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Half of the cars on the Environmental Protection Agency's new top 10 fuel sippers list, 1984 to present, are 2012 models, marking the first time that newer, high-tech models are ousting the older, low-tech small cars that have been on the list for more than two decades. The "all-time" list is actually comprised of cars from 1984 to present.
The EPA's list ranks cars with internal combustion engines. According to the EPA's FuelEconomy.gov, the cars with the best fuel economy are:
| Rank | Vehicle model and configuration | EPA rating (mpg) | ||
| Combined | City | Highway | ||
| 1 | Chevrolet Volt (2011-12)
Plug-in hybrid, 4-cylinder, 1.4-liter, auto (variable gear ratios), premium gasoline |
60 | 58 | 62 |
| 2 | Honda Insight (2000)
3-cylinder, 1.0-liter, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline |
53 | 49 | 61 |
| 3 | Toyota Prius (2010-12)
4-cylinder, 1.8-liter, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline |
50 | 51 | 48 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Sprint ER (1986)
3-cylinder, 1.0-liter, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline |
48 | 44 | 53 |
| 5 | Geo Metro (1986)
3-cylinder, 1.0-liter, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline |
47 | 43 | 52 |
| 6 | Honda Civic CRX HF (1986-87)
4-cylinder, 1.5-liter, manual 5-speed, regular |
46 | 42 | 51 |
| 7 | Honda Civic Hybrid (2012)
4-cylinder, 1.5-liter, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline |
44 | 44 | 44 |
| 8 | Honda Civic HB VX (1994-95)
4-cylinder, 1.5-liter, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline |
43 | 39 | 50 |
| 9 | Toyota Prius v (2012)
4-cylinder, 1.8-liter, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline |
42 | 44 | 40 |
| 10 | Lexus CT 200h (2011-12)
4-cylinder, 1.8-liter, automatic (variable gear ratios), regular gasoline |
42 | 43 | 40 |
Of the cars on the list that are available as 2012 models, two of them are new or redesigned for the 2012 model year -- the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius v. Of the five cars available as 2012 models, the Toyota Prius is the least expensive in the lineup, starting at $23,520.
Tara Baukus Mello writes the cars blog as well as the weekly Driving for Dollars column, providing both practical financial advice for consumers as well as insight into the latest developments in the automotive world. Follow her on Facebook here or on Twitter @SheDrives.
Why did you leave out VW diesels?