MPG Buddy Fuel economy and gas mileage for every car, 1984 to today

The 100 most fuel-efficient cars in 1985

The 100 most fuel-efficient cars of the 1985 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 1985 vehicles, including electric

Every 1985 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 HF 43 MPG $1,400
2 Chevrolet Sprint 36 MPG $1,650
3 Pontiac Firefly 36 MPG $1,650
4 Suzuki SA310 36 MPG $1,650
5 Volkswagen Golf/GTI 35 MPG $2,300
6 Ford Tempo 34 MPG $2,400
7 Honda Civic 34 MPG $1,750
8 Mercury Topaz 34 MPG $2,400
9 Volkswagen Jetta 34 MPG $2,400
10 Volkswagen Quantum 31 MPG $2,600
11 Volkswagen Quantum Wagon 31 MPG $2,600
12 Chevrolet Spectrum 30 MPG $2,000
13 Dodge Charger 30 MPG $2,000
14 Dodge Omni 30 MPG $2,000
15 Isuzu 750C/I-Mark 30 MPG $2,000
16 Plymouth Colt 30 MPG $2,000
17 Plymouth Horizon 30 MPG $2,000
18 Plymouth Turismo 30 MPG $2,000
19 Subaru Hatchback 29 MPG $2,050
20 Dodge Colt 27 MPG $2,200
21 Mercedes-Benz 190 27 MPG $3,000
22 Mitsubishi Mirage 27 MPG $2,200
23 Toyota Camry 27 MPG $3,000
24 Toyota Tercel 27 MPG $2,200
25 Chevrolet Chevette 26 MPG $2,300
26 Chevrolet Nova 26 MPG $2,300
27 Dodge Power Ram 50 Pickup 4WD 26 MPG $3,100
28 Ford Laser 26 MPG $2,300
29 Grumman Olson Kubvan 26 MPG $3,100
30 Honda Civic CRX 26 MPG $2,300
31 Mazda GLC 26 MPG $2,300
32 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD 26 MPG $3,100
33 Pontiac 1000 26 MPG $2,300
34 Toyota Corolla 26 MPG $2,300
35 Toyota Corolla Sport 26 MPG $2,300
36 Toyota MR2 26 MPG $2,300
37 Toyota Tercel Wagon 2WD 26 MPG $2,300
38 Ford Bronco II 4WD 25 MPG $3,250
39 Nissan Pulsar/Pulsar-NX 25 MPG $2,400
40 Nissan Sentra 25 MPG $2,400
41 Nissan Sentra Wagon 25 MPG $2,400
42 Nissan Truck 2WD 25 MPG $2,400
43 Pontiac Fiero 25 MPG $2,400
44 Subaru XT-DL 25 MPG $2,400
45 BMW 5 Series 24 MPG $3,400
46 Buick Century 24 MPG $2,500
47 Buick Skyhawk 24 MPG $2,500
48 Buick Skyhawk Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
49 Buick Skylark 24 MPG $2,500
50 Buick Somerset Regal 24 MPG $2,500
51 Cadillac Cimarron 24 MPG $2,500
52 Chevrolet Cavalier 24 MPG $2,500
53 Chevrolet Cavalier Convertible 24 MPG $2,500
54 Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
55 Chevrolet Celebrity 24 MPG $2,500
56 Chevrolet Celebrity Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
57 Chevrolet Citation II 24 MPG $2,500
58 Ford Escort 24 MPG $2,500
59 Ford Escort Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
60 Ford EXP 24 MPG $2,500
61 Honda Accord 24 MPG $2,500
62 Honda Civic Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
63 Honda Civic Wagon 4WD 24 MPG $2,500
64 Mercury Lynx 24 MPG $2,500
65 Mercury Lynx Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
66 Oldsmobile Calais 24 MPG $2,500
67 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera 24 MPG $2,500
68 Oldsmobile Firenza 24 MPG $2,500
69 Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
70 Pontiac 6000 24 MPG $2,500
71 Pontiac Grand Am 24 MPG $2,500
72 Pontiac Sunbird Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
73 Subaru RX Turbo 24 MPG $2,500
74 Subaru Sedan 24 MPG $2,500
75 Audi 4000s 23 MPG $2,600
76 Chevrolet Camaro 23 MPG $2,600
77 Chevrolet S10 Pickup 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
78 Dodge Aries 23 MPG $2,600
79 Ford Ranger Pickup 4WD 23 MPG $2,600
80 GMC S15 Pickup 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
81 Honda Prelude 23 MPG $2,600
82 Mazda 626 23 MPG $2,600
83 Mitsubishi Cordia 23 MPG $3,000
84 Mitsubishi Tredia 23 MPG $3,000
85 Plymouth Reliant 23 MPG $2,600
86 Pontiac Firebird 23 MPG $2,600
87 Renault Alliance/Encore 23 MPG $2,600
88 Renault Fuego 23 MPG $3,000
89 Subaru Hatchback 4WD 23 MPG $2,600
90 Subaru Wagon 23 MPG $2,600
91 Bertone X1/9 22 MPG $2,700
92 Buick Century Wagon 22 MPG $2,700
93 Chrysler LeBaron 22 MPG $2,700
94 Dodge Colt Vista 22 MPG $2,700
95 Ford Ranger Pickup 2WD 22 MPG $2,700
96 Isuzu I-Mark 22 MPG $2,700
97 Lincoln Continental 22 MPG $3,700
98 Lincoln Mark VII 22 MPG $3,700
99 Mitsubishi Space Wagon 22 MPG $2,700
100 Nissan Stanza 22 MPG $2,700

