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Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars for 2005
By Jeff Bryan
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We've compiled a list of the 10 most fuel-efficient cars currently sold in the U.S. based on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) miles-per-gallon ratings for city and highway travel. In order to arrive at a final hierarchy, we used the EPA's combined fuel economy formula: 55 percent of city mpg rating plus 45 percent of highway mpg rating. The rating for each vehicle below is expressed in mpg as a city/highway ratio. All ratings apply to base models equipped with a manual transmission, except where indicated otherwise with an asterisk. Also, we only allowed a given model to appear once on the list, except in the case of the Honda Civic because it's available in both gas-electric hybrid and regular gasoline versions.

1. Honda Insight — 61/66
2. Toyota Prius — 60/51*
3. Honda Civic Hybrid — 45/51
4. Volkswagen Golf TDI — 38/46
   Volkswagen Jetta TDI — 38/46
   Volkswagen New Beetle TDI — 38/46
5. Honda Civic HX — 36/44
6. Toyota Echo — 35/42
7. Toyota Corolla — 32/41
8. Scion xA — 32/37
9. Honda Accord Hybrid — 30/37*
   Pontiac Vibe — 30/36
   Toyota Matrix — 30/36
   Scion xB — 31/35*
10. Dodge Neon — 29/36
    Toyota Celica GT — 29/36*

 

#2 Toyota Prius — 60/51*

worse highway mileage? whats the * for?

 

Probably means downhill with the windows up, AC off and a tailwind.

 

and yes, hybrids generally seem to get better city because they recover energy from decelleration, which there isn't much of on the highway. their highway milage is pretty much simply because they are relativly lightweight and run on a tiny engine

 

thats what i was thinkin

 

Is it me or are there alot of cars left off that list that get that or better milage? what about Aveo?

 

26/35

 

In the end all the Hybrid #'s are really BS anyways, and when the general public finds out, I can see sales dramatically declining, at least not having people pay over MSRP....

actual GAS-MOTOR mileage/Gallons of fuel used = avg. 4 cyl mileage

the way they rate them:

miles since last fill up(elec&gas motor miles)/Gallons of fuel used = 60MPG
Last time I checked elec motors don't use fuel......

 

I think you're overanalyzing it. The point still stands that you'll go through 1 gallon of gas in roughly 60 miles.

Yes the engine is still a four cyclinder, but the electric motor eases the load so it's not running all the time.

 

hardly anyone gets 60mpg out of the prius, it's the most overrated car ever

 

i cannot believe you said that,

to put it in your simpleton ways, number of miles/number of gallons used = MPG, the fact that there was an electric motor doing some of the 'driving' is irrelevant...

this has NOTHING to do with the gasoline part of the engine burning cleaner or more efficiently, its about the work being done the same as a regular gasoline engine, just using other sources of energy, ie. the electric motor...

and, i think most of the public (or at least the non hill-billies) know this already, and appreciate the technology...

 

quite a few hybrids don't get the advertised fuel economy as it is highly dependant upon driving style and the route you take.

also don't plan on using your A/C because the electric motor can't power it and it'll just fire up the gas engine anyways.

the technology looks promising, but its not yet fully developed. give it 10 - 20 years and it'll be amazing ... just think, 30 years ago did anyone ever think that there would be a 400hp V8 could make 30+mpg hwy?

 

Which car?

GM needs to do some work on the cobalt, it should be on that list.

 

The C6 gets D*mn close. Heck the Z06 gets 26 on the highway.

 

Errr, both the Prius and the new Civic hybrid have electric A/C, engine doesn't need to be on for it to work.