Toyota, Honda lead way in fuel efficiency

WASHINGTON — The hybrid-electric Toyota Prius leads the government’s annual top-10 fuel economy list of vehicles that can make living with high gas prices a little more tolerable.

The 2007 Prius, with 60 miles per gallon in the city and 51 mpg on the highway, ranked first while the Honda Civic Hybrid was second with 49 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy said Tuesday.

Honda and Toyota made seven of the 12 vehicles listed in the top 10. Twelve vehicles were listed because two of them, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid four-wheel drive and the Kia Rio, are the corporate twins of vehicles made by Ford and Hyundai respectively. The new Toyota Camry Hybrid made its debut at No. 3, with 40 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.

Ford Motor Co. had the most fuel-efficient sport utility vehicle, the Escape Hybrid front-wheel drive, which was fourth with 36 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. The four-wheel drive version of the Escape Hybrid, along with its corporate twin, the Mariner Hybrid, were tied for 10th place with 32 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

Six gas-only vehicles made the top 10: manual and automatic versions of the Toyota Yaris, the manual version of the Honda Fit, the manual Toyota Corolla and manual versions of the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio.

The government compiles the list based on information from manufacturers. Fuel economy estimates are determined by averaging numbers from a specific set of tests.

“Each year millions of Americans buy new cars, and by using fuel economy information, each consumer can make a more educated decision that will help conserve energy and save money,” said Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.

Hybrids comprise about 2 percent of the U.S. sales market but they have benefited from a federal tax incentive meant to help consumers recover part of the $3,000-$4,000 premium for a hybrid.

Last summer’s $3 gas prices made fuel economy a larger selling point in the industry. For example, Toyota has said it’s looking to make hybrids available across virtually its entire lineup in the future. General Motors Corp. has stressed in advertising the number of its vehicles getting 30 mpg or better.

Environmentalists said the list offered more evidence of a wide gap between top-performing models and average vehicles. An EPA report last summer said the average fuel economy for 2006 vehicles was 21 mpg, lower than the peak in 1987-88.

Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club’s global warming program, said it showed that the industry “has the technology to make vehicles get better mileage” but “auto companies fail to put that technology in most of their cars and light trucks.”