Where The Saying ‘Your Mileage May Vary’ Actually Comes From: COTD

Life is full of different experiences, and sometimes, two people may perceive the same subject differently. For situations like that, there’s the popular saying “your mileage may vary.” Well, if your odometer cannot count above 299,999 miles, your mileage will really vary, or not.

I’ve never really thought about this saying before. We say “your mileage may vary” in situations that have nothing to do with cars. Alright, so what gives? Fuel economy labels with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mileage estimates started showing up in 1974. Even back then, it was known that drivers in the real world won’t get the advertised fuel economy.

Most sources note that “your mileage may vary” was derived from the same saying as said in car commercials. Basically, the vehicle’s EPA rating would be pointed out, and then immediately after, you’d be told “Your mileage may vary.” This was the same deal in print ads, too. Sure enough, here’s the saying in a commercial for a 1976 Chevy Vega:

The saying was so common that it has spread far beyond the confines of cars. This subject landed on my mind thanks to Brian’s article about Toyotas with odometers that cannot go higher than 299,999 miles. RustyJunkyardClassicFanatic:

Talk about a cluster…fuck. ha ha.

Chewcudda:

You forgot to put on sunglasses.

Data:

(•_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)

YEEEEAAAHHH!

Tallestdwarf’s comment inspired the subject of this COTD!

Your mileage may vary. Or maybe not.

Brian wrote about how the Mercedes-Maybach S680 is technically a deal if you like V12s. DialMforMiata doesn’t buy into marketing nonsense:

“In its Maybach form, the driver display design becomes an object of modern craftsmanship. The dials of the instrument cluster glow in rose gold. A gold Maybach emblem rests between the two dials, a subtle signature of meticulous detail. A delicately textured backdrop in gold, rose gold and black sets a tone of quiet opulence, perfectly echoing the signature rose gold white ambient lighting hue.”

Ugh. IT’S ALL PIXELS. You can make them do whatever you want. There’s no “craftsmanship”, “meticulous detail” or “quiet opulence” here, just pixels on a screen. At best, it’s a fake representation of craftsmanship. If they displayed Picasso’s “Guernica” on there, would that suddenly make this car worth nine figures? You could literally have Carl Benz farting out the numbers on the speedometer if you wanted to program it to do that. At least that would be entertaining.

Finally, we land at Mark’s Shitbox Showdown between a 1984 Renault Fuego and a 1992 Ford Tempo. Sid Bridge:

Somebody went to a ford dealership in 1992.
That somebody asked for a Tempo. I can forgive this because they were cheap and people needed cars that got them from point A to point B.
The salesman then proceeded to talk them into buying the most optioned-up Tempo on the lot, convincing the buyer that they just purchased a hot road for Tempo money.

I’m fictionalizing this last part because I assume the rest of the purchase went down like this:

The salesman blindfolds the buyer and tells him the sales manager is about to surprise him by making a huge fuss over this important purchase.

While the buyer is blindfolded, the salesman walks him past all of the Mustangs – including 5.0 Mustangs – that he could have bought for what he spent on that Tempo, giving him 100 more horsies and a convenient hatchback, and gets him quickly into the sales manager’s office.

Flashing lights and sirens go off as confetti flies everywhere and they hand him the keys to his new Tempo while selling him on undercoating and Scotch Guard. They escort him (past the Escorts, which he also could have gotten a nicer example of) to his Tempo and rush him off the lot. He spies a Mustang out of the corner of his eye, but all the salesmen quickly block his view and wave as he drives off.

Have a great evening, everyone!

Top graphic images: Nissan; AMC; Ford