U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Program

Fact #292: November 3, 2003
Most Fuel-Efficient MY 2004 Cars by Size Class

The U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released fuel economy data for model year 2004 cars and light trucks in the 2004 Fuel Economy Guide. Listed below are the most efficient cars in each size class. The most efficient vehicle overall is the Honda Insight, which is a hybrid vehicle fueled by both gasoline and electricity. (Source: EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Web site).

		MPG
		City	Hwy
Most Efficient Two-Seaters
	Honda Insight (Hybrid) 3 cyl, 1 L, Manual(5)	60	66
	Honda Insight (Hybrid) 3 cyl, 1 L, Automatic(variable)	57	56
Most Efficient Minicompact Cars
	MINI Cooper 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Manual(5), Premium	28	37
	MINI Cooper 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Auto(variable), Premium	25	32
Most Efficient Subcompact Cars
	VW New Beetle (Diesel) 4 cyl, 1.9 L, Manual(5)	38	46
	VW New Beetle (Diesel) 4 cyl, 1.9 L, Automatic(S6)	36	42
Most Efficient Compact Cars
	Honda Civic Hybrid 4 cyl, 1.3 L, Automatic(Variable), Regular	48	47
	Honda Civic Hybrid 4 cyl, 1.3 L, Manual(5), Regular	46	51
Most Efficient Midsize Cars
	Toyota Prius (Hybrid) 4 cyl, 1.5 L, Automatic(Variable), Regular	59	51
	Hyundai Elantra 4 cyl, 2 L, Manual(5), Regular	27	34
Most Efficient Large Cars
	Chevrolet Malibu Maxx 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Automatic(4), Regular	22	30
	Chevrolet Impala 6 cyl, 3.4 L, Auto(4), Regular	21	32
Most Efficient Small Station Wagons
	Volkswagen Jetta Wagon (Diesel) 4 cyl, 1.9 L, Manual(5)	36	47
	Volkswagen Jetta Wagon (Diesel) 4 cyl, 1.9 L, Automatic(S5)	33	44
Most Efficient Midsize Station Wagons
	Ford Focus Station Wagon 4 cyl, 2 L, Manual(5), Regular	26	33
	Ford Focus Station Wagon 4 cyl, 2 L, Automatic(4), Regular	25	30

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