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

The 100 most fuel-efficient cars in 1997

The 100 most fuel-efficient cars of the 1997 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 1997 vehicles, including electric

Every 1997 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 37 MPG $2,200
3 Volkswagen Jetta 37 MPG $2,200
4 Volkswagen Passat 36 MPG $2,250
5 Volkswagen Passat Wagon 36 MPG $2,250
6 Honda Civic 31 MPG $1,950
7 Mitsubishi Mirage 28 MPG $2,150
8 Suzuki Swift 28 MPG $2,150
9 Honda Del Sol 27 MPG $2,200
10 Hyundai Accent (SOHC) 27 MPG $2,200
11 Nissan Sentra/200SX 27 MPG $2,200
12 Toyota Tercel 27 MPG $2,200
13 Ford Aspire 26 MPG $2,300
14 Ford Escort 26 MPG $2,300
15 Ford Escort Wagon 26 MPG $2,300
16 Mercedes-Benz E300 Diesel 26 MPG $3,100
17 Mercury Tracer 26 MPG $2,300
18 Mercury Tracer Wagon 26 MPG $2,300
19 Suzuki Esteem 26 MPG $2,300
20 Toyota Celica 26 MPG $2,300
21 Toyota Paseo 26 MPG $2,300
22 Toyota Paseo Convertible 26 MPG $2,300
23 Acura Integra 25 MPG $2,750
24 Dodge Neon 25 MPG $2,400
25 Mazda Protege 25 MPG $2,400
26 Plymouth Neon 25 MPG $2,400
27 Saturn SC 25 MPG $2,400
28 Saturn SL 25 MPG $2,400
29 Saturn SW 25 MPG $2,400
30 Chevrolet Cavalier 24 MPG $2,500
31 Geo Prizm 24 MPG $2,500
32 Kia Sephia 24 MPG $2,500
33 Mazda 626 24 MPG $2,500
34 Mazda MX-6 24 MPG $2,500
35 Pontiac Sunfire 24 MPG $2,500
36 Subaru Impreza AWD 24 MPG $2,500
37 Subaru Legacy 24 MPG $2,500
38 Subaru Legacy Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
39 Toyota Corolla 24 MPG $2,500
40 BMW 318ti 23 MPG $3,000
41 BMW Z3 Roadster 23 MPG $3,000
42 Buick Skylark 23 MPG $2,600
43 Dodge Stratus 23 MPG $2,600
44 Ford Contour 23 MPG $2,600
45 Ford Probe 23 MPG $2,600
46 Honda Accord 23 MPG $2,600
47 Hyundai Elantra 23 MPG $2,600
48 Hyundai Tiburon (Coupe) 23 MPG $2,600
49 Isuzu Hombre Pickup 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
50 Mercedes-Benz C230 23 MPG $3,000
51 Mercury Mystique 23 MPG $2,600
52 Oldsmobile Achieva 23 MPG $2,600
53 Plymouth Breeze 23 MPG $2,600
54 Pontiac Grand Am 23 MPG $2,600
55 Subaru Impreza Wagon AWD 23 MPG $2,600
56 Subaru Legacy AWD 23 MPG $2,600
57 Subaru Legacy Wagon AWD 23 MPG $2,600
58 Toyota Camry 23 MPG $2,600
59 Toyota RAV4 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
60 Acura 2.2CL/3.0CL 22 MPG $2,700
61 BMW 318i Convertible 22 MPG $3,150
62 BMW 318i/318is 22 MPG $3,150
63 Hyundai Elantra Wagon 22 MPG $2,700
64 Mazda MX-5 Miata 22 MPG $2,700
65 Mitsubishi Eclipse 22 MPG $2,700
66 Mitsubishi Galant 22 MPG $2,700
67 Suzuki X-90 2WD 22 MPG $2,700
68 Suzuki X-90 4WD 22 MPG $2,700
69 Toyota Avalon 22 MPG $2,700
70 Toyota Celica Convertible 22 MPG $2,700
71 Volkswagen Cabrio 22 MPG $2,700
72 Audi A4 21 MPG $3,300
73 Audi A4 quattro 21 MPG $3,300
74 Buick Regal/Century 21 MPG $2,850
75 Chevrolet Lumina/Monte Carlo 21 MPG $2,850
76 Chevrolet Malibu 21 MPG $2,850
77 Chrysler Cirrus 21 MPG $2,850
78 Chrysler Sebring 21 MPG $2,850
79 Chrysler Sebring Convertible 21 MPG $2,850
80 Dodge Avenger 21 MPG $2,850
81 Ford Mustang 21 MPG $2,850
82 Geo Tracker Convertible 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
83 Geo Tracker Convertible 4x4 21 MPG $2,850
84 Geo Tracker Van 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
85 Geo Tracker Van 4x4 21 MPG $2,850
86 Honda CR-V 4WD 21 MPG $2,850
87 Infiniti I30 21 MPG $3,300
88 Nissan 240SX 21 MPG $3,300
89 Nissan Altima / Stanza 21 MPG $2,850
90 Nissan Maxima 21 MPG $3,300
91 Oldsmobile Cutlass 21 MPG $2,850
92 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 21 MPG $2,850
93 Pontiac Grand Prix 21 MPG $2,850
94 Suzuki Sidekick 2Door 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
95 Suzuki Sidekick 2Door 4WD 21 MPG $2,850
96 Suzuki Sidekick 4Door 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
97 Suzuki Sidekick 4Door 4WD 21 MPG $2,850
98 Toyota RAV4 4WD 21 MPG $2,850
99 Toyota Tacoma 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
100 Acura 2.5TL/3.2TL 20 MPG $3,450

Most efficient 1997 gasoline cars

The same 1997 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 37 MPG $2,200
3 Volkswagen Jetta 37 MPG $2,200
4 Volkswagen Passat 36 MPG $2,250
5 Volkswagen Passat Wagon 36 MPG $2,250
6 Honda Civic 31 MPG $1,950
7 Mitsubishi Mirage 28 MPG $2,150
8 Suzuki Swift 28 MPG $2,150
9 Honda Del Sol 27 MPG $2,200
10 Hyundai Accent (SOHC) 27 MPG $2,200
11 Nissan Sentra/200SX 27 MPG $2,200
12 Toyota Tercel 27 MPG $2,200
13 Ford Aspire 26 MPG $2,300
14 Ford Escort 26 MPG $2,300
15 Ford Escort Wagon 26 MPG $2,300
16 Mercedes-Benz E300 Diesel 26 MPG $3,100
17 Mercury Tracer 26 MPG $2,300
18 Mercury Tracer Wagon 26 MPG $2,300
19 Suzuki Esteem 26 MPG $2,300
20 Toyota Celica 26 MPG $2,300
21 Toyota Paseo 26 MPG $2,300
22 Toyota Paseo Convertible 26 MPG $2,300
23 Acura Integra 25 MPG $2,750
24 Dodge Neon 25 MPG $2,400
25 Mazda Protege 25 MPG $2,400
26 Plymouth Neon 25 MPG $2,400
27 Saturn SC 25 MPG $2,400
28 Saturn SL 25 MPG $2,400
29 Saturn SW 25 MPG $2,400
30 Chevrolet Cavalier 24 MPG $2,500
31 Geo Prizm 24 MPG $2,500
32 Kia Sephia 24 MPG $2,500
33 Mazda 626 24 MPG $2,500
34 Mazda MX-6 24 MPG $2,500
35 Pontiac Sunfire 24 MPG $2,500
36 Subaru Impreza AWD 24 MPG $2,500
37 Subaru Legacy 24 MPG $2,500
38 Subaru Legacy Wagon 24 MPG $2,500
39 Toyota Corolla 24 MPG $2,500
40 BMW 318ti 23 MPG $3,000
41 BMW Z3 Roadster 23 MPG $3,000
42 Buick Skylark 23 MPG $2,600
43 Dodge Stratus 23 MPG $2,600
44 Ford Contour 23 MPG $2,600
45 Ford Probe 23 MPG $2,600
46 Honda Accord 23 MPG $2,600
47 Hyundai Elantra 23 MPG $2,600
48 Hyundai Tiburon (Coupe) 23 MPG $2,600
49 Isuzu Hombre Pickup 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
50 Mercedes-Benz C230 23 MPG $3,000
51 Mercury Mystique 23 MPG $2,600
52 Oldsmobile Achieva 23 MPG $2,600
53 Plymouth Breeze 23 MPG $2,600
54 Pontiac Grand Am 23 MPG $2,600
55 Subaru Impreza Wagon AWD 23 MPG $2,600
56 Subaru Legacy AWD 23 MPG $2,600
57 Subaru Legacy Wagon AWD 23 MPG $2,600
58 Toyota Camry 23 MPG $2,600
59 Toyota RAV4 2WD 23 MPG $2,600
60 Acura 2.2CL/3.0CL 22 MPG $2,700
61 BMW 318i Convertible 22 MPG $3,150
62 BMW 318i/318is 22 MPG $3,150
63 Hyundai Elantra Wagon 22 MPG $2,700
64 Mazda MX-5 Miata 22 MPG $2,700
65 Mitsubishi Eclipse 22 MPG $2,700
66 Mitsubishi Galant 22 MPG $2,700
67 Suzuki X-90 2WD 22 MPG $2,700
68 Suzuki X-90 4WD 22 MPG $2,700
69 Toyota Avalon 22 MPG $2,700
70 Toyota Celica Convertible 22 MPG $2,700
71 Volkswagen Cabrio 22 MPG $2,700
72 Audi A4 21 MPG $3,300
73 Audi A4 quattro 21 MPG $3,300
74 Buick Regal/Century 21 MPG $2,850
75 Chevrolet Lumina/Monte Carlo 21 MPG $2,850
76 Chevrolet Malibu 21 MPG $2,850
77 Chrysler Cirrus 21 MPG $2,850
78 Chrysler Sebring 21 MPG $2,850
79 Chrysler Sebring Convertible 21 MPG $2,850
80 Dodge Avenger 21 MPG $2,850
81 Ford Mustang 21 MPG $2,850
82 Geo Tracker Convertible 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
83 Geo Tracker Convertible 4x4 21 MPG $2,850
84 Geo Tracker Van 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
85 Geo Tracker Van 4x4 21 MPG $2,850
86 Honda CR-V 4WD 21 MPG $2,850
87 Infiniti I30 21 MPG $3,300
88 Nissan 240SX 21 MPG $3,300
89 Nissan Altima / Stanza 21 MPG $2,850
90 Nissan Maxima 21 MPG $3,300
91 Oldsmobile Cutlass 21 MPG $2,850
92 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 21 MPG $2,850
93 Pontiac Grand Prix 21 MPG $2,850
94 Suzuki Sidekick 2Door 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
95 Suzuki Sidekick 2Door 4WD 21 MPG $2,850
96 Suzuki Sidekick 4Door 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
97 Suzuki Sidekick 4Door 4WD 21 MPG $2,850
98 Toyota RAV4 4WD 21 MPG $2,850
99 Toyota Tacoma 2WD 21 MPG $2,850
100 Acura 2.5TL/3.2TL 20 MPG $3,450

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset.