The 100 most fuel-efficient cars in 1984

The 100 most fuel-efficient cars of the 1984 model year, ranked by combined MPG and MPGe. The data comes straight from the EPA fuel economy dataset and includes both gasoline cars and electric vehicles.

Combined MPG (or MPGe for electric vehicles) is the EPA's headline efficiency figure. It blends a city test cycle and a highway test cycle, weighted 55% city and 45% highway, into a single number that lets you compare cars across the entire dataset.

Electric vehicles dominate the very top of the ranking because moving electrons through a motor is several times more efficient than burning gasoline. If you are shopping for a regular gasoline car, scroll down to the second table, which excludes battery-electric vehicles.

All 1984 vehicles, including electric

Every 1984 model year vehicle the EPA rated, sorted by combined MPG from highest to lowest. Battery electric vehicles use MPGe, which converts their electricity use into a gasoline-equivalent figure so the ranking remains on a single scale.

#	Make and model	Combined MPG(e)	Annual fuel cost
1	Honda Civic CRX	41 MPG	$1,450
2	Honda Civic	35 MPG	$1,700
3	Volkswagen Jetta	35 MPG	$2,300
4	Dodge Colt	34 MPG	$1,750
5	Ford Tempo	34 MPG	$2,400
6	Mercury Topaz	34 MPG	$2,400
7	Mitsubishi Precis	34 MPG	$1,750
8	Plymouth Colt	34 MPG	$1,750
9	Toyota Starlet	34 MPG	$1,750
10	Toyota Camry	32 MPG	$2,550
11	Dodge Charger	30 MPG	$2,000
12	Dodge Omni	30 MPG	$2,000
13	Plymouth Horizon	30 MPG	$2,000
14	Plymouth Turismo	30 MPG	$2,000
15	Mercedes-Benz 190 D 2.2/190 E 2.3	29 MPG	$2,800
16	Subaru Sedan	29 MPG	$2,050
17	Volkswagen Rabbit	29 MPG	$2,800
18	Grumman Olson Kubvan	27 MPG	$3,000
19	Nissan Pickup 2WD	27 MPG	$2,200
20	Toyota Corolla	27 MPG	$2,200
21	Toyota Tercel	27 MPG	$2,200
22	Volkswagen Quantum	27 MPG	$3,000
23	Volkswagen Quantum Wagon	27 MPG	$3,000
24	Chevrolet Chevette	26 MPG	$2,300
25	Ford Laser	26 MPG	$2,300
26	Mazda GLC	26 MPG	$2,300
27	Pontiac 1000	26 MPG	$2,300
28	Toyota Corolla Sport	26 MPG	$2,300
29	Toyota Tercel Wagon	26 MPG	$2,300
30	Chevrolet Cavalier	25 MPG	$2,400
31	Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon	25 MPG	$2,400
32	Honda Accord	25 MPG	$2,400
33	Honda Civic Wagon	25 MPG	$2,400
34	Nissan Pulsar/Pulsar-NX	25 MPG	$2,400
35	Nissan Sentra	25 MPG	$2,400
36	Nissan Sentra Wagon	25 MPG	$2,400
37	Buick Skyhawk	24 MPG	$2,500
38	Buick Skyhawk Wagon	24 MPG	$2,500
39	Cadillac Fleetwood/DeVille (FWD)	24 MPG	$3,400
40	Chevrolet S10 Pickup 2WD	24 MPG	$2,500
