After five years of finishing in the shadow of the Geo Metro, the Honda Civic is No. 1 - as the stingiest gasoline burner on the road among 1995 model
cars. Five Honda Civic subcompacts were among the 10 most fuel-efficient 1995 model cars in test results released recently by the Environmental
ProtectionAgency. Two Geo Metro models of subcompacts still made the top 10 list, but the fuel efficiency leader for past five years - the Geo Metro XFI - was nowhere to be found. A General Motors spokesman said the model was discontinued. Geo Metro subcompacts finished first, second and third last year, followed by
Hondas. The 1995 Honda Civic hatchback was rated at 56 miles per gallon on the highway and 47 mpg in city driving, the best of nearly 900 cars and trucks
tested. As usually has been the case, a string of luxury and high performance cars made up the list of biggest gas guzzlers. The Lambor- ghini Diablo had the worst mileage at 9 mpg in city driving and 14 mpg on the highway. Eight of the 10 worst mileage cars were various models of the
Rolls-Royce. The EPA estimated it costs $1,841 a year to fuel a Lamborghini, compared with $750 for a Ford Taurus (21 mpg) and $338 for the Honda Civic hatchback. The estimates were based on 15,000 miles of travel and average gasoline prices.
The EPA said 39 cars were subject to the "gas guzzler" tax because of poor mileage, about the same as last year. Most cars came in between the 18 mpg to 29 mpg in combined city and highway driving. The Mazda Protege (34 mpg) was the stingiest compact car and the Mazda 626 (29 mpg) was tops among mid-size models.
Only about 7 percent of the vehicles - or 61 cars - showed combined mileage of 30 mpg or better. Nearly half of the cars and trucks had mileage of 20 mpg or less, including 84 with mileage of less than 15 mpg.
The Suzuki Samurai (29 combined mpg) and the Suzuki Sidekick and Geo Tracker convertible (both 27 mpg) were the most fuel-efficient light trucks.
The EPA provided no overall average mileage figures for 1995 models, although officials said the numbers likely were similar to the roughly 28 mpg average in 1993 and 1994. "Nothing has jumped out that says there is a change here," said Tom Ball of the EPA's automobile fuel economy testing office in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Clarence Ditlow, director of the Center for Auto Safety, said the latest figures once again show that automakers are not interested in increasing overall gasoline mileage. He said fleetwide mileage is also hampered by the increased popularity of light trucks, which generally get much worse gas mileage than cars.
"The market isn't working. We're wasting gasoline, paying more and more for oil imports and increasing greenhouse gases," said Ditlow. Carbon dioxide, a leading pollutant linked to global warming, is produced when burning gasoline.
But the Center for Vehicle Choice, a group opposed to higher fuel economy requirements, said the latest mileage figures are a reminder that the most fuel-efficient cars also don't sell. The group said the 10 biggest fuel misers of 1994 accounted for less than 2 percent of sales.
Fuel prices are only 10 percent of what it costs to own and operate a vehicle, and consumers "consider safety, utility and performance more important than fuel economy" said Diane Steed, the group's president.
The 10 1995 model vehicles with the best gasoline mileage in city and highway driving, according to the Environmental Protection Agency:
Honda Civic HB/VX 47 city, 56 highway.
Honda Civic HB/VX 44 city, 51 highway.
Geo Metro 44 city 49 highway.
Suzuki Swift 44 city, 49 highway.
Honda Civic 42 city, 46 highway.
Honda Civic 40 city, 45 highway.
Geo Metro 39 city, 43 highway.
Suzuki Swift 39 city, 43 highway.
Ford Aspire 36 city, 42 highway.
Honda Civic Del Sol 35 city, 41 highway.
Note: Models with identical names have different mileage because of variations in engine size or transmission system.