Did you know rain can burn gas?

I didn't either. In an article on MSN Autos titled "The truth about fuel economy ratings," reporter Ann Job exposes some of the secrets behind those fuel-economy-stickers that you see in your new car's windshield at the dealership. There is also useful information regarding how gas is really burned and why bad weather may lower your fuel-indicator more so than a drive on a sunny day.

Do you notice that you have way less miles-per-gallon than that sticker originally advertised? Job says, "The fuel economy estimates for new cars, provided in large black type on window stickers, can overstate fuel mileage by as much as 34 percent, according to the Bluewater Network. The network is a California-based environmental group that petitioned the U.S. government more than two years ago to change the way fuel mileage is calculated.
These estimates, mandated by the federal government starting in the 1970s, were never based on real-world driving. Instead, they're derived, sort of backhandedly, from emissions test procedures. And the process of developing the estimates has been updated only once, in 1985."

That means that these calculations were last updated the year I was born. I have been on the earth for 21 years and counting. Something doesn't seem right here.

Job says that real-road problems that drain your fuel tank like tire pressure, wheel alignment, use of air conditioning and bad weather are not accounted for in these emissions tests. "And drivers who manage their driving habits—accelerating gradually, driving smoothly and with care—can boost fuel economy as much as 20 percent compared to a more aggressive driving style, the EPA says. " Your fuel efficiency also depends on how you keep up with tire rotations, oil changes and other maintenance on your vehicles.