Real-world MPG (driver reported)

Real-world MPG is the average fuel economy that actual drivers of a vehicle report to fueleconomy.gov, the EPA's public fuel economy site. Owners log their own fill-ups and mileage, and the site averages them into one figure per vehicle.

It is the best reality check on the EPA lab estimate. A real-world figure well below the combined rating suggests the car is hard to drive efficiently; one at or above it suggests the rating is easy to hit in normal use.

Read it with the report count in mind. A figure built on a handful of reports can swing on one lead-footed owner, while hundreds of reports settle into a trustworthy number.