More Cars Joining the 40 MPG Club

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With unrest in the Middle East prompting predictions of $4-5/gallon gas in the U.S., buyers will be looking for that 40-mpg number, and automotive marketers will try to deliver it. Of course, electric cars, plug-in extended range electrics, and many diesels and hybrids easily crest the magic number.


If you're looking for 40 mpg without expensive electrification or clean diesel technology, your choices are few, although they are growing.

Before you dash off that letter, yes, we know the Honda CRX peaked in the 1987 model year at 42/51 mpg among two generations of HF models, and the 1994-'95 Civic VX was rated 39/50 mpg. Both did so without standard air-conditioning, power windows, or stiff body structures and weight-adding safety equipment required of modern cars. (The Environmental Protection Agency numbers listed here have been adjusted for the 2008 measurement standard.)



Today, 40 mpg isn't entirely dependent on size. Two C-segment cars are on this list, versus one each in the A- and B-segments. For the 2010 model year, only one car reached 40 mpg highway without hybrid or diesel power, the A-segment Smart ForTwo.


Soon there'll be six such models in the 40-mpg Club. Ford says its 2.0-liter 2012 Focus SE with SFE package achieves at least 40 mpg highway, whether equipped with the six-speed manual or Powershift auto-manual transmission, though EPA figures for '12 models were not published in time for this report. Similarly, Honda says its all-new 2012 Civic HF will, like the '12 Civic Hybrid, breach 40-mpg highway. The '11 Fit manages only 28/35 mpg with the five-speed automatic (27/33 with the manual). The '12 Fiat 500, an A-segment car, gets 30/38 mpg for the manual, and 27/34 mpg for the automatic.



The first automaker that can attain 40-mpg-plus from a midsize sedan could rule the U.S. market. Volkswagen will do it with the 2012 Passat, though only with the diesel, which it says will achieve 43-mpg highway. The diesel engine will be imported to the U.S. for the Tennessee-assembled Passat, creating a high "transfer cost," so expect the Passat diesel to cost quite a bit more than the $20,000 base price. If you want to reach 40 mpg highway with a conventional gas engine, here are 2011 model year choices:


Smart ForTwo, 1.0-liter I-3, automated five-speed manual: 33/41 mpg
Ford Fiesta SFE, 1.6-liter I-4, automated six-speed manual: 29/40 mpg
Hyundai Elantra, 1.8-liter I-4, six-speed manual or automatic: 29/40 mpg
Chevrolet Cruze Eco, 1.4-liter turbo I-4, six-speed manual: 28/42 mpg