MPG depends on driving conditions and the drivers ability to use conservative methods of driving. Generally no person on the highway can reach the posted MPG they state. Poor drivers will almost always get very poor mileage. For instance just idling at intersections will lower MPG.
I routinely get 40+ MPG in my 08 Camry Hybrid - the posted MPG was 34/33.
A car that can only get the claimed & marketed mpg when under extremely controlled conditions is the problem.
When people are shopping for a fuel efficient car, they don’t realize that the car’s mpg is only for when the A/C is never run, radio off, tires over inflated, driven in a very bizarre fashion like applying power until the car reaches 65mph, then shifted into neutral, then coast down to 40mph, then power back on, never having to deal with traffic or other drivers.
Lets change the way these cars get their mpg rating. Lets give the cars to 10 completely random people in 5 very different areas of the country for 1 year. At the end of the year we average up the gas used vs the total miles. Then call this the “Real MPG” and make manufactures use that.
I used to get 60 MPG out of my 1992 Honda Civic VX when 44/48 was posted. Doing city courier runs I usually hit 48 in the city. Too bad the Feds won’t allow that car to built today. 93 HP and air conditioning too.