Toyota Prius Retains Fuel Economy Crown
Despite a slew of new hybrids joining the market this past year, the Toyota Prius retains the top spot as the most fuel efficient vehicle in the U.S. There is a catch, however, with no electric vehicles (like the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt) being included in this year’s round of testing – yet.
With a rating of 51/48-mpg (city/highway) the Prius easily out-paces the second-place Fusion Hybrid, as well as the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid at 41/36-mpg. In third spot are the Honda Civic Hybrid and Insight at 40/43-mpg.
The new Honda CR-Z places 4th with the CVT transmission (but 10th with the manual). Hyundai’s new Sonata Hybrid has not yet been tested either, although it should out-rank the Fusion Hybrid to fit into second place.
[Source: EPA]
For a full breakdown of the top-10most fuel-efficient vehicles, see after the jump:
Fuel Economy Leaders: 2011 Model Year*
| Rank | Manufacturer/Model | MPG city/highway |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Prius (hybrid) | 51/48 |
| 2 | Ford Fusion Hybrid FWD Mercury Milan Hybrid FWD Lincoln MKZ Hybrid FWD | 41/36 |
| 3 | Honda Civic Hybrid Honda Insight (hybrid) | 40/43 |
| 4 | Honda CR-Z (automatic, hybrid) | 35/39 |
| 5 | Lexus HS 250h (hybrid) | 35/34 |
| 6 | Ford Escape Hybrid FWD Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD | 34/31 |
| 7 | Smart Fortwo (Cabriolet) Smart Fortwo (Coupe) | 33/41 |
| 8 | Nissan Altima Hybrid | 33/33 |
| 9 | Lexus RX 450h 2WD (hybrid) | 32/28 |
| 10 | Honda CR-Z (manual, hybrid) | 31/37 |