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

The 100 most fuel-efficient cars in 1996

The 100 most fuel-efficient cars of the 1996 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 1996 vehicles, including electric

Every 1996 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 Geo Metro 40 MPG $1,500
2 Volkswagen Golf/GTI 38 MPG $2,150
3 Volkswagen Jetta 38 MPG $2,150
4 Volkswagen Passat 35 MPG $2,300
5 Volkswagen Passat Wagon 35 MPG $2,300
6 Ford Aspire 33 MPG $1,800
7 Honda Civic HX 32 MPG $1,850
8 Toyota Tercel 29 MPG $2,050
9 Honda Civic 28 MPG $2,150
10 Honda Del Sol 28 MPG $2,150
11 Nissan Sentra/200SX 28 MPG $2,150
12 Suzuki Swift 28 MPG $2,150
13 Hyundai Accent 27 MPG $2,200
14 Mazda Protege 27 MPG $2,200
15 Mercedes-Benz E300 Diesel 27 MPG $3,000
16 Saturn SC 27 MPG $2,200
17 Toyota Paseo 27 MPG $2,200
18 Eagle Summit 26 MPG $2,300
19 Mazda MX-3 26 MPG $2,300
20 Mitsubishi Mirage 26 MPG $2,300
21 Suzuki Esteem 26 MPG $2,300
22 Toyota Celica 26 MPG $2,300
23 Toyota Corolla Wagon 26 MPG $2,300
24 Acura Integra 25 MPG $2,750
25 Dodge Neon 25 MPG $2,400
26 Ford Escort Wagon 25 MPG $2,400
27 Geo Prizm 25 MPG $2,400
28 Hyundai Accent (Sporty) 25 MPG $2,400
29 Mercury Tracer Wagon 25 MPG $2,400
30 Plymouth Neon 25 MPG $2,400
31 Saturn SL 25 MPG $2,400
32 Saturn SW 25 MPG $2,400
33 Toyota Corolla 25 MPG $2,400
34 Buick Century 24 MPG $2,500
35 Chevrolet Beretta 24 MPG $2,500
36 Chevrolet Cavalier 24 MPG $2,500
37 Chevrolet Corsica 24 MPG $2,500
38 Kia Sephia 24 MPG $2,500
39 Oldsmobile Ciera SL 24 MPG $2,500
40 Pontiac Sunfire 24 MPG $2,500
41 Subaru Impreza 24 MPG $2,500
42 Subaru Legacy 24 MPG $2,500
43 Subaru Legacy Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
44 Suzuki X-90 2WD 24 MPG $2,500
45 BMW 318ti 23 MPG $3,000
46 BMW Z3 Roadster 23 MPG $3,000
47 Buick Skylark 23 MPG $2,600
48 Eagle Summit Wagon 23 MPG $2,600
49 Ford Contour 23 MPG $2,600
50 Ford Probe 23 MPG $2,600
51 Honda Accord 23 MPG $2,600
52 Hyundai Elantra 23 MPG $2,600
53 Isuzu Hombre Pickup 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
54 Mazda 626 23 MPG $2,600
55 Mazda MX-6 23 MPG $2,600
56 Mercedes-Benz C220 23 MPG $3,000
57 Mercury Mystique 23 MPG $2,600
58 Oldsmobile Achieva 23 MPG $2,600
59 Pontiac Grand Am 23 MPG $2,600
60 Subaru Impreza AWD 23 MPG $2,600
61 Toyota RAV4 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
62 BMW 318i Convertible 22 MPG $3,150
63 BMW 318i/318is 22 MPG $3,150
64 Dodge Stratus 22 MPG $2,700
65 Ford Escort 22 MPG $2,700
66 Hyundai Elantra Wagon 22 MPG $2,700
67 Infiniti G20 22 MPG $2,700
68 Mazda MX-5 Miata 22 MPG $2,700
69 Mercury Tracer 22 MPG $2,700
70 Mitsubishi Galant 22 MPG $2,700
71 Plymouth Breeze 22 MPG $2,700
72 Subaru Impreza Wagon AWD 22 MPG $2,700
73 Subaru Legacy AWD 22 MPG $2,700
74 Subaru Legacy Wagon AWD 22 MPG $2,700
75 Suzuki X-90 4WD 22 MPG $2,700
76 Volkswagen Cabrio 22 MPG $2,700
77 BMW M3 21 MPG $3,300
78 Buick Century Wagon 21 MPG $2,850
79 Buick Park Avenue 21 MPG $2,850
80 Buick Regal 21 MPG $2,850
81 Buick Riviera 21 MPG $2,850
82 Chevrolet Lumina/Monte Carlo 21 MPG $2,850
83 Chrysler Cirrus 21 MPG $2,850
84 Chrysler Sebring 21 MPG $2,850
85 Chrysler Sebring Convertible 21 MPG $2,850
86 Dodge Avenger 21 MPG $2,850
87 Ford Mustang 21 MPG $2,850
88 Ford Taurus 21 MPG $2,850
89 Geo Tracker Convertible 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
90 Geo Tracker Convertible 4x4 21 MPG $2,850
91 Geo Tracker Van 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
92 Geo Tracker Van 4x4 21 MPG $2,850
93 Honda Accord Wagon 21 MPG $2,850
94 Honda Prelude 21 MPG $2,850
95 Hyundai Sonata 21 MPG $2,850
96 Infiniti I30 21 MPG $3,300
97 Lexus ES 300 21 MPG $2,850
98 Mercury Sable 21 MPG $2,850
99 Nissan Altima / Stanza 21 MPG $2,850
100 Nissan Maxima 21 MPG $3,300

