The 100 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars in 1989

Have you ever wondered what the most fuel efficient cars manufactured in 1989 are? In this article, we'll list out the best 100 fuel efficient cars from 1989 with information on each of them!

How to Determine Fuel Efficiency

The list of the best fuel efficient cars on this page is based on one simple metric provided to us by the U.S. Department of Energy: the combined miles per gallon (MPG).

This metric is calculated by taking the total miles driven by the car and dividing it by the total gallons of fuel used.

Manufacturers provide this information to the Department of Energy, they provide it to us, and we provide it to you after sifting and organizing it.

The combined miles per gallon (MPG) is a measure of how much fuel the car uses per mile and is a good indicator of how efficient the car is. It's a combination of both city and highway driving, to give you a more overall accurate MPG.

With that out of the way, let's dive into the list. You can click the links in the table below to see more detailed information about each car.

Best 1989 Cars by Miles per Gallon

CarCombined MPGFuel Cost
Geo Metro Manual 5-spd47$1,350
Honda Civic CRX HF Manual 5-spd44$1,400
Chevrolet Sprint Manual 5-spd41$1,550
Geo Metro LSI Manual 5-spd41$1,550
Honda Civic CRX HF Manual 5-spd41$1,550
Pontiac Firefly Manual 5-spd41$1,550
Pontiac Firefly Manual 5-spd41$1,550
Suzuki Swift Manual 5-spd41$1,550
Suzuki Swift Manual 5-spd36$1,750
Suzuki Swift GA Manual 5-spd36$1,750
Ford Festiva Manual 5-spd35$1,800
Chevrolet Sprint Automatic 3-spd34$1,850
Chevrolet Turbo Sprint Manual 5-spd34$1,850
Daihatsu Charade Manual 5-spd34$1,850
Daihatsu Charade E Manual 5-spd34$1,850
Ford Festiva Manual 4-spd34$1,850
Geo Metro LSI Automatic 3-spd34$1,850
Pontiac Firefly Automatic 3-spd34$1,850
Pontiac Firefly Automatic 3-spd34$1,850
Pontiac Turbo Firefly Manual 5-spd34$1,850
Suzuki Swift Automatic 3-spd34$1,850
Volkswagen Golf Manual 5-spd34$2,250
Volkswagen Jetta Manual 5-spd34$2,250
Geo Spectrum Manual 5-spd33$1,900
Isuzu I-Mark Manual 5-spd33$1,900
Pontiac Sunburst Manual 5-spd33$1,900
Toyota Tercel Manual 4-spd33$1,900
Daihatsu Charade Manual 5-spd32$1,950
Ford Escort Manual 4-spd32$1,950
Honda Civic CRX Manual 5-spd32$1,950
Honda Civic Manual 4-spd31$2,000
Isuzu I-Mark Manual 5-spd31$2,000
Subaru Justy Manual 5-spd31$2,000
Dodge Colt Manual 4-spd30$2,100
Mitsubishi Mirage Manual 4-spd30$2,100
Plymouth Colt Manual 4-spd30$2,100
Pontiac Lemans Manual 5-spd30$2,100
Subaru Justy Automatic (variable gear ratios)30$2,100
Daihatsu Charade Automatic 3-spd29$2,150
Honda Civic Manual 5-spd29$2,150
Honda Civic Wagon Manual 5-spd29$2,150
Pontiac Lemans Manual 4-spd29$2,150
Toyota Tercel Manual 5-spd29$2,150
Dodge Colt Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Dodge Colt Wagon Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Eagle Summit Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Geo Spectrum Automatic 3-spd28$2,250
Honda Civic CRX Automatic 4-spd28$2,250
Hyundai Excel Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Isuzu I-Mark Automatic 3-spd28$2,250
Mitsubishi Mirage Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Mitsubishi Mirage Wagon Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Mitsubishi Precis Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Nissan Sentra Manual 4-spd28$2,250
Plymouth Colt Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Plymouth Colt Wagon Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Pontiac Sunburst Automatic 3-spd28$2,250
Suzuki Swift Automatic 3-spd28$2,250
Suzuki Swift GTI Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Toyota Corolla Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Toyota Corolla Wagon Manual 5-spd28$2,250
Ford Escort Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Ford Escort Wagon Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Ford Festiva Automatic 3-spd27$2,300
Mazda 323 Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Mazda 323 Wagon Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Mercedes-Benz 190D 2.5 Automatic 4-spd27$2,850
Mercury Tracer Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Mercury Tracer Wagon Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Nissan Sentra Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Nissan Sentra Coupe Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Nissan Sentra Wagon Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Pontiac Sunbird Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Subaru Justy 4WD Manual 5-spd27$2,300
Buick Skyhawk Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Buick Skyhawk Wagon Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Chevrolet Cavalier Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Dodge Colt Automatic 3-spd26$2,400
Dodge Omni Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Geo Prizm Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Honda Civic Automatic 4-spd26$2,400
Honda Civic Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Honda Civic CRX Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Honda Civic Wagon Automatic 4-spd26$2,400
Hyundai Excel Automatic 3-spd26$2,400
Hyundai Excel Manual 4-spd26$2,400
Isuzu I-Mark Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Mitsubishi Precis Automatic 3-spd26$2,400
Mitsubishi Precis Manual 4-spd26$2,400
Nissan Pulsar NX Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Plymouth Colt Automatic 3-spd26$2,400
Plymouth Horizon Manual 5-spd26$2,400
Pontiac Lemans Automatic 3-spd26$2,400
Toyota Corolla Automatic 4-spd26$2,400
Toyota Tercel Automatic 3-spd26$2,400
Yugo GV/GVX Manual 4-spd26$2,400
Acura Integra Manual 5-spd25$2,500
Buick Skyhawk Automatic 3-spd25$2,500
Buick Skyhawk Wagon Automatic 3-spd25$2,500

