Oh for sure, the EPA testing methodology led to fuel economy readings that were on the order of 30% optimistic (probably due to lobbying from the auto industry, and Congress' self-delusion, to think that vehicles were meeting CAFE standards and thus avoiding penalties), and I believe they are being revamped to portray more realistic figures. But still, if tested under the same conditions, I would have expected the lighter, manual-equipped car to have been on the order of 1-3 mpg better than the auto in both city and highway mileage ratings.