The typical car today will take you about 26 miles on a gallon of gas, or the electric equivalent, but that wasn't always the case.
The General used data from the Environmental Protection Agency to find the most fuel-efficient car and truck every year since 1975. For this analysis, years represent the model year of the vehicle; the EPA determined the most fuel-efficient vehicles by their overall miles per gallon.
Manufacturers have made great strides in fuel efficiency over the past half-century. The typical fuel economy of a passenger vehicle in 1975 was about 13 miles per gallon, while in 2022 it has doubled to more than 26 miles per gallon. Based on February 2023 urban gas prices, that efficiency saves drivers about $13 per 100 miles. Typical vehicle carbon dioxide emissions have also dropped off about 61% in that time period, from 661 grams per mile in 1975 to 256 grams per mile in 2022, EPA data shows.
Drivers who wanted to travel the farthest on every buck they poured into gas tanks in the 1970s were likely looking at buying a boxy Volkswagen or a Honda sedan. And in the 1980s the two-door GM Sprint was about as efficient a vehicle as you could find, according to EPA data. But in the last decade, it's hybrid and electric vehicles that have increasingly stolen the spotlight from traditional automakers who were previously top of their class for fuel efficiency.
Still, Honda and American automaker General Motors had the most cars on the list, which dates back to 1975. GM's trucks also dominated in fuel efficiency alongside Ford.
The Department of Transportation was created in the 1960s, though by that time U.S. highway construction was well underway. And by the late 1960s and early 1970s, the federal government was ready to get serious about regulating the safety of vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was created to enforce federal motor vehicle safety standards. Regulations instated over the next decade included requirements for seat belts, lower tailpipe emissions, front and rear bumpers, and labels for fuel efficiency.
Those regulations forever changed the way vehicles were manufactured. Today, vehicle fuel efficiency is front-and-center in advertising, and most manufacturers' model lineups feature fewer combustion engines than ever before, favoring hybrid or all-electric drivetrains. For electric and hybrid electric vehicles, fuel efficiency is measured in miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) which uses the kilowatt-hour equivalent to gasoline for generating the heat needed to fuel a vehicle engine. Here, it's reported as the EPA does, using MPG for both MPG and MPGe.
The Biden administration proposed the strictest regulations on automobile emissions in history in April 2023. The proposed regulation would apply to tailpipe emissions from 2027 to 2032 and would effectively force automakers to produce even more electric vehicles.
Keep reading to take a spin through the history of fuel-efficient vehicles in the U.S.
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Civic CVCC
--- Overall mileage: 28.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 33 mpg
--- City mileage: 25.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Nissan Pickup
--- Overall mileage: 20.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 24.8 mpg
--- City mileage: 18.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Civic CVCC
--- Overall mileage: 30.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 33.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 28.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Ford Courier pickup
--- Overall mileage: 23 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 25.9 mpg
--- City mileage: 21.1 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Civic CVCC
--- Overall mileage: 37.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 40.2 mpg
--- City mileage: 35.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Courier cab chassis, Ford Courier pickup, Mazda B1800 pickup
--- Overall mileage: 27.4 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 31.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 25 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: VW Rabbit
--- Overall mileage: 37.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 40.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 35.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Courier cab chassis, Ford Courier pickup, Mazda B1800 pickup
--- Overall mileage: 27.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 30 mpg
--- City mileage: 26.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: VW Rabbit
--- Overall mileage: 39.1 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 42.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 36.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Courier pickup, Mazda B2000 pickup
--- Overall mileage: 25.9 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 28.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 24 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: VW Rabbit
--- Overall mileage: 40.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 44.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 37.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: VW 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 38.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 41.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 35.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: VW Rabbit
--- Overall mileage: 40.9 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 45.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 37.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: VW P/U 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 36 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 39.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 33.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: VW Rabbit
--- Overall mileage: 42.7 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 45.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 40.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: VW P/U 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 37 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 37.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 36.6 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Nissan Sentra
--- Overall mileage: 45.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 47.8 mpg
--- City mileage: 43.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: VW P/U 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 38.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 38.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 37.8 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Civic Coupe
--- Overall mileage: 48 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 51.2 mpg
--- City mileage: 45.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: GM P'UP P/U 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 36.1 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 38.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 34.6 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient cars: GM Firefly, GM Sprint, Suzuki SA310
--- Overall mileage: 49.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 52.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 47.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: GM P'UP P/U 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 36.1 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 38.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 34.6 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Sprint ER
--- Overall mileage: 56.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 59.2 mpg
--- City mileage: 54.8 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: GM P'UP 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 36 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 38.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 34.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Sprint ER
--- Overall mileage: 54.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 57.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 52.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: GM P'UP 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 36 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 38.5 mpg
--- City mileage: 34 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Sprint Metro
--- Overall mileage: 54.4 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 57.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 52.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Suzuki Samurai
--- Overall mileage: 27.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 28.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 27 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Civic CRX
--- Overall mileage: 50.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 53.8 mpg
--- City mileage: 47.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Suzuki Sidekick
--- Overall mileage: 27.7 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 28.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 27.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Metro XFI
--- Overall mileage: 53.4 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 56.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 50.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Suzuki Samurai
--- Overall mileage: 27.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 28.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 27.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Metro XFI
--- Overall mileage: 53 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 56.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 50.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Suzuki Samurai
--- Overall mileage: 27.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 27.9 mpg
--- City mileage: 27 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Metro XFI
--- Overall mileage: 52.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 56 mpg
--- City mileage: 49.6 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Suzuki Samurai
--- Overall mileage: 27.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 27.8 mpg
--- City mileage: 26.8 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Metro XFI
--- Overall mileage: 52.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 55.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 49.1 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Suzuki Samurai
--- Overall mileage: 27.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 27.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 26.6 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Metro XFI
--- Overall mileage: 52.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 55.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 49.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Suzuki Samurai
--- Overall mileage: 27 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 27.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 26.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Civic HB VX
--- Overall mileage: 47.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 53 mpg
--- City mileage: 42.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Suzuki Samurai
--- Overall mileage: 26.9 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 27.5 mpg
--- City mileage: 26.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Suzuki Swift
--- Overall mileage: 43.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 46.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 40.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: GM S10 pickup 2WD, GM Sonoma 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 25.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 29.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 22.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Metro
--- Overall mileage: 42.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 46.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 39.5 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: GM S10 pickup 2WD, GM Sonoma 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 25.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 29.5 mpg
--- City mileage: 22.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: GM Metro
--- Overall mileage: 42 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 46.1 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient cars: VW New Beetle, VW New Golf, VW New Jetta
--- Overall mileage: 41 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 45.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 36.8 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: GM Tracker 4X4 convertible
--- Overall mileage: 24.7 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 26.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 23 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Insight
--- Overall mileage: 57.4 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 63 mpg
--- City mileage: 51.8 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Ford Ranger electric 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 24.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 31.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 19.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Insight
--- Overall mileage: 56.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 61.8 mpg
--- City mileage: 50.8 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Ranger pickup 2WD, Mazda B2300 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 23.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 25.5 mpg
--- City mileage: 21.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Insight
--- Overall mileage: 55.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 60.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 50.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: GM Tracker 4WD hardtop, Suzuki Vitara 4-door 4WD
--- Overall mileage: 25.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 28.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 22.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Insight
--- Overall mileage: 55 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 60.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 49.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Ranger pickup 2WD, Mazda B2300 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 23.9 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 26.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 21.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Insight
--- Overall mileage: 53.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 57.9 mpg
--- City mileage: 48.6 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Ranger pickup 2WD, Mazda B2300 2WD
--- Overall mileage: 23.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 26.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 20.8 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Insight
