Autoblog

EPA reveals top 10 most fuel-efficient cars since 1984, original Honda Insight takes top honors

Autoblog Staff — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback

Top Ten EPA-rated Fuel Sippers (1984 to present) - Click above for image gallery

Fuel efficiency has increased dramatically in the last decade, or at least that's what we've been told. So it might come as a surprise to find out that six of the Top Ten EPA-rated Fuel Sippers from 1984 to present were built prior to 2000. Don't believe it? We didn't either, but this info comes straight from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) website, the authoritative source on this fuel efficiency stuff.

While some current vehicles, such as the 2010 Toyota Prius, 2010 Honda Insight and the 2006-2010 Honda Civic Hybrid, garnered a spot on the top ten list, it's really older lightweight models like the 1986 Chevy Sprint ER or 1990-1994 Geo Metro XFI that make it obvious efficiency hasn't come as far as we'd like to think.

Overall, Honda holds top honors for automakers with five models present on the list, while Toyota's Prius made its mark twice. All of the vehicles on the list run with either 3- or 4-cylinder engines and five out of the top ten rely on hybrid motivation. The overall winner, the 2000 Honda Insight (pictured above), scores a combined rating of 53 miles per gallon, a number that exceeds even the modern-day Prius by three mpg.

In many cases, we've been mistakenly led to believe that buying a new car equates to increased efficiency, but this list clearly shows that many of the relics from days gone by can easily hold their own with the most efficient vehicles made today. However, finding a running example of some of these old fuel sippers may prove impossible and we'd venture to guess that many of them are far from safe to drive by today's standards. Check out all ten fuel sippers in our gallery below.

Gallery: Top Ten EPA-rated Fuel Sippers (1984 to present)

[Source: Environmental Protection Agency]

EPA reveals top 10 most fuel-efficient cars since 1984, original Honda Insight takes top honors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Ford Fusion 4-banger scores best-in-class 23/34 mpg!

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:04:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Ford

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Ford Fusion

When we drove the thoroughly refreshed Fusion out in California after the LA Auto Show, it proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable ride. It now turns out that the Fusion is not only fun to drive, but also fuel efficient in forms other than the new Fusion Hybrid. The EPA has just finished crunching the numbers on fuel consumption for the four-cylinder Fusion and Mercury Milan, and the results are good. Very good. The 2.5L four-cylinder with new six-speed automatic is rated at 23 mpg city and 34 mpg on the highway. By comparison, the 2009 2.3L Fusion was rated at just 20/28 mpg.

Those numbers are good enough to beat out every other four-cylinder mid-size sedan sold in the U.S. Compared to offerings from Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Chevrolet and Hyundai, it beats the the Altima's 23 mpg city mileage and the Malibu's 33 mpg highway number.

Related:

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion Sport

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion SEL

Continue reading 2010 Ford Fusion 4-banger scores best-in-class 23/34 mpg!

2010 Ford Fusion 4-banger scores best-in-class 23/34 mpg! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan ECO Pedal puts pressure on lead foots

Michael Harley — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Green, Nissan

As if "shift lights" weren't annoying enough... Nissan's new "ECO pedal" has been engineered to encourage good fuel economy with a servo-actuated gas pedal that will push back on the driver's lead foot when on-board computers detect wasteful acceleration. According to Nissan, vehicles equipped with the ECO pedal, and real-time fuel consumption gauges in the instrument panel, have returned a 5-10 percent increase in fuel efficiency. The Japanese automaker says it has plans to begin installing the ECO pedal in models next year, although there is no word on what models, or markets, will get the system. We're betting it's an option unlikely to show up on the GT-R anytime in the near future.

[Source: Reuters]

Nissan ECO Pedal puts pressure on lead foots originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota planning second hybrid model, along with rebadged Lexus variant

Michael Harley — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Green, Toyota

To feed the insatiable demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, and follow the striking success of the Toyota Prius, the Japanese automaker will introduce a second hybrid-only vehicle in 2009. The all-new model will have a 2- to 2.5-liter engine, suggesting it will be larger than their current popular four-door hybrid (the Prius uses a 1.5-liter gasoline powerplant). The new model will be sold side-by-side with the Prius, Camry Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid. Toyota will also sell a rebadged version under the upscale Lexus brand, where it will join the LS Hybrid, GS Hybrid, and RX Hybrid. Toyota's master plan is to sell 1 million hybrid vehicles annually throughout the world, and considering the market, there's little doubt that the automaker can pull it off. Toyota's next hybrid debut is scheduled for Detroit in January, and we'll be there to cover it.

[Source: Daily Times]

Toyota planning second hybrid model, along with rebadged Lexus variant originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to keep your land barge and still drive green(ish)

Chris Tutor — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:04:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hybrid, Green, First Drives

These days it seems more common to overhear comments about a particular car's appalling fuel economy than idle chatter about the weather, which makes sense when a gallon of gas costs as much as a cheap umbrella. For instance, just the other day there was some guy going on about how his car was getting 3 mpg less than just a few months ago and had no idea why. That is until it was pointed out to him that his car's adjustable luggage rack was in its full, upright position, giving his car the aerodynamic efficiency of a cinder block.

That's just one of the points Forbes includes on its list of things to do so you can drive green without buying a new car. Improving your gas-guzzling vehicle's sleekness by losing that luggage rack, ditching that inefficient and egregiously ugly three-foot-tall spoiler and quit sticking your hand out the window are all little things that add up to an appreciable difference at the pump.

Most of the advice is common sense we've all heard before, but Sebastian Blanco, editor of AutoblogGreen, offered a novel suggestion for the list. Reduce your car's weight by only filling up half the tank. One gallon of gasoline can weigh as much as 6.5 lbs. On a 2008 Ford Escape, a half a tank of gas weighs 53 pounds.

Like the Forbes article points out, there's only so much you can do to curb a car's drinking habit, especially if you're driving something like an Escalade. But in smaller, lighter cars, even small steps like this can make a big difference in your fuel bill.

[Source: Forbes.com]

How to keep your land barge and still drive green(ish) originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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