EPA Rates Geo Metro Most Fuel-Efficient Car

10/01/96

Reuters reported that the US Environmental Protection Agency has rated the subcompact Geo Metro as the most fuel-efficient car of the 1997 model year, and that the least fuel-efficient car is Vector Aeromotive's exotic Avtech SC. The EPA's annual mileage review said GM's Geo Metro, which was which was designed by Suzuki Motor, got 44 miles per gallon (mpg) in city driving and 49 mpg on the highway. The Avtech SC, on the other hand, was rated at nine miles per gallon in the city and 13 on the highway.

Toyota's two-wheel-drive RAV4 sport/utility vehicle with manual transmission had the best mileage, of the top 10 light-duty trucks, with 24 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. Chrysler's Dodge B3500 two-wheel drive wagon with a 5.9-liter V-8 engine performed the worst of all the trucks, at 11 mpg in the city and 15 on the highway.

Other cars that ranked well in the EPA's listing were Volkswagen's Golf/GTI, Jetta, Passat and Passat wagon, another Geo Metro model, the Suzuki Swift, two Honda Civics, and Ford's Aspire.

In addition to the Avtech SC, the Lamborghini DB132/144 Diablo, three sports cars made by Ferrari, and five models built by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars all ranked low in mileage

High-mileage light trucks included four models of GM's Geo Tracker sport/utility vehicle, Isuzu Motors Ltd.'s Hombre pickup, GM's GMC Sonoma and Chevrolet S10 pickups, and Toyota's Tacoma two-wheel-drive pickup.

Low-mileage light trucks included two models of the Dodge B3500 two-wheel drive wagon, BMW's Range Rover sport/utility, the Dodge Ram pickup, two models of GM's Suburban four-wheel drive sport/utility vehicle, Ford's E150 Club Wagon, Toyota's Lexus LX450 and Land Cruiser sport/utility vehicles, and Dodge's two-wheel drive B1500/B2500 Van.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel