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Consumer Reports: Best, worst cars for fuel efficiency
Magazine releases its annual fuel efficiency ratings, and the Toyota Prius comes out on top.
Fri, Apr 23 2010 at 3:13 PM
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Photo: Toyota
Although Toyota has been plagued with recall after recall, the company is still receiving some positive press. Consumer Reports recently ranked the company’s best-selling hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius, as the most fuel-efficient vehicle on American roads today. The recent issue of Consumer Reports feature passenger vehicles with the best and worst fuel efficiency. These rankings were reached after the magazine tested each vehicle’s fuel efficiency in a real-world setting, as opposed to just using the official EPA fuel efficiency ratings.
Although the official EPA combined fuel efficiency rating for the winning Prius is 50 mpg, Consumer Reports' real-world testing led to a 44-mpg rating. Second place goes to the Smart ForTwo Passion. The tiny two-seater achieved 39 mpg. The Insight EX, Honda’s newest hybrid vehicle, tied for third place with the Volkswagen Golf TDI manual transmission with a 38-mpg rating.
The rest of the top 10 list:
- Honda Civic Hybrid – 37 mpg
- Ford Fusion Hybrid – 34 mpg
- Scion xD (manual) – 34 mpg
- Toyota Camry Hybrid – 34 mpg
- Honda Fit Sport (manual) – 33 mpg
- Mini Cooper (manual) – 33 mpg
When there is a 10 best list, there is typically a 10 worst list. Consumer Reports also ranked the 10 vehicles with the worst overall fuel efficiency. Unfortunately domestic automakers take seven of the 10 spots on this list, led by Ford with the 10 mpg F-250 Lariat diesel engine. The Ford’s real-world fuel economy was even worse than the Hummer H2, which came in with an 11-mpg rating.
The rest of the worst mpg list includes: - Cadillac Escalade (13 mpg)
- Chevrolet Avalanche LT 5.3 (13 mpg)
- Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ (13 mpg)
- Ford Expedition EL Eddie Bauer (13 mpg)
- Jeep Commander Limited 5.7 (13 mpg)
- Lincoln Navigator Ultimate (13 mpg)
- Nissan Armada LE (13 mpg)
- Nissan Titan SE (13 mpg)
Only one of the Detroit 3 automakers (Chrysler, Ford and General Motors) had a vehicle on the top 10 list, yet these three companies dominated the list of vehicles with the worst real-world fuel economy. Domestic automakers have got to make huge strides in improving fuel efficiency across their product lines. One can only hope that when Consumer Reports repeats these rankings in coming years, we’ll see the Chevrolet Volt and other fuel-efficient domestic vehicles have more of a presence on the most fuel-efficient vehicles' list.
Photo: General Motors
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nice report by this post. great for share this with everyone.When the Prius was born at the dawn of the 21st century, it combined the power of an engine and a motor in the world's first mass production hybrid car.
this new car provides really a big relief from increasing high rates of fuel.
recently rented a 2012 ford focus ECO. got 44mpg @ 70mph with the a/c on... Man, was i surprised, plus it was fun to drive and easy to park..
The Smart for two with the 799cc diesel engine is giving us 100 km per gallon or close to 25 km per liter at regular hi-way speeds. Which was better than my 800 cc Kawasaki motor cycle.But maintenance costs are so high that I would not recommend anybody to buy one.
I have a 2006 Dodge 2500 diesel, 4wd, extended cab. It is a great ruck. I get 16-17 mpg hauling a 34' Airstream, 18-20 mpg around town, and up to 24mpg highway, no trailer. It is possible to be better than an Escalade, Silverado, or Expedition. Even with the higher price of diesel, I'm ahead.
I have a 2004 manual transmission Civic Hybrid and get over 50 miles per gallon, 53 in the warm weather. I can't understand how the newer ones only get 37 mpg or why they don't make the manual transmission any longer.
Because fewer and fewer people know how to use a manual, that is probably why they discontinued it.
12 mpg n m still good
I have a 06 Mariner, I love her. She is a hybred. I get for city driving between 27 - 33 mpg and highway gets 44 - 52 mpg. Depends if we are driving flat or mountain. This car has been the best investments we have made. She will be my 10 + year car. Her name is Issy, My Granddaughter named her.
I had a 81 Rabbit diesel, that lasted over 100,000 miles and never got less than 44 mpg! It was a great little car with lots of room. I wished someone would build something like that again
I have the successor to your Rabbit, a 1985 VW Golf with a 1.6 liter diesel, and like you, I get about 40 MPG. Been making my own fuel, biodiesel, from waste vegetable oil at a cost of about $1 per gallon. My way of flipping the bird to the oil companies.
It's a great car. I removed the back seat and the passenger seat to make room for a bed, so it's a one-person camper, great for long road trips. Drove it from California to Massachusetts last summer, loved traveling that way.
I had a 81 Rabbit diesel, that lasted over 100,000 miles and never got less than 44 mpg! It was a great little car with lots of room. I wished someone would build something like that again
It doesnt matter what you drive, If you want to save gas, Make a few simple changes to your driving habits. Slow down sooner for stops, accelerate slowly. Be respectful of other drivers on the road. I drive a 2003 Dodge dakoda Quad cab. Got 18 MPG on a trip from Ms to Va and back, that includes mountain driving.
I have a 99 civic hatch i use for commuting. 5 speed manual tranny on a 12 gallon tank i get 350 miles on a full tank in the city and 450 on the highway and and i acelerate all i want and slam the brakes all i want, put the cheapest gas. Got it for $1800, costs $32 to top off the tank. If everybody was logical they would have a little commuter car to get around town. My corvette is only for the weekends:)
My Avalanche gets 16 around town and 18 on the hwy and will pull a prius until the toyota falls apart
Your avalanche will run out of gas more than likely before and the owner of the prius will have to give you a ride to the nearest gas station you idiot!
MPG not bad with small V8. Good trade off for comfort. Just pasted 50,000 miles with only normal maintance. Change oil every 5K miles and use Mobil 1 and Mobil 1 oil filter. Will buy another Lincoln or try Caddilac. Haven't decided.
MPG not bad with small V8. Good trade off for comfort. Just pasted 50,000 miles with only normal maintance. Change oil every 5K miles and use Mobil 1 and Mobil 1 oil filter. Will buy another Lincoln or try Caddilac. Haven't decided.
I've got a 2002 VW Golf TDI (diesel) that consistently gets about 50 mpg (up to 58 on a good, long cross-country drive). I just love it. Seats 4 adults comfortably, or the seats fold down to accommodate a huge amount of cargo. Starts easily in the winter even though I don't have a garage and park outside in Wisconsin.
I've been lucky with Mitshibitshi cars since leaving the Ford Tempo. Yea! that's waaay bk in the days. Before purchasing the Endeav I had an outlander. Both cars served me well over 80,000 without any problems. The only thing the Outlander which was a smaller vechicle burned more gas than the Endeavor?
Mitsubishi
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