--- Overall mileage: 53.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 57.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 48.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Ford Escape HEV 4WD
--- Overall mileage: 27 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 26.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 28.1 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda Insight
--- Overall mileage: 53 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 57.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 47.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Escape hybrid 4WD, Ford Mariner Hybrid 4WD, Mazda Tribute hybrid 4WD
--- Overall mileage: 27 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 26.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 28.1 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Toyota Prius
--- Overall mileage: 46.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 45.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 47.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Escape hybrid 4WD, Ford Mariner hybrid 4WD
--- Overall mileage: 27.1 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 26.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 27.6 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Toyota Prius
--- Overall mileage: 46.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 45.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 47.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Escape hybrid 4WD, Ford Mariner hybrid 4WD, Mazda Tribute hybrid 4WD
--- Overall mileage: 27.9 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 27 mpg
--- City mileage: 29.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Toyota Prius
--- Overall mileage: 46.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 45.1 mpg
--- City mileage: 47.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: GM VUE hybrid
--- Overall mileage: 28.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 29.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 26.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Honda FCX
--- Overall mileage: 60.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 60.8 mpg
--- City mileage: 59.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Mazda Tribute hybrid 4WD
--- Overall mileage: 28.7 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 27.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 30.6 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: BMW 1 Series Active E
--- Overall mileage: 100.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 96.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 106.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: Ford Escape hybrid 4WD, Ford Mariner Hybrid 4WD
--- Overall mileage: 28.2 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 26.9 mpg
--- City mileage: 30.1 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Mitsubishi i-MiEV
--- Overall mileage: 109 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 98.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 126.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient trucks: GM C15 Sierra 2WD hybrid, GM C15 Silverado 2WD hybrid, GM C1500 Tahoe 2WD hybrid, GM C1500 Yukon 2WD hybrid, GM Escalade 2WD hybrid
--- Overall mileage: 29.1 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 32.6 mpg
--- City mileage: 25.5 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Toyota iQ EV
--- Overall mileage: 117 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 104.8 mpg
--- City mileage: 138.3 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Subaru XV Crosstrek AWD
--- Overall mileage: 28.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 32 mpg
--- City mileage: 24.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: BMW I3 BEV
--- Overall mileage: 121.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 111.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 137.5 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Subaru XV Crosstrek AWD
--- Overall mileage: 30.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 32.2 mpg
--- City mileage: 28.8 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: BMW I3 BEV
--- Overall mileage: 121.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 111.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 137.5 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Subaru XV Crosstrek hybrid
--- Overall mileage: 31.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 33.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 29.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: BMW I3 BEV
--- Overall mileage: 121.3 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 111.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 137.5 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Toyota RAV4 hybrid AWD
--- Overall mileage: 31.8 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 30.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 34 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Hyundai Ioniq Electric
--- Overall mileage: 132.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 122 mpg
--- City mileage: 150 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Stellantis Pacifica hybrid
--- Overall mileage: 48.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 41.5 mpg
--- City mileage: 62.5 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Hyundai Ioniq Electric
--- Overall mileage: 132.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 122 mpg
--- City mileage: 150 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Tesla Model X 75D
--- Overall mileage: 93.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 95.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 91.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Hyundai Ioniq Electric
--- Overall mileage: 132.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 122 mpg
--- City mileage: 150 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Tesla Model X Standard Range
--- Overall mileage: 100.5 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 97.5 mpg
--- City mileage: 104.7 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus
--- Overall mileage: 138.6 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 132 mpg
--- City mileage: 148.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Tesla Model X Long Range Plus
--- Overall mileage: 103.9 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 100.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 108.4 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus RWD
--- Overall mileage: 139.1 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 132.4 mpg
--- City mileage: 149 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Tesla Model Y standard range RWD
--- Overall mileage: 127 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 118.7 mpg
--- City mileage: 139.9 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient car: Lucid Air G Touring AWD w/19 inch wheels
--- Overall mileage: 131.4 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 132.3 mpg
--- City mileage: 130.2 mpg
- Most fuel-efficient truck: Tesla Model Y AWD
--- Overall mileage: 121 miles per gallon
--- Highway mileage: 115.9 mpg
--- City mileage: 128.5 mpg
This story originally appeared on The General and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
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