Japanese Vehicles Prevail in Fuel Economy Survey
Japanese vehicles dominate the government’s annual list of vehicles with the best fuel economy, but Ford Motor Co. can claim the most fuel-efficient pickup and sport utility vehicle.
The manual version of Honda Motor Co.’s hybrid Insight tops the list of 2005 vehicles, with 61 miles per gallon in the city and 66 mpg on the highway, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Department said Thursday. Eight of the top 10 cars are made by Honda and Toyota Motor Corp.; the other two are from Volkswagen.
The Big Three U.S. makers fared well in some individual categories. The new Ford Escape hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV, with 31 mpg on the highway, and the Ford Ranger is the most fuel-efficient pickup, with 29 mpg on the highway. General Motors Corp.’s Chevrolet makes the most fuel-efficient large sedan, the Malibu Maxx, as well as the most fuel-efficient cargo and passenger vans.
The automatic version of DaimlerChrysler’s Dodge Ram pickup, which gets 12 mpg on the highway, was the least fuel-efficient vehicle in the survey. Luxury cars, including models from Lamborghini, Ferrari and Bentley, rounded out the list of the 10 least fuel-efficient vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG, which gets 14 mpg on the highway, had the worst fuel economy among SUVs. Mercedes is a unit of DaimlerChrysler.
The EPA and the Energy Department compile the annual list based on information from manufacturers. Fuel economy estimates are determined by averaging numbers from a specific set of tests.
The Sierra Club criticized the list, saying it focused too much on vehicles most Americans didn’t buy, such as the Bentley, and not enough on popular gas guzzlers including the Range Rover, with 16 mpg on the highway. It also faulted the list for omitting some of the largest vehicles, such as the Hummer H2 and Ford’s Excursion, because the law exempts vehicles weighing more than 8,500 pounds from fuel-economy standards.
Environmentalists also have said the EPA’s tests are inaccurate and overstate fuel-efficiency. The tests, which have been in use since 1985, assume a national speed limit of 55 mph and don’t take into account increasing congestion in cities.
The EPA said it planned to propose changes to its tests next year to more accurately reflect current conditions.
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Top and bottom five The Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Department on Thursday released their annual list of vehicles that are the most and least fuel-efficient. Numbers for 2005 models are listed.
Most fuel-efficient
Model (MPG city/highway) 1. Honda Insight (manual, hybrid) 61/66 2. Toyota Prius (hybrid) 60/51 3. Honda Insight (automatic, hybrid) 57/56 4. Honda Civic Hybrid (automatic, lean burn) 48/47 5. Honda Civic Hybrid (automatic) 47/48
Least fuel-efficient
Model (MPG city/highway) 1. Dodge Ram Pickup (two-wheel-drive automatic) 9/12 2. Lamborghini L-147/148 Murcielago 9/13 3. Dodge Ram Pickup (two-wheel-drive manual) 9/15 (Tie) Lamborghini L-140/141 Gallardo 9/15 4. Bentley Arnage, Arnage LWB 10/14 5. Lamborghini L-147/148 Murcielago (automatic) 10/15
Source: Associated Press