Most efficient 1985 gasoline cars

The same 1985 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 HF 43 MPG $1,400
2 Chevrolet Sprint 36 MPG $1,650
3 Pontiac Firefly 36 MPG $1,650
4 Suzuki SA310 36 MPG $1,650
5 Volkswagen Golf/GTI 35 MPG $2,300
6 Ford Tempo 34 MPG $2,400
7 Honda Civic 34 MPG $1,750
8 Mercury Topaz 34 MPG $2,400
9 Volkswagen Jetta 34 MPG $2,400
10 Volkswagen Quantum 31 MPG $2,600
11 Volkswagen Quantum Wagon 31 MPG $2,600
12 Chevrolet Spectrum 30 MPG $2,000
13 Dodge Charger 30 MPG $2,000
14 Dodge Omni 30 MPG $2,000
15 Isuzu 750C/I-Mark 30 MPG $2,000
16 Plymouth Colt 30 MPG $2,000
17 Plymouth Horizon 30 MPG $2,000
18 Plymouth Turismo 30 MPG $2,000
19 Subaru Hatchback 29 MPG $2,050
20 Dodge Colt 27 MPG $2,200
21 Mercedes-Benz 190 27 MPG $3,000
22 Mitsubishi Mirage 27 MPG $2,200
23 Toyota Camry 27 MPG $3,000
24 Toyota Tercel 27 MPG $2,200
25 Chevrolet Chevette 26 MPG $2,300
26 Chevrolet Nova 26 MPG $2,300
27 Dodge Power Ram 50 Pickup 4WD 26 MPG $3,100
28 Ford Laser 26 MPG $2,300
29 Grumman Olson Kubvan 26 MPG $3,100
30 Honda Civic CRX 26 MPG $2,300
31 Mazda GLC 26 MPG $2,300
32 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD 26 MPG $3,100
33 Pontiac 1000 26 MPG $2,300
34 Toyota Corolla 26 MPG $2,300
35 Toyota Corolla Sport 26 MPG $2,300
36 Toyota MR2 26 MPG $2,300
37 Toyota Tercel Wagon 2WD 26 MPG $2,300
38 Ford Bronco II 4WD 25 MPG $3,250
39 Nissan Pulsar/Pulsar-NX 25 MPG $2,400
40 Nissan Sentra 25 MPG $2,400
41 Nissan Sentra Wagon 25 MPG $2,400
42 Nissan Truck 2WD 25 MPG $2,400
43 Pontiac Fiero 25 MPG $2,400
44 Subaru XT-DL 25 MPG $2,400
45 BMW 5 Series 24 MPG $3,400
46 Buick Century 24 MPG $2,500
47 Buick Skyhawk 24 MPG $2,500
48 Buick Skyhawk Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
49 Buick Skylark 24 MPG $2,500
50 Buick Somerset Regal 24 MPG $2,500
51 Cadillac Cimarron 24 MPG $2,500
52 Chevrolet Cavalier 24 MPG $2,500
53 Chevrolet Cavalier Convertible 24 MPG $2,500
54 Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
55 Chevrolet Celebrity 24 MPG $2,500
56 Chevrolet Celebrity Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
57 Chevrolet Citation II 24 MPG $2,500
58 Ford Escort 24 MPG $2,500
59 Ford Escort Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
60 Ford EXP 24 MPG $2,500
61 Honda Accord 24 MPG $2,500
62 Honda Civic Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
63 Honda Civic Wagon 4WD 24 MPG $2,500
64 Mercury Lynx 24 MPG $2,500
65 Mercury Lynx Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
66 Oldsmobile Calais 24 MPG $2,500
67 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera 24 MPG $2,500
68 Oldsmobile Firenza 24 MPG $2,500
69 Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
70 Pontiac 6000 24 MPG $2,500
71 Pontiac Grand Am 24 MPG $2,500
72 Pontiac Sunbird Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
73 Subaru RX Turbo 24 MPG $2,500
74 Subaru Sedan 24 MPG $2,500
75 Audi 4000s 23 MPG $2,600
76 Chevrolet Camaro 23 MPG $2,600
77 Chevrolet S10 Pickup 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
78 Dodge Aries 23 MPG $2,600
79 Ford Ranger Pickup 4WD 23 MPG $2,600
80 GMC S15 Pickup 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
81 Honda Prelude 23 MPG $2,600
82 Mazda 626 23 MPG $2,600
83 Mitsubishi Cordia 23 MPG $3,000
84 Mitsubishi Tredia 23 MPG $3,000
85 Plymouth Reliant 23 MPG $2,600
86 Pontiac Firebird 23 MPG $2,600
87 Renault Alliance/Encore 23 MPG $2,600
88 Renault Fuego 23 MPG $3,000
89 Subaru Hatchback 4WD 23 MPG $2,600
90 Subaru Wagon 23 MPG $2,600
91 Bertone X1/9 22 MPG $2,700
92 Buick Century Wagon 22 MPG $2,700
93 Chrysler LeBaron 22 MPG $2,700
94 Dodge Colt Vista 22 MPG $2,700
95 Ford Ranger Pickup 2WD 22 MPG $2,700
96 Isuzu I-Mark 22 MPG $2,700
97 Lincoln Continental 22 MPG $3,700
98 Lincoln Mark VII 22 MPG $3,700
99 Mitsubishi Space Wagon 22 MPG $2,700
100 Nissan Stanza 22 MPG $2,700

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset.