Want a better way to target gas guzzlers?
The Consumer Federation of America says this mileage rating scale is easier to understand than the current EPA ratings on cars.
The report says people shopping for, say a truck, can save up to $2,000 a year by choosing the most fuel-efficient truck. Critics say that's a no-brainer.
"It's more or less not comparing apples to apples because they're comparing vehicles in the same class which is based on interior room, but they're not comparing power train sizes,” said Brian Gerrits, an automotive instructor at CVTC.
Gerrits says the report is misleading because it doesn't account for the difference in engine size. So a V-6 and V-8 could be in the same class, skewing the numbers. So some vehicles can show up as getting three times better mileage.
"I mean it says city miles per gallon and highway miles per gallon, but what defines city driving? What defines highway driving? They need to get rid of those gray areas."
But according to some car dealers, fuel economy still isn't a priority for many consumers.
"A lot of people are looking for the creature comforts. What fits their lifestyle and they're also looking for what they can fit in their budget,” said Mark Klewer, general sales manager at Bothum Nissan.
Critics say the proposed labels may be helpful, but consumers are smart enough to do their own research. The new scale could show as part of the EPA's new fuel economy estimates. We'll see the final results on the windows of new cars in 2008.