Gabe Khouli
June 30, 2007 11:44 pm
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4. If I want good mpg in a new car, which models should I consider — and which should I avoid?
Here is a listing of the best and worst 2007 vehicles (less in a few cases) for mpg in every class of vehicle as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency. A price limit of $50,000 was set to eliminate luxury vehicles such as Lamborghinis and Ferraris, which often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and had by far the worst mpg ratings.
Manufacturer Model *Transmission City MPG Highway MPG **Gas Type Price
Two Seaters
Best
Mazda MX 5 M 25 30 P $21,180
Lotus Elise M 24 30 R $47,195
Pontiac Solstice M 22 31 P $27,115
Saturn Sky M 22 31 P $29,025
BMW Z4 3.0i A 21 30 P $37,175
Worst
BMW Z4 M Coupe M(M6) 16 24 P $41,175
Chrysler Crossfire Coupe M(M6) 17 25 P $30,435
Mercedes-Benz SLK350 M(M6) 18 25 P $48,175
Nissan 350Z Roadster A(S5) 19 25 P $37,175
Honda S2000 M(M6) 20 26 P $34,845
Minicompact Cars
Best
Mini Mini Cooper S M(M6) 29 36 P $22,600
Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible M(M5) 22 30 R $22,880
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder A(S5) 18 26 P $29,794
Mini Cooper M(M6) 32 40 P $18,700
Mini Cooper S Convertible M(M6) 24 31 P $26,050
Worst
There was not enough disparity among the mpg ratings in this class to compile a list of the worst.
Subcompact
Best
Toyota Yaris M 34 40 R $12,645
Honda Civic DX Coupe A 30 40 R $16,205
Chevrolet Aveo M 30 39 R $12,575
Chevrolet Cobalt M 25 34 R $13,790
Pontiac G5/Pursuit M 25 34 R $15,390
Worst
Ford Mustang M(M6) 15 21 P $42,975
Saab 9-3 Convertible A(S6) 17 28 R $43,845
Mazda RX-8 M(M6) 18 24 P $27,030
Subaru Impreza AWD M(M6) 19 25 P $34,120
Infiniti G35 Coupe A(S5) 18 25 P $34,165
Compact
Best
Honda Civic Hybrid A 49 51 R $23,195
Toyota Corolla M 32 41 R $14,925
Hyundai Accent M 32 35 R $13,245
Kia Rio A 29 38 R $11,350
Ford Focus M 27 37 R $14,660
Worst
Mercedes-Benz CLS550 A(L7) 15 22 P $49,975
Volvo S60 R AWD A(S6) 17 25 P $33,430
Audi A4 Quattro M(M6) 17 27 P $37,215
Mercedes-Benz C350 4MATIC A(L5) 19 24 P $41,175
Mercedes-Benz C230 M(M6) 19 25 P $30,425
Midsize Cars
Best
Toyota Prius Hybrid A 60 51 R $22,795
Nissan Altima Hybrid A 42 36 A $25,615
Toyota Camry Hybrid A 40 38 R $26,820
Nissan Sentra A 29 36 A $16,175
Nissan Versa M 30 34 M $13,175
Worst
Volvo S80 AWD A(S6) 17 25 P $48,045
Cadillac CTS M(M6) 17 26 R $33,530
Jaguar X-Type Sport BrakeA(L5) 18 24 P $34,995
Cadillac CTS M(M6) 17 27 R $30,670
Lincoln-Mercuy MKZ AWD A(L6) 18 26 R $31,915
Large Cars
Best
Hyundai Sonata M 24 34 R $17,995
Toyota Avalon A 24 33 R $27,295
Chevrolet Impala A 21 31 R $21,700
Ford Five Hundred A 21 29 R $23,785
Lincoln-Mercury Montego A 21 29 R $24,585
Worst
Chrysler 300/SRT-8 A(L5) 14 20 P $43,383
Dodge Charger A(L5) 14 20 P $36,720
Ford Crown Victoria A(L4) 17 25 R $25,445
Lincoln-Mercury Grand Marquis A(L4) 17 25 R $25,735
Lincoln-Mercury Town Car A(L4) 17 25 R $43,045
Small Station Wagons
Best
Honda Fit Hatchback M 33 38 R $14,445
Pontiac Vibe M 30 36 R $17,345
Toyota Matrix A 29 34 R $16,030
Audi A3 A 25 32 P $27,595
Suzuki SX4 A 26 33 R $16,724
Worst
Saab 9-3 Sportcombi A(S6) 17 28 R $34,445
Audi A4 Avant Quattro M(M6) 17 27 P $38,215
Volvo V50 AWD M(M6) 19 27 P $30,885
BMW 328XI Sport Wagon M(M6) 19 28 P $36,875
BMW 328XI Sport Wagon A(S6) 20 27 P $25,120
Midsize Station Wagons
Best
Volkswagen Passat Wagon A 23 31 P $26,085
Subaru Legacy Wagon A 23 30 R $25,920
Volvo V70 FWD M(M5) 22 29 P $30,740
Kia Rondo A 21 29 R $16,995
Mazda Mazda 5 Wagon M 22 27 R $18,330
Worst
Volvo V70 R AWD M(M6) 18 24 P $41,635
Volkswagen Passat Wagon 4Motion A(S6) 18 26 P $33,960
Audi A6 Avant Quattro A(S6) 19 27 P $48,775
Subaru Legacy Wagon AWD A(S5) 19 25 P $31,520
Mazda 6 Sport Wagon A(S6) 20 27 R $24,785
