Why MPG and not MPL

Nasher · 9 Dec 2018 at 23:07

We use imperial and metric in the UK. They keep have been trying to push us fully on to metric for ages, but we refuse

They teach mostly metric in schools now, but as soon you start work everyone will be talking in a hybrid of both systems.

Diagro · 9 Dec 2018 at 23:36

The Running Man said:
Yeah so why do the maths when they could just publish that number instead ?

Miles per gallon means nothing because we don't buy in gallons.

Keeps all the public using their heads a little bit.

smilertoo · 10 Dec 2018 at 00:37

We mix them randomly so we can annoy all foreigners, if Americans ask we quote km, if Europeans ask we quote miles.

Dr Who · 10 Dec 2018 at 01:58

Rroff said:
It isn't a particular attachment for one system or the other as I was brought up in an environment that used both daily.

And I feel a lot better for having done the same.

Knowing the conversions is very handy on a regular basis.

Joe T · 10 Dec 2018 at 06:11

I think using a format such as litres per KM is actually better than miles per gallon. I think it's more useful to know how much fuel you use for a given distance than to know how far one can go on a given amount of fuel.

A more efficient car uses LESS fuel therefore the measure is that a lower number is better.

robj20 · 10 Dec 2018 at 07:42

Joe T said:
I think using a format such as litres per KM is actually better than miles per gallon. I think it's more useful to know how much fuel you use for a given distance than to know how far one can go on a given amount of fuel.

A more efficient car uses LESS fuel therefore the measure is that a lower number is better.

No a more efficient car goes further on a gallon.

I'm off to the pub for a half liter.

Cookeh · 10 Dec 2018 at 08:38

I think it's mostly to do with standards, most people wouldn't have a clue what l/km meant whereas they're well versed with the concept of mpg.

Personally I don't care as I can do the conversions and my fuel gauge is in gallons anyway.

Joe T said:
I think using a format such as litres per KM is actually better than miles per gallon. I think it's more useful to know how much fuel you use for a given distance than to know how far one can go on a given amount of fuel.

Why is that more useful? Cars have an odometer and a fuel gauge so you have ready access to both parts.

Finglonga · 10 Dec 2018 at 08:44

MPG is easier to say than KM/L.

Joe T · 10 Dec 2018 at 08:47

robj20 said:
No a more efficient car goes further on a gallon.

And yet every other form of energy usage measurement - such as kwh works the other way around.

It's just more logical that a car that uses LESS fuel has a LOWER number. A car that uses LESS fuel should not have a HIGHER rating - that's not intuitive.

It's only because we're used to mpg that we tend to prefer it.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 10 Dec 2018 at 08:52

My hand book quotes KM/L I am sure. But we convert to MPG, as its what your used to

I remember when the efficiency of a car was judged by a constant 56 and 70. When we changed to urban etc that would have been the perfect time to switch, but we didn't.

Nasher · 10 Dec 2018 at 10:09

They just need to sell petrol by the gallon instead

A lot of this is because the US still use imperial (even though their gallons are bigger lol). We've always been more closely related to the US than Europe.

Phemo · 10 Dec 2018 at 10:37

Nasher said:
A lot of this is because the US still use imperial (even though their gallons are bigger lol). We've always been more closely related to the US than Europe.

Slightly besides the point but our gallon is bigger

US gallon is 3.78 litres and UK gallon is 4.54 litres.

Minstadave · 10 Dec 2018 at 10:53

Phemo said:
Slightly besides the point but our gallon is bigger US gallon is 3.78 litres and UK gallon is 4.54 litres.

But there's comes with added Freedom.

JRS · 10 Dec 2018 at 10:55

Nasher said:
A lot of this is because the US still use imperial (even though their gallons are bigger lol).

As Phemo points out, US gallons are smaller than imperial ones (5/6ths the size). It's one of those things that trips people up once in a while when they're trying to claim that US market cars get worse fuel mileage - they don't go as far on a gallon of fuel because said gallon is smaller

Mr Krugga · 10 Dec 2018 at 11:03

l/100km or l/Miles makes a lot more sense than MPG.

It's very easy to answer the question "how much fuel does your car use?" with "it uses 8 litres of fuel per 100 km/miles).

It's also really easy to calculate the cost of ownership or a journey using that figure.

robj20 · 10 Dec 2018 at 11:33

Mr Krugga said:
l/100km or l/Miles makes a lot more sense than MPG.

It's very easy to answer the question "how much fuel does your car use?" with "it uses 8 litres of fuel per 100 km/miles).

It's also really easy to calculate the cost of ownership or a journey using that figure.

How is that any easier than saying, mine uses a gallon every 60 miles.

jpaul · 10 Dec 2018 at 11:39

Indeed, I would vote for L/100Miles an analogue of European measure, and, at least, you would be able to easily estimate your range from fuel in the tank or what you topped up.
... any measures just /km or /mile would need interpretatiion of the fractional part to distinguish cars.

Mr Krugga · 10 Dec 2018 at 11:50

robj20 said:
How is that any easier than saying, mine uses a gallon every 60 miles.

I don't want to be doing complex maths when trying to compare how much a 1000 miles a month is gonna cost me to drive a certain car.

http://www.mpgillusion.com/p/what-is-mpg-illusion.html

This website also explains well why MPG comparisons are misleading.

robj20 · 10 Dec 2018 at 12:07

Mr Krugga said:
I don't want to be doing complex maths when trying to compare how much a 1000 miles a month is gonna cost me to drive a certain car.

http://www.mpgillusion.com/p/what-is-mpg-illusion.html

This website also explains well why MPG comparisons are misleading.

That explains why so many people are struggling with it. Complex maths. lol.

Since when was basic division and multiplication, complex maths.

silverblack · 10 Dec 2018 at 13:29

£5.50 a gallon at the pumps....or £1.20 a litre that sounds better.