Best 1989 Regular Fuel Cars by Miles per Gallon

The table below contains the best 1989 regular fuel cars by combined miles per gallon (MPG).

CarCombined MPGFuel Cost
Geo Metro (Manual 5-spd)47$1,350
Honda Civic CRX HF (Manual 5-spd)44$1,400
Chevrolet Sprint (Manual 5-spd)41$1,550
Geo Metro LSI (Manual 5-spd)41$1,550
Honda Civic CRX HF (Manual 5-spd)41$1,550
Pontiac Firefly (Manual 5-spd)41$1,550
Pontiac Firefly (Manual 5-spd)41$1,550
Suzuki Swift (Manual 5-spd)41$1,550
Suzuki Swift (Manual 5-spd)36$1,750
Suzuki Swift GA (Manual 5-spd)36$1,750
Ford Festiva (Manual 5-spd)35$1,800
Chevrolet Sprint (Automatic 3-spd)34$1,850
Chevrolet Turbo Sprint (Manual 5-spd)34$1,850
Daihatsu Charade (Manual 5-spd)34$1,850
Daihatsu Charade E (Manual 5-spd)34$1,850
Ford Festiva (Manual 4-spd)34$1,850
Geo Metro LSI (Automatic 3-spd)34$1,850
Pontiac Firefly (Automatic 3-spd)34$1,850
Pontiac Firefly (Automatic 3-spd)34$1,850
Pontiac Turbo Firefly (Manual 5-spd)34$1,850
Suzuki Swift (Automatic 3-spd)34$1,850
Volkswagen Golf (Manual 5-spd)34$2,250
Volkswagen Jetta (Manual 5-spd)34$2,250
Geo Spectrum (Manual 5-spd)33$1,900
Isuzu I-Mark (Manual 5-spd)33$1,900
Pontiac Sunburst (Manual 5-spd)33$1,900
Toyota Tercel (Manual 4-spd)33$1,900
Daihatsu Charade (Manual 5-spd)32$1,950
Ford Escort (Manual 4-spd)32$1,950
Honda Civic CRX (Manual 5-spd)32$1,950
Honda Civic (Manual 4-spd)31$2,000
Isuzu I-Mark (Manual 5-spd)31$2,000
Subaru Justy (Manual 5-spd)31$2,000
Dodge Colt (Manual 4-spd)30$2,100
Mitsubishi Mirage (Manual 4-spd)30$2,100
Plymouth Colt (Manual 4-spd)30$2,100
Pontiac Lemans (Manual 5-spd)30$2,100
Subaru Justy (Automatic (variable gear ratios))30$2,100
Daihatsu Charade (Automatic 3-spd)29$2,150
Honda Civic (Manual 5-spd)29$2,150
Honda Civic Wagon (Manual 5-spd)29$2,150
Pontiac Lemans (Manual 4-spd)29$2,150
Toyota Tercel (Manual 5-spd)29$2,150
Dodge Colt (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Dodge Colt Wagon (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Eagle Summit (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Geo Spectrum (Automatic 3-spd)28$2,250
Honda Civic CRX (Automatic 4-spd)28$2,250
Hyundai Excel (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Isuzu I-Mark (Automatic 3-spd)28$2,250
Mitsubishi Mirage (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Mitsubishi Mirage Wagon (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Mitsubishi Precis (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Nissan Sentra (Manual 4-spd)28$2,250
Plymouth Colt (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Plymouth Colt Wagon (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Pontiac Sunburst (Automatic 3-spd)28$2,250
Suzuki Swift (Automatic 3-spd)28$2,250
Suzuki Swift GTI (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Toyota Corolla (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Toyota Corolla Wagon (Manual 5-spd)28$2,250
