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The Ten Highest Mileage Cars (They’re Small)
By JLP | August 21, 2006
I was just over on the JD Power website and I found their list of cars with the highest gas mileage or fuel efficiency. Here’s the list (as you can tell, they are all high mileage cars!):
Honda Insight – 66 mpg highway/60 mpg city
Toyota Prius Hybrid – 51 mpg highway/60 mpg city
Honda Civic Hybrid CVT PZEV – 51 mpg highway/49 mpg city (even the standard Civic gets 40 mpg highway/30 mpg city)
Volkswagen New Beetle GLS TDI – 46 mpg highway/38 mpg city
Volkswagen Golf GL TDI – 46 mpg highway/38 mpg city
Volkswagen Jetta GL 1.9 TDI – 46 mpg highway/38 mpg city
Toyota Echo – 42 mpg highway/35 mpg city
Toyota Corolla LE – 41 mpg highway/32 mpg city
Scion xA 4AT – 38 mpg highway/31 mpg city
Kia Rio Cinco 4AT – 38 mpg highway/29 mpg city
Three of the top six are Volkswagens. Toyota also makes a nice showing. But where are the GM cars?
Topics: Cars, Hybrids | 14 Comments »
August 21st, 2006 at 12:59 pm
On the side of the road or in the shop?
August 21st, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Don’t let the small exterior size of the Prius fool you!! It has as much slightly more head and leg room than a Camry (it’s a little smaller on hip/shoulder)!
August 21st, 2006 at 2:28 pm
ug. Fuel economy is only worth so much .. I’ll stick with my monte carlo and rendezvous. Plenty of room, and they don’t look like an insect.
August 21st, 2006 at 3:49 pm
denon,
You have a Rendezvous? We do too and have really enjoyed it. Ours is a 2002 CX that is nearly loaded. I think the only difference between our lower-priced CX and CXL is that ours didn’t come with the roof racks, and AWD. I added the roof racks, and I don’t care about AWD.
August 21st, 2006 at 6:05 pm
how does the prius get more mpg in the city?
August 21st, 2006 at 6:08 pm
I’m not sure exactly how it works but it has to do with the fact that it is a hybrid.
August 21st, 2006 at 7:10 pm
The hybrids charge the batteries as the car brakes. city driving requires alot of braking creating more battery charge.
I have a jetta TDI 2005, I usually get around 50 mpg. this years model might differ. Also i try and buy biodisel when its available.
August 21st, 2006 at 7:28 pm
dwarfcadaver is right about the breaking, but I’d also like to note that at lower speeds and the conditions of city driving, the electric motor is more likely to be used more than the gasoline engine. So the combination of using electric, plus contributing power back to the batteries, means less gas is used altogether.
I have a ’02 Echo and absolutely love it. I just got back from a trip up to Wisconsin (from Asheville, NC), and it only cost us a little more than $60 one way. We’re planning on getting my wife a new Corrola here in a couple months, then after paying that off I may consider a hybrid. I just want to give it another five years or so to see where things go.
August 23rd, 2006 at 1:54 am
Remember that EPA estimates for hybrids tend to be somewhat optimistic. See, for example:
http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/
I know several people with Priuses who never see close to the EPA estimates, despite driving “correctly”. They seem to be farther from EPA estimates both on an absolute and relative basis than non-hybrid vehicles.
The Volkswagen TDIs, on the other hand, do come pretty close to the EPA estimates. Unfortunately the TDI will not be available in 2007 model year Volkswagens, because of new stricter emissions standards for diesels. Also, VW reliability is well below Honda and Toyota. Allegedly Honda is coming out with a small diesel in 2008; that’s the engine I’d like!
August 23rd, 2006 at 7:21 pm
I really like that Civic….
August 25th, 2006 at 5:21 am
Star Money Articles for the Week of August 21
Here are interesting posts and news this week from the MoneyBlogNetwork members and beyond: MightyBargainHunter lists ten unconventional uses for the penny. Five Cent Nickel says Dish Network customer service STILL sucks. Blueprint for Financial Prospe…
December 6th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
I don’t think it’s all that worth it to buy a hybrid rather than other small compact vehicles that are on the list. I have a comparison between the Toyota Prius and the Toyota Yaris, and basically, it will take about 20 years for the Prius to make up the money saved. Bottomline, buy hybrids if you want to be more environmentally friendly. Otherwise, it’s not worth it. If interested, you can see my comparison at this link:
http://ramblingnews.blogspot.com/2006/11/hybrids-vs-economy-carsworth-extra.html
November 10th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Rambling News – your analysis does not look at resale value, insurance costs, safety, interior room and comfort, or cargo handling.
Your analysis is, for me, very incomplete.
August 12th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
electric motors would sometimes overheat if they are not properly ventilated:’~