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Graphic Element, Right Gutter

2006 GAS GUZZLER SURCHARGE ANNOUNCED

Congrats