These cars top the rankings in the US Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency's 2004 Fuel Economy Guide. These are the cars that had the best gas mileage (most fule-efficient), according to government tests.
Best Gas Mileage
Make
Model
Engine size (liters)
Cylinders
Transmission
City
Hwy
Est. annual fuel cost
Honda
Insight
1
3
5-speed manual
60
66
$405
Toyota
Prius
1.5
4
Variable automatic
60
51
$466
Honda
Civic Hybrid
1.3
4
Variable automatic
48
47
$541
Volkswagen
Diesel New Beetle/Golf/Jetta
1.9
4
5-speed manual
38
46
$598
Honda
Civic
1.7
4
5-speed manual
36
44
$635
Toyota
Echo
1.5
4
5-speed manual
35
43
$651
Toyota
Scion XA
1.5
4
4-speed automatic
32
38
$727
Toyota
Corolla
1.8
4
5-speed manual
32
40
$705
Toyota
Scion XB
1.5
4
5-speed manual
31
35
$773
Toyota
Celica
1.8
4
4-speed automatic
29
36
$781
Source:Fueleconomy.gov Note: Est. annual fuel cost is CNN/Money's calculation based on 15,000 miles of 55 percent city, 45 percent highway driving and a gallon of gasoline costing $1.71, which was the national average for regular gasoline on March 2, 2004. For cars using diesel fuel, the price is assumed to be $1.69, the national average for diesel fuel on that date.
