Car & Automobile: EPA reveals top 10 most fuel-efficient cars since 1984, original Honda Insight takes top honors

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback

Top Ten EPA-rated Fuel Sippers (1984 present) – Click above image gallery

Fuel efficiency has increased dramatically last decade, or at least that’s what we’ve been told. So it might come as surprise find out that six Top Ten EPA-rated Fuel Sippers 1984 present were built prior 2000. Don′t believe it? We didn′t either, but this info comes straight the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website, the authoritative source this fuel efficiency stuff.

While some current vehicles, such as 2010 Toyota Prius, 2010 Honda Insight the 2006-2010 Honda Civic Hybrid, garnered spot top ten list, it’s really older lightweight models like 1986 Chevy Sprint ER or 1990-1994 Geo Metro XFI that make it obvious efficiency hasn’t come as far as we’d like think.

Overall, Honda holds top honors for automakers with five models present on the list, while Toyota’s Prius made its mark twice. All of the vehicles on the list run with either 3- or 4-cylinder engines five out of the top ten rely on hybrid motivation. The overall winner, the 2000 Honda Insight (pictured above), scores combined rating of 53 miles per gallon, number that exceeds even the modern-day Prius three mpg.

In many cases, we’ve been mistakenly led to believe that buying new car equates to increased efficiency, but this list clearly shows that many the relics days gone can easily hold their own with the most efficient vehicles made today. However, finding running example some these old fuel sippers may prove impossible and we’d venture to guess that many them far safe to drive today’s standards. Check out all ten fuel sippers our gallery below.

Gallery: Top Ten EPA-rated Fuel Sippers (1984 present)