy claims

Fuel economy is a big deal in today's car industry. With gas prices as high as they are and a looming energy crisis, it seems that manufacturers and consumers would both like to start weening off gas. Of course, since fuel economy is big, we hear car commercials talking up estimated miles-per-gallon figures all the time, something that has Ford becoming the subject of an EPA review.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the Environmental Protection Agency will be reviewing two Ford hybrids – the Fusion and the C-Max – which have been receiving some consumer complaints of late. Here's the issue: Ford says that both cars achieve 47 miles-per-gallon, whether that's city, highway, or combined. When Consumer Reports tested both vehicles, its results didn't mesh with Ford's claims.

Consumer Reports said that the Fusion managed 35 mpg in the city, 41 MPG on the highway, and 39 MPG overall. On the other hand, the C-Max ended up with 35 MPG in a city setting, 38 for highways, and 39 overall. Those are good results for both cars, Consumer Reports said, but obviously not what Ford was touting.

For its part, Ford maintains that reports from consumers vary, with some even exceeding the quoted 47 miles-per-gallon setting. That much seems true – depending on how you drive, your mileage will indeed vary, with some coming in below a manufacturer's claim and others managing to beat it. In the end though, it'll all come down to what the EPA decides, so we'll be waiting to see what the Agency has to say after it has reviewed the data.