Standard Pickups 2-Wheel Drive
Best
Mazda B2300 M 24 29 R $16,170
Toyota Tacoma M 23 28 R $14,825
Nissan Frontier M 22 25 R $16,755
Worst
Lincoln Mark LT A(L4) 14 18 R $39,050
Nissan Titan 2WD A(L5) 14 18 R $27,295
Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD M(M6) 14 19 R $26,000
Toyota Toyota Tundra 2WD A(S5) 15 18 R $24,075
Standard Pickups 4-Wheel DrivE
Best
Toyota Tacoma M 19 23 R $18,770
Chevrolet Colorado A 16 23 R $24,495
GMC Canyon A 16 22 R $24,625
Nissan Frontier M 17 21 R $24,205
Isuzu I-370 Crew Cab A(L4) 16 22 R $28,043
Worst
Dodge Ram 1500 4WD A(L5) 14 18 R 26760
Nissan Titan 4WD A(L5) 14 18 R 30495
Ford F150 4WD A(L4) 14 18 R 30750
Lincoln Mark LT A(L4) 14 18 R 42150
Cargo Vans
Best
Chevrolet G1500/2500 A 15 20 R $23,080
GMC G1500/2500 Savana A 15 20 R $23,080
Worst
GMC G15/25 Savana 2WD Cargo Conversion A(L4) 14 18 R $27,795
Chevrolet H1500 Van Conv AWD A(L4) 14 18 R $27,795
Passenger Vans
Best
Chevrolet G1500/2500 Express A 14 18 R $26,660
GMC G1500/2500 Savana Pass A 14 18 R $26,660
Worst
Too few vans in this class to compile a list of worst mpg.
Minivans
Best
Dodge Caravan A 20 26 R $19,770
Toyota Sienna A 19 26 R $24,800
Chrysler Voyager A 19 26 R $22,410
Honda Odyssey A 19 26 R $31,690
Chevrolet Uplander A 18 25 R $20,970
Saturn Relay A 18 25 R $22,335
Worst
Ford Freestar Cargo Van FWD A(L4) 17 23 R $20,480
Mercury Monterey Wagon FWD A(L4) 17 23 R $29,350
Toyota Sienna 4WD A(L5) 18 23 R $29,940
Kia Sedona A(L5) 18 25 R $21,195
Chevrolet Uuplander FWD A(L4) 18 25 R $20,970
SUV 2-Wheel Drive
Best
Ford Escape Hybrid A 36 31 R $26,320
Lexus RX 400 Hybrid A 32 27 P $41,895
Toyota Highlander Hybrid A 32 27 R $33,675
Saturn Vue Hybrid A 27 32 R $23,495
Toyota RAV4 2WD A(L4) 24 30 R $21,595
Worst
Nissan Armada 2WD A(L5) 13 19 R $35,695
Lincoln Navigator 2WD A(L6) 13 18 R $46,750
Chrysler Aspen 2WD A(L5) 14 19 R $34,555
Dodge Durango 2WD A(L5) 14 19 R $35,445
Ford Expedition 2WD A(L6) 14 20 R $30,145
SUV 4-Wheel DrivE
Best
Ford Escape Hybrid A 32 29 $27,925
Mercury Mariner Hybrid A 32 29 $28,615
Lexs RX 400 Hybrid A 31 27 $43,295
Toyota Highlander Hybrid A 31 27 $35,075
Jeep Patriot M 25 29 $16,860
Worst
Nissan Armada 4WD A(L5) 13 18 R $38,495
Chevrolet Trailblazer AWD A(L4) 14 17 P $34,355
Chrysler Aspen 4WD A(L5) 14 18 R $34,555
Dodge Durango 4WD A(L5) 14 18 R $30,230
GMC K1500 Yukon Denali AWD A(L6) 13 19 P $48,680
*A: Automatic. M: Manual
**Recommended gasoline type for best engine performance. P: premium. R: regular
All prices are taken from Kelly’s Blue Book’s official Web site, and all prices are listed by the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP), which is often a couple of thousand dollars higher than the actual retail. Check kbb.com or your local dealer for local prices.
The EPA’s mpg estimates for 2007 are not precise. The EPA is developing a new mpg estimate for future years, which will more accurately reflect the mpg people can expect in real-life driving. The newer estimates are usually lower by a few mpgs for both highway and city ratings, but are significantly lower in some cases, particularly with the top-ranking Hybrids. (Example: Toyota Prius Hybrid: Old City - 60, New City - 48)
To find the new ranking for any vehicle, search for it at fueleconomy.gov/feg/ratings2008.shtml.
Also, many of the least fuel efficient models listed by the EPA were not found on kbb.com. For example, many of the worst trucks listed are at 14/18 for city/highway mpg, but the EPA also listed those same models as having versions that ranked at 9/13 for city, highway mpg. This is true for other automobile types as well. The cars listed here had to be found in both sources in order to be included. All cars are the simplest models and have only standard features.
Compiled by
GABRIEL KHOULI
gabe.khouli@heraldbulletin.com
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.