Ford Escort (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Ford Escort Wagon (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Ford Festiva (Automatic 3-spd)27$2,300
Mazda 323 (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Mazda 323 Wagon (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Mercedes-Benz 190D 2.5 (Automatic 4-spd)27$2,850
Mercury Tracer (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Mercury Tracer Wagon (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Nissan Sentra (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Nissan Sentra Coupe (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Nissan Sentra Wagon (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Pontiac Sunbird (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Subaru Justy 4WD (Manual 5-spd)27$2,300
Buick Skyhawk (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Buick Skyhawk Wagon (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Chevrolet Cavalier (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Dodge Colt (Automatic 3-spd)26$2,400
Dodge Omni (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Geo Prizm (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Honda Civic (Automatic 4-spd)26$2,400
Honda Civic (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Honda Civic CRX (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Honda Civic Wagon (Automatic 4-spd)26$2,400
Hyundai Excel (Automatic 3-spd)26$2,400
Hyundai Excel (Manual 4-spd)26$2,400
Isuzu I-Mark (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Mitsubishi Precis (Automatic 3-spd)26$2,400
Mitsubishi Precis (Manual 4-spd)26$2,400
Nissan Pulsar NX (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Plymouth Colt (Automatic 3-spd)26$2,400
Plymouth Horizon (Manual 5-spd)26$2,400
Pontiac Lemans (Automatic 3-spd)26$2,400
Toyota Corolla (Automatic 4-spd)26$2,400
Toyota Tercel (Automatic 3-spd)26$2,400
Yugo GV/GVX (Manual 4-spd)26$2,400
Acura Integra (Manual 5-spd)25$2,500
Buick Skyhawk (Automatic 3-spd)25$2,500
Buick Skyhawk Wagon (Automatic 3-spd)25$2,500

Conclusion

The most fuel efficient car of 1989 is the Geo Metro. It has a combined MPG of 47 and costs $1,350 per year to drive it.

The most fuel efficient non-electric car of 1989 is the Geo Metro. It has a combined MPG of 47 and costs $1,350 per year to drive it.

Most Fuel Efficient Cars By Year

Link To or Reference This Page

If you use this page in your research, please reference MPG Buddy as the source.

  • "The 100 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars in 1989." MPG Buddy. Accessed on January 3, 2026. https://mpgbuddy.com/most-fuel-efficient-cars-in-1989.

  • "The 100 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars in 1989." MPG Buddy, https://mpgbuddy.com/most-fuel-efficient-cars-in-1989. Accessed January 3, 2026.

  • The 100 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars in 1989. MPG Buddy. Retrieved from https://mpgbuddy.com/most-fuel-efficient-cars-in-1989.