DOE and EPA Release the 2007 Fuel Economy Guide
October 17, 2006
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The Toyota Prius is the most fuel efficient vehicle by default, since Honda has stopped making the Insight. |
DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released the 2007 Fuel Economy Guide, which provides listings of the 2007 model year vehicles that are fuel economy leaders, both overall and by vehicle class. Hybrid vehicles lead the way for overall fuel economy with the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the front-wheel-drive version of the Ford Escape Hybrid topping the list, and the four-wheel-drive version of the Ford Escape Hybrid tying with the new Mercury Mariner Hybrid in tenth place. And while the 2006 list included three diesel vehicles from Volkswagen, on the 2007 list those vehicles have been replaced by the new generation of small cars, including the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, and Kia Rio. An old standard, the Toyota Corolla, has moved up from tenth to seventh place, but missing from the list is the Honda Insight hybrid, which has been discontinued. Since its introduction in model year 2000, the Insight led the fuel economy list for all seven years of its production. See the DOE press release and the EPA listings of mileage leaders for this year and the past four years.
The 2007 Fuel Economy Guide also includes a long list of flex-fuel vehicles that can burn either gasoline or E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The list includes select models of Chevrolet vans; the Chevrolet Avalanche, Impala, Monte Carlo, Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe; the Chrysler Aspen and Sebring; the Dodge Ram and Durango; the Ford Crown Victoria and F150 Pickup; the GMC Savana, Sierra, and Yukon; the Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee; the Lincoln Town Car; the Mercury Grand Marquis; the Mercedes-Benz C230; and the Nissan Armada and Titan. See the list on the Fuel Economy Web site.
Manufacturers and EPA both test vehicles based on EPA specifications to determine fuel economy estimates prior to sale. In February, EPA recommended updating the test specifications to be more reliable and reflect driver experiences. The updates to the fuel economy tests are expected in time for the 2008 model year vehicles. The EPA also provides the Green Vehicle Guide Web site, which allows consumers to locate the cleanest running and most fuel-efficient vehicles. See the 2007 Fuel Economy Guide and the EPA Green Vehicle Guide.