The Smart and VW diesels enter the EPA's top 10 efficient cars list
The EPA has released the 2009 Fuel Economy Guide and the Smart and the VW diesels appear for the first time in the Top 10 most efficient cars list. The Smarts were not included in last year's list because they only arrived in January and the diesel VWs didn't meet pollution controls. The rest of this year's top 10 is made up of hybrids and the Yaris, with the Toyota Prius topping the list of most fuel efficient vehicle sold in America. On the opposite list (i.e., the gas hogs), the Lamborghini Murcielago takes top "honors." Find the complete Top 10 lists as well as the best mileage per category lists after the jump.[Source: EPA]
Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient cars for 2009:
| Rank | Manufacturer/Model | MPG city/highway |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Prius (hybrid) | 48/45 |
| 2 | Honda Civic Hybrid | 40/45 |
| 3 | Nissan Altima Hybrid | 35/33 |
| 4 | Ford Escape Hybrid FWD Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD |
34/31 |
| 5 | Smart Fortwo Convertible Smart Fortwo Coupe |
33/41 |
| 6 | Toyota Camry Hybrid | 33/34 |
| 7 | Volkswagon Jetta (manual, diesel) Volkswagon Jetta Sportwagon (manual, diesel) |
30/41 |
| 8 | Volkswagen Jetta (automatic, diesel) Volkswagon Jetta Sportwagon (automatic, diesel) |
29/40 |
| 9 | Toyota Yaris (manual) | 29/36 |
| 10 | Toyota Yaris (automatic) | 29/35 |
Most Fuel Efficient cars for 2009 by EPA category
| Class | Make/Model | MPG city/highway |
|---|---|---|
| Two Seater | Smart Fortwo Coupe Smart Fortwo Convertible |
33/41 |
| Minicompact Car | Mini Cooper (manual) | 28/37 |
| Subcompact Car | Toyota Yaris (manual) | 29/36 |
| Compact Car | Honda Civic Hybrid | 40/45 |
| Midsize Car | Toyota Prius (hybrid) | 48/45 |
| Large Car | Hyundai Sonata (automatic) | 22/32 |
| Small Station Wagon | Volkswagon Jetta Sportwagon (manual, diesel) | 30/41 |
| Midsize Station Wagon | Kia Rondo (2.4 L engine) | 20/27 |
| Sport Utility Vehicle | Ford Escape Hybrid FWD Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD |
34/31 |
| Minivan | Mazda 5 (manual) | 22/28 |
| Small Pickup Truck | Ford Ranger 2WD (manual, 2.3 L engine) Mazda B2300 2WD (manual) |
21/26 |
| Standard Pickup Truck | Chevrolet C15 Silverado 2WD Hybrid (automatic) GMC C15 Sierra 2WD Hybrid (automatic) |
21/22 |
| Van (Cargo) | Chevrolet G1500 Van 2WD Cargo GMC G1500 Savana 2WD Cargo |
15/20 |
| Van (Passenger) | Chevrolet G1500 Express 2WD Chevrolet H1500 Express AWD GMC G1500 Savana 2WD GMC H1500 Savana AWD |
13/16 |
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Adam Denny 1:50PM (10/17/2008)
The blog entry says the remainder of the list were hybrids, I don't think the Yaris is a hybrid?
Reply
Xavier Navarro 2:18PM (10/17/2008)
You're right.
It's fixed
DSX 3:55PM (10/17/2008)
"The rest of this year's top 10 is made up of hybrids and the Yaris,"
That one slipped by me the first time too...
Killroy 4:57PM (10/19/2008)
Again, another mistake about the VW Diese’s. Autobloggreen, EPA you can’t compare MPG of Gasoline and Diesel, its misleading. Diesel has bout 15% more energy AND CO2 per gallon, so Diesel must be converted to MPG Equivalent (MPGe) of gasoline. The VW Jetta Diesel automatic is more like 25/34 MPGe, which puts it at last place. I’m not happy with the emissions either. Put the Jetta on a diet and it would do a little better.
Reply
Bill 7:42PM (10/18/2008)
More nonsense from the anti-diesel crowd.
All you need to know is the mpg rating and the cost/gallon of whatever fuel you choose to use.
Also, the diesel cycle is significantly more efficient than any (production) spark cycle, so you CANNOT automatically say a diesel vehicle produces X% more CO2 per mile- you have to measure actual emissions:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2009_Volkswagen_Jetta.shtml
42 9:41PM (10/17/2008)
Ya think the EPA could spell "Volkswagen" right?
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Killroy 5:20PM (10/19/2008)
@Bill, your link proves my point. Looks at the tons of CO2 per year.
I'm not anti-diesel, I'm anti foreign oil, pollution and Green house gasses. The Jetta TDI (Diesel) boasts good MPG numbers, but Oil use, pollution and green house gasses are 10-15% more than a Gas car because the Jetta TDI is big and heavy like Middle America.
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