So I have been looking at used xfires. Living in Chicago I think it might end up being a bad idea, the winters here get harsh, but you only live once.

So being that the US and Chicago specifically is being gouged with the cost of gas (+/-.40 swings of price in a days time). I noticed that the MPG on the '04 is better than the '05 and up models. Is this an error (kbb.com) or is there something fundamentally different between the years.

Thanks!

 

Kelley Blue Book must be mistaken, or maybe they're listed differently on the window stickers. My 04 6 spd. sticker says 17/25.
The cars are virtually identical, and there shouldn't be any reason for an '04 to get better fuel mileage than any other year.
That is unless the "automatic dimming" rear view mirror some how increases its fuel mileage.

 

Didn't the federal DOE change the MPG calculation formula about a year or so ago? That might help explain the difference. Otherwise, the cars are effectively identical.

 

They might have remapped the '05 models for a more aggressive fuel timing curve, this will give it more power and less mileage compared to the '04 model.
Many manufactures do this with the same model, but they bump the power b/t 5-10 hp for the next model year. Though I have my doubts about DC doing ECU tuning to later models.