EPA Lists 10 Most Efficient Car Since 1984

While Canadian car buyers use the EnerGuide fuel economy figures to help select their next car, US car buyers get to utilize similar figures produced by their Environmental Protection Agency; or EPA. Taking a much more dramatic role in fuel consumption of emissions control, the EPA is a huge player in the automotive market, forcing manufacturers to abide by their rules lest a vehicle be deemed unfit for the comparably huge US market. This has made the EPA a sort of benchmark for fuel economy figures and testing, with even our own EnerGuide borrowing heavily from the EPA’s city/highway testing system. In place for decades now, the EPA’s familiar MPG figure has become an icon, a literal litmus test for any given car’s alleged efficiency.

And as with so many other benchmarks, people like to keep track of them. In fact, the EPA themselves have recently published a pair of press releases listing the 10 most efficient cars in both EPA testing and the real world since 1984. The results are as follows:

The Top 10 EPA-Rated Fuel Sippers:

1.    2000 Honda Insight
2.    2010 Toyota Prius
3.    1986 Chevy Sprint ER
4.    1990-1994 Geo Metro XFI
5.    1986-1987 Honda Civic Coupe HF
6.    1994-1995 Honda Civic Hatchback VX
7.    2006-2010 Honda Civic Hybrid
8.    2010 Honda Insight
9.    2001-2003 Toyota Prius
10.    1989 Chevy Sprint and Suzuki Swift

The Top Ten Real-World Fuel Sippers:

1.    2004-2006 Honda Insight
2.    2010 Honda Insight
3.    1990-1994 Geo Metro XFI
4.    2010 Toyota Prius
5.    1999 Chevy Metro
6.    2002-2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Wagon
7.    2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid
8.    1992-1995 Honda Civic Hatchback VX
9.    2000-2003 Volkswagen Golf TDI
10.    1998-2003 Volkswagen New Beetle TDI