Most efficient 1996 gasoline cars

The same 1996 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 Geo Metro 40 MPG $1,500
2 Volkswagen Golf/GTI 38 MPG $2,150
3 Volkswagen Jetta 38 MPG $2,150
4 Volkswagen Passat 35 MPG $2,300
5 Volkswagen Passat Wagon 35 MPG $2,300
6 Ford Aspire 33 MPG $1,800
7 Honda Civic HX 32 MPG $1,850
8 Toyota Tercel 29 MPG $2,050
9 Honda Civic 28 MPG $2,150
10 Honda Del Sol 28 MPG $2,150
11 Nissan Sentra/200SX 28 MPG $2,150
12 Suzuki Swift 28 MPG $2,150
13 Hyundai Accent 27 MPG $2,200
14 Mazda Protege 27 MPG $2,200
15 Mercedes-Benz E300 Diesel 27 MPG $3,000
16 Saturn SC 27 MPG $2,200
17 Toyota Paseo 27 MPG $2,200
18 Eagle Summit 26 MPG $2,300
19 Mazda MX-3 26 MPG $2,300
20 Mitsubishi Mirage 26 MPG $2,300
21 Suzuki Esteem 26 MPG $2,300
22 Toyota Celica 26 MPG $2,300
23 Toyota Corolla Wagon 26 MPG $2,300
24 Acura Integra 25 MPG $2,750
25 Dodge Neon 25 MPG $2,400
26 Ford Escort Wagon 25 MPG $2,400
27 Geo Prizm 25 MPG $2,400
28 Hyundai Accent (Sporty) 25 MPG $2,400
29 Mercury Tracer Wagon 25 MPG $2,400
30 Plymouth Neon 25 MPG $2,400
31 Saturn SL 25 MPG $2,400
32 Saturn SW 25 MPG $2,400
33 Toyota Corolla 25 MPG $2,400
34 Buick Century 24 MPG $2,500
35 Chevrolet Beretta 24 MPG $2,500
36 Chevrolet Cavalier 24 MPG $2,500
37 Chevrolet Corsica 24 MPG $2,500
38 Kia Sephia 24 MPG $2,500
39 Oldsmobile Ciera SL 24 MPG $2,500
40 Pontiac Sunfire 24 MPG $2,500
41 Subaru Impreza 24 MPG $2,500
42 Subaru Legacy 24 MPG $2,500
43 Subaru Legacy Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
44 Suzuki X-90 2WD 24 MPG $2,500
45 BMW 318ti 23 MPG $3,000
46 BMW Z3 Roadster 23 MPG $3,000
47 Buick Skylark 23 MPG $2,600
48 Eagle Summit Wagon 23 MPG $2,600
49 Ford Contour 23 MPG $2,600
50 Ford Probe 23 MPG $2,600
51 Honda Accord 23 MPG $2,600
52 Hyundai Elantra 23 MPG $2,600
53 Isuzu Hombre Pickup 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
54 Mazda 626 23 MPG $2,600
55 Mazda MX-6 23 MPG $2,600
56 Mercedes-Benz C220 23 MPG $3,000
57 Mercury Mystique 23 MPG $2,600
58 Oldsmobile Achieva 23 MPG $2,600
59 Pontiac Grand Am 23 MPG $2,600
60 Subaru Impreza AWD 23 MPG $2,600
61 Toyota RAV4 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
62 BMW 318i Convertible 22 MPG $3,150
63 BMW 318i/318is 22 MPG $3,150
64 Dodge Stratus 22 MPG $2,700
65 Ford Escort 22 MPG $2,700
66 Hyundai Elantra Wagon 22 MPG $2,700
67 Infiniti G20 22 MPG $2,700
68 Mazda MX-5 Miata 22 MPG $2,700
69 Mercury Tracer 22 MPG $2,700
70 Mitsubishi Galant 22 MPG $2,700
71 Plymouth Breeze 22 MPG $2,700
72 Subaru Impreza Wagon AWD 22 MPG $2,700
73 Subaru Legacy AWD 22 MPG $2,700
74 Subaru Legacy Wagon AWD 22 MPG $2,700
75 Suzuki X-90 4WD 22 MPG $2,700
76 Volkswagen Cabrio 22 MPG $2,700
77 BMW M3 21 MPG $3,300
78 Buick Century Wagon 21 MPG $2,850
79 Buick Park Avenue 21 MPG $2,850
80 Buick Regal 21 MPG $2,850
81 Buick Riviera 21 MPG $2,850
82 Chevrolet Lumina/Monte Carlo 21 MPG $2,850
83 Chrysler Cirrus 21 MPG $2,850
84 Chrysler Sebring 21 MPG $2,850
85 Chrysler Sebring Convertible 21 MPG $2,850
86 Dodge Avenger 21 MPG $2,850
87 Ford Mustang 21 MPG $2,850
88 Ford Taurus 21 MPG $2,850
89 Geo Tracker Convertible 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
90 Geo Tracker Convertible 4x4 21 MPG $2,850
91 Geo Tracker Van 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
92 Geo Tracker Van 4x4 21 MPG $2,850
93 Honda Accord Wagon 21 MPG $2,850
94 Honda Prelude 21 MPG $2,850
95 Hyundai Sonata 21 MPG $2,850
96 Infiniti I30 21 MPG $3,300
97 Lexus ES 300 21 MPG $2,850
98 Mercury Sable 21 MPG $2,850
99 Nissan Altima / Stanza 21 MPG $2,850
100 Nissan Maxima 21 MPG $3,300

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset.