2010 Honda Insight hybrid
The Environmental Protection Administration says Honda has the most fuel efficient fleet in the U.S. for 2009, with a fleet-wide average of 23.6 mpg. Hyundai is in second place, with 23.4 mpg, edging out Toyota, which used to be in first place, by a slim margin, at 23.2 mpg.
The rankings are based on 2009 model vehicles sold for the first ten months of this year. The numbers include the Cash for Clunkers rebate program this summer, which gave buyers a tax rebate of up to $4,500 to buy a more fuel efficient vehicle than what they were driving. Imports topped the list then, too.
I'm pretty sure that Honda's number one fuel efficiency ranking was boosted by the re-launch earlier in 2009 of the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid, which may or may not have stolen sales from the 2009 Toyota Prius, the best-selling hybrid on the planet. But let's give some credit to Hyundai which has no hybrid for sale in the U.S. to boost overall fleet-wide fuel efficienty numbers, just a garage full of energy efficient and affordable gas-powered cars.
The three most fuel efficient fleets are all within a half-gallon of mpg. That's close enough to compare with a photo finish of a 100-yard dash in a track and field event, or the Kentucky Derby. Very impressive!
So who are the next three? The Detroit News reports Volkswagen was fourth at 22.3 mpg; and Nissan and BMW were tied for fifth, at 21.6 mpg.
And what about Detroit? At the bottom of the list. Ford was in seventh with a 20.5 mpg, even though sales of Ford Fusion, Ford Fusion Hybrid and new Ford Taurus are through the roof. General Motors was in eighth at 19.9 mpg; and Chrysler was last at 18.7 mpg.
Pathetic. Even more pathetic -- while Ford and GM made gains in 2009 over 2008, and Chrysler actually dropped down from 19.3 fleet-wide average fuel efficiency to 18.7.
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Comments
Why are people still acting like Cash4Clunkers was a good thing? The only thing the program stimulated was Japan's economy. We took thousand of Americans without auto loans and put them in debt. It's only a matter of time until the wave of repossessions hits. Watch repofinder. com in the next few months. The auto industry will ultimately be hurt by this.
Interesting that Howie Long continues to spout of GM's superior fuel effeciency every weekend on pro football. Where does he get his numbers?
I believe the fleet average includes all vehicles made by the company including trucks. Honda and Hyundai are not exactly big players in the truck market which has to help their numbers.
This article is pretty unprofessional and misleading. These fleet statistics, as I understand it, include all vehicles up to and including 1 ton pick-ups (F-350,RAM 3500, C/K 3500). The Detroit manufacturers far outpace all others in this market segment. Of course their average is lower. Apples to Oranges comparison. And the snarky comments of the poster just make them look like an idiot.
The person who wrote this article is an idiot.
Whoever wrote this article clearly knows nothing about the auto industry and how these numbers are computed. These are fleet-wide averages and include light pickup trucks. The Ford F-150 is the best selling VEHICLE in the United States since 1977, so obviously Ford is going to have a lower fleet-wide average than Honda when Ford sells 600,000 F-150's every year and all Honda has are teeny tiny cars and the Ridgeline. I agree with the previous comment, whoever wrote this article is clueless and needs to stop writing about an industry she knows nothing about.
Ross, Michael, Will --
Of course I know these are fleet-wide numbers -- that is mentioned in the very first sentence of this article.
And we all know that is the entire point of fleet-wide CAFE standards -- to force Detroit to build smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles to boost the low numbers of gas guzzling hulks such such names as Hummer, GMC, F-Series and Ram.
Honda and Toyota also make trucks. Ridgeline and Tundra. And they make large SUVs, too. But the bulk (pardon the pun) of their vehicles are small and fuel efficient. That is not the case with Ford, GM or Chrysler. And it is exactly why Ford is focusing (pardon that pun, too) on its award-winning EcoBoost engine and fuel efficient Focus, Fiesta, Fusion and Taurus models. And why GM is rushing to get its highly efficient Chevy Volt to market.
Thanks for your passion and interest, and I hope you continue to read these Green Car pages and share your thoughts.
Evelyn Kanter
Gasoline is still one of the cheapest things you put into your car. Overall quality is a better measure and in that regard, Honda is king. Ask the person who owns one!
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