EPA Lists Cars with Best Fuel Economy, Past and Present
The federal fueleconomy.gov site that carries information from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency about fuel economy, fuel prices and related topics released its annual list of cars with the best fuel economy.
One notable development is that all of the vehicles on the top-10 list for the 2012 model year have pure electric or hybrid powertrains. The results reflect the growing range of these vehicles available as well as their overall efficiency, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The site also named the top-10 cars in fuel-economy rankings dating to 1984. While half of the all-time greats on this year’s list are 2012 models, it is still worth noting that cars like a mid-1980s Chevy Sprint, a mid-1990s Honda Civic and the 2000 Honda Insight hybrid make the cut despite their advanced age. Older, relatively low-tech vehicles apparently still have a few lessons for modern automotive engineers.
The following charts show which cars lead the pack in fuel economy today, and which older models are still among the all-time leaders.
Top Ten Fuel Economy: Vehicles with Internal Combustion Engines, 1984 to Present*
Rank | Vehicle Model and Configuration | EPA Rating (mpge)* | |||
Combined | City | Highway | |||
1 | Chevrolet Volt (2011–12)Plug-in hybrid, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, auto (variable gear ratios), premium gasoline | 60** | 58 | 62 | |
2 | Honda Insight (2000)3 cyl, 1.0L, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline | 53 | 49 | 61 | |
3 | ToyotaPrius (2010–12)4 cyl, 1.8L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 50 | 51 | 48 | |
4 | Chevrolet Sprint ER (1986)3 cyl, 1.0L, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline | 48 | 44 | 53 | |
5 | Geo Metro (1986)3 cyl, 1.0L, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline | 47 | 43 | 52 | |
6 | Honda Civic CRX HF (1986–87)4 cyl, 1.5L, manual 5-speed, regular | 46 | 42 | 51 | |
7 | Honda Civic Hybrid(2012)4 cyl, 1.5L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 44 | 44 | 44 | |
8 | Honda Civic HB VX (1994–95)4 cyl, 1.5L, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline | 43 | 39 | 50 | |
9 | ToyotaPrius v(2012)4 cyl, 1.8L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 42 | 44 | 40 | |
10 | Lexus CT 200h(2011–12)4 cyl, 1.8L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 42 | 43 | 40 | |
Top Ten Fuel-Economy: All-Electric Vehicles, 1984 to Present
Rank | Vehicle Model and Configuration | EPA Rating (mpge)* | |||
Combined | City | Highway | |||
1 | Mitsubishi i-MiEV (2012) | 112 | 126 | 99 | |
2 | Nissan Leaf (2011–12) | 99 | 106 | 92 | |
3 | MINI Mini E (2008) | 98 | 102 | 94 | |
4 | smart fortwo electric drive cabriolet (2011) | 87 | 94 | 79 | |
smart fortwo electric drive coupe (2011) | |||||
5 | Nissan Altra EV (2000) | 85 | 81 | 91 | |
6 | GMC EV1 (1999) | 85 | 79 | 84 | |
7 | Toyota RAV4 EV (2002–03) | 78 | 87 | 69 | |
8 | Nissan Hyper-Mini (2001) | 75 | 84 | 66 | |
9 | Ford Th!nk (2001) | 65 | 74 | 58 | |
10 | Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Wagon(2012) | 62 | 62 | 62 | |
Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Van(2012) | |||||
The list of top ten fuel economy vehicles for the 2012 model year is comprised solely of hybrids, all-electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrids.
Top Ten Fuel Economy: 2012 Model Year Vehicles, All Types
Rank | Vehicle Model and Configuration | EPA Rating (mpge)* | |||
Combined | City | Highway | |||
1 | Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric vehicle | 112 | 126 | 99 | |
2 | Nissan Leaf Electric vehicle | 99 | 106 | 92 | |
3 | Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Van Electric vehicle | 62 | 62 | 62 | |
Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Wagon Electric vehicle | |||||
4 | Chevrolet VoltPlug-in hybrid, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, auto (variable gear ratios), premium gasoline | 60** | 58 | 62 | |
5 | ToyotaPrius4 cyl, 1.8L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 50 | 51 | 48 | |
6 | Honda Civic Hybrid4 cyl, 1.5L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 44 | 44 | 44 | |
7 | ToyotaPrius v4 cyl, 1.8L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 42 | 44 | 40 | |
8 | Lexus CT 200h4 cyl, 1.8 L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 42 | 43 | 40 | |
9 | Honda Insight4 cyl, 1.3 L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 42 | 41 | 44 | |
Honda Insight4 cyl, 1.3 L, automatic (AV-S7), regular gasoline | |||||
10 | Toyota Camry Hybrid LE4 cyl, 2.5 L, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline | 41 | 43 | 39 | |
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