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Joining the Over-40 mpg Club: Overachievers That Can Beat EPA Fuel Economy Ratings

By Tom Mulcher, Consumer Reports

By Exhaust Notes Feb 22, 2012 3:24PM

The Honda Civic. Photo by Honda.





 

Note: Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on MSN.

 

We’ve recently showed that most fuel-efficient cars can beat their EPA highway fuel economy estimates in Consumer Reports measured fuel economy testing. But if you want to hit 40 mpg on the highway, our tests show that you have more options than you might think.


Below is a list of recently tested vehicles that returned 40 mpg or better in our 65-mph highway fuel economy testing, but were officially rated for less.


Information from Consumer Reports.

If getting that magic 40 mpg on the highway is important to you, this list provides more options.


Again, it’s important to emphasize that maximizing fuel economy depends a lot on how and where you drive.


Several years ago we measured fuel economy with a 2005 Toyota Camry four-cylinder sedan in different situations. Driving at 65 mph delivered 35 mpg; speeding up to 75 mph cut that to 30 mpg, while slowing down to 55 mph returned 40 mpg. Hard acceleration and braking reduced the Camry’s mileage by 2 to 3 mpg.

The bottom line

EPA highway fuel economy numbers provide a place to start your comparison shopping, but they’re often over-hyped as advertising claims. The full fuel picture is more complicated than that. We suggest using a variety of sources, including Consumer Reports test data, to determine if you’ll actually get the fuel economy you desire.

Read more at Consumer Reports:
How to get the best gas mileage
Which cars would owners buy again?
Complete Ratings for 200 cars and trucks
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73Comments
cheaper MPG
Feb 26, 2012 5:57AM
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All good Info to know but my Geo Metro achieves 45 mpg city and 52 mpg highway real world driving. While not a fancy package with all of lifes electronic amenities it has gotten be to and from work everyday for numerous year, it is cheap to work on and still passes emissions testing. All from a car that cost $6000 new. COME ON america get smart with your $$$$$ and quite with all the Gotta haves of technology and luxury and get to the basics of life and win the oil war.
jst1guy
Feb 26, 2012 5:45AM
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 This is a bit - well - puzzling.  No too long along I was reading where some woman took a car company to small claims court because the car she was driving got less than the epa estimate when she drove it.  (What was she doing - driving with the brake on?) 

 

  SO - I am more likely to go with what CR tells me than anyone else.

td49
Feb 26, 2012 5:45AM
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why pay for a bailed out car from a company in bed with the white house, inflated prices, over taxed, the govt should give us the cars, we pay for them daily
IICleanerII
Feb 26, 2012 5:40AM
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How unobservant you folks are . . . or did I miss the memo that Ford is now Japanese-owned?  There are four (4) Fords on this list, which is MORE than any other - more than Honda, more than Toyota, more than Nissan.  The Fords from 2010 onward are great vehicles.  I was surprised that there weren't any Chevy's though. 
Nickyd310
Feb 26, 2012 5:03AM
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This is my opinion,  I wont buy any foreign car, I don't care what kind of gas milage they get and the gas milage is all hype to support these invaders products , gas milage with these rice burners is a joke,  the American cars would most likely be alot better if they were completely made here with American company's suppling parts from this country and built here with are own hands. 
RT in Nashville
Feb 26, 2012 3:31AM
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My sons '87 CRX with 240 K got 46 mpg on a coast to coast trip 8 months ago. Why don't they reissue the real CRX?
DoWeGetToPayTheTab
Feb 26, 2012 2:25AM
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I have a Chevy Cruze Eco 2011 that has a rating of 42 mpg and achieves this quite consistently driving 70 mph on cruise control as opposed to 65 mph of the test. In fact after my last oil change with the tires inflated I got 45 mpg. If we list all these foreign cars why not a few of our own? I would like to know what these other cars get when driving 70 mph, which is on the slow side of what most people drive where I live.
winwinsituation
Feb 26, 2012 12:02AM
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I miss the Hyundai Elantra in that list. I drive a 2011 Elantra, which goes 47 mpg highway, sometimes even better.
Skyray
Feb 25, 2012 6:16PM
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I have a 2012 Chevrolet Cruz ECO. On the highway, I consistently reach 40 mpg or better, calculated by actual gallons of gas used and recorded mileage.

 

I can't imagine why this car didn't make the CU list?

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