41	Ford Ranger Pickup 2WD	24 MPG	$2,500
42	GMC S15 Pickup 2WD	24 MPG	$2,500
43	Oldsmobile Firenza	24 MPG	$2,500
44	Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser Wagon	24 MPG	$2,500
45	Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight II	24 MPG	$3,400
46	Pontiac 2000 Sunbird	24 MPG	$2,500
47	Pontiac 2000 Sunbird Convertible	24 MPG	$2,500
48	Pontiac 2000 Sunbird Wagon	24 MPG	$2,500
49	Pontiac Fiero	24 MPG	$2,500
50	Renault Alliance/Encore	24 MPG	$2,500
51	Renault Fuego	24 MPG	$2,500
52	BMW 3 Series	23 MPG	$2,600
53	Buick Century	23 MPG	$2,600
54	Buick Skylark	23 MPG	$2,600
55	Chevrolet Celebrity	23 MPG	$2,600
56	Chevrolet Celebrity Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
57	Chevrolet Citation II	23 MPG	$2,600
58	Dodge 600	23 MPG	$2,600
59	Dodge Aries	23 MPG	$2,600
60	Dodge Aries Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
61	Dodge Colt Vista	23 MPG	$2,600
62	Ford Escort	23 MPG	$2,600
63	Ford Escort Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
64	Ford EXP	23 MPG	$2,600
65	Honda Prelude	23 MPG	$2,600
66	Lincoln Continental	23 MPG	$3,500
67	Lincoln Mark VII	23 MPG	$3,500
68	Mazda 626	23 MPG	$2,600
69	Mercury Lynx	23 MPG	$2,600
70	Mercury Lynx Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
71	Mitsubishi Cordia	23 MPG	$2,600
72	Mitsubishi Tredia	23 MPG	$2,600
73	Nissan Stanza	23 MPG	$2,600
74	Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera	23 MPG	$2,600
75	Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
76	Oldsmobile Omega	23 MPG	$2,600
77	Plymouth Colt Vista	23 MPG	$2,600
78	Plymouth Reliant	23 MPG	$2,600
79	Plymouth Reliant Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
80	Pontiac 6000	23 MPG	$2,600
81	Pontiac 6000 Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
82	Pontiac Phoenix	23 MPG	$2,600
83	Toyota Tercel Wagon 4WD	23 MPG	$2,600
84	Bertone X1/9	22 MPG	$2,700
85	Buick Century Estate Wagon	22 MPG	$2,700
86	Chevrolet Camaro	22 MPG	$2,700
87	Chrysler E Class/New Yorker	22 MPG	$2,700
88	Chrysler Laser/Daytona	22 MPG	$2,700
89	Chrysler LeBaron	22 MPG	$2,700
90	Dodge Daytona	22 MPG	$2,700
91	Ford Courier Pickup 2WD	22 MPG	$2,700
92	Isuzu I-Mark	22 MPG	$2,700
93	Mercedes-Benz 300D/300CD	22 MPG	$3,700
94	Mercedes-Benz 300SD/380SE	22 MPG	$3,700
95	Mercedes-Benz 300TD	22 MPG	$3,700
96	Mitsubishi Space Wagon	22 MPG	$2,700
97	Peugeot 604 Sedan	22 MPG	$3,700
98	Pontiac Firebird	22 MPG	$2,700
99	Subaru Wagon	22 MPG	$2,700
100	Suzuki SJ 410 4WD	22 MPG	$2,700

Most efficient 1984 gasoline cars

The same 1984 ranking with battery electric vehicles removed. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids appear because they run primarily on gasoline. This is the table to use when shopping for a conventional car, since comparing a pure EV to a regular gas car on a per-gallon basis tends to mislead more than it informs.

#	Make and model	Combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
1	Honda Civic CRX	41 MPG	$1,450
2	Honda Civic	35 MPG	$1,700
3	Volkswagen Jetta	35 MPG	$2,300
4	Dodge Colt	34 MPG	$1,750
5	Ford Tempo	34 MPG	$2,400
6	Mercury Topaz	34 MPG	$2,400
7	Mitsubishi Precis	34 MPG	$1,750
8	Plymouth Colt	34 MPG	$1,750
9	Toyota Starlet	34 MPG	$1,750
10	Toyota Camry	32 MPG	$2,550
11	Dodge Charger	30 MPG	$2,000
12	Dodge Omni	30 MPG	$2,000
13	Plymouth Horizon	30 MPG	$2,000
14	Plymouth Turismo	30 MPG	$2,000
15	Mercedes-Benz 190 D 2.2/190 E 2.3	29 MPG	$2,800
16	Subaru Sedan	29 MPG	$2,050
17	Volkswagen Rabbit	29 MPG	$2,800
18	Grumman Olson Kubvan	27 MPG	$3,000
19	Nissan Pickup 2WD	27 MPG	$2,200
20	Toyota Corolla	27 MPG	$2,200
21	Toyota Tercel	27 MPG	$2,200
22	Volkswagen Quantum	27 MPG	$3,000
23	Volkswagen Quantum Wagon	27 MPG	$3,000
24	Chevrolet Chevette	26 MPG	$2,300
25	Ford Laser	26 MPG	$2,300
26	Mazda GLC	26 MPG	$2,300
27	Pontiac 1000	26 MPG	$2,300
28	Toyota Corolla Sport	26 MPG	$2,300
29	Toyota Tercel Wagon	26 MPG	$2,300
30	Chevrolet Cavalier	25 MPG	$2,400
31	Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon	25 MPG	$2,400
32	Honda Accord	25 MPG	$2,400
33	Honda Civic Wagon	25 MPG	$2,400
34	Nissan Pulsar/Pulsar-NX	25 MPG	$2,400
35	Nissan Sentra	25 MPG	$2,400
36	Nissan Sentra Wagon	25 MPG	$2,400
37	Buick Skyhawk	24 MPG	$2,500
38	Buick Skyhawk Wagon	24 MPG	$2,500
39	Cadillac Fleetwood/DeVille (FWD)	24 MPG	$3,400
40	Chevrolet S10 Pickup 2WD	24 MPG	$2,500
41	Ford Ranger Pickup 2WD	24 MPG	$2,500
42	GMC S15 Pickup 2WD	24 MPG	$2,500
43	Oldsmobile Firenza	24 MPG	$2,500
44	Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser Wagon	24 MPG	$2,500
45	Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight II	24 MPG	$3,400
46	Pontiac 2000 Sunbird	24 MPG	$2,500
47	Pontiac 2000 Sunbird Convertible	24 MPG	$2,500
48	Pontiac 2000 Sunbird Wagon	24 MPG	$2,500
49	Pontiac Fiero	24 MPG	$2,500
50	Renault Alliance/Encore	24 MPG	$2,500
51	Renault Fuego	24 MPG	$2,500
52	BMW 3 Series	23 MPG	$2,600
53	Buick Century	23 MPG	$2,600
54	Buick Skylark	23 MPG	$2,600
55	Chevrolet Celebrity	23 MPG	$2,600
56	Chevrolet Celebrity Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
57	Chevrolet Citation II	23 MPG	$2,600
58	Dodge 600	23 MPG	$2,600
59	Dodge Aries	23 MPG	$2,600
60	Dodge Aries Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
61	Dodge Colt Vista	23 MPG	$2,600
62	Ford Escort	23 MPG	$2,600
63	Ford Escort Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
64	Ford EXP	23 MPG	$2,600
65	Honda Prelude	23 MPG	$2,600
66	Lincoln Continental	23 MPG	$3,500
67	Lincoln Mark VII	23 MPG	$3,500
68	Mazda 626	23 MPG	$2,600
69	Mercury Lynx	23 MPG	$2,600
70	Mercury Lynx Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
71	Mitsubishi Cordia	23 MPG	$2,600
72	Mitsubishi Tredia	23 MPG	$2,600
73	Nissan Stanza	23 MPG	$2,600
74	Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera	23 MPG	$2,600
75	Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
76	Oldsmobile Omega	23 MPG	$2,600
77	Plymouth Colt Vista	23 MPG	$2,600
78	Plymouth Reliant	23 MPG	$2,600
79	Plymouth Reliant Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
80	Pontiac 6000	23 MPG	$2,600
81	Pontiac 6000 Wagon	23 MPG	$2,600
82	Pontiac Phoenix	23 MPG	$2,600
83	Toyota Tercel Wagon 4WD	23 MPG	$2,600
84	Bertone X1/9	22 MPG	$2,700
85	Buick Century Estate Wagon	22 MPG	$2,700
86	Chevrolet Camaro	22 MPG	$2,700
87	Chrysler E Class/New Yorker	22 MPG	$2,700
88	Chrysler Laser/Daytona	22 MPG	$2,700
89	Chrysler LeBaron	22 MPG	$2,700
90	Dodge Daytona	22 MPG	$2,700
91	Ford Courier Pickup 2WD	22 MPG	$2,700
92	Isuzu I-Mark	22 MPG	$2,700
93	Mercedes-Benz 300D/300CD	22 MPG	$3,700
94	Mercedes-Benz 300SD/380SE	22 MPG	$3,700
95	Mercedes-Benz 300TD	22 MPG	$3,700
96	Mitsubishi Space Wagon	22 MPG	$2,700
97	Peugeot 604 Sedan	22 MPG	$3,700
98	Pontiac Firebird	22 MPG	$2,700
99	Subaru Wagon	22 MPG	$2,700
100	Suzuki SJ 410 4WD	22 MPG	$2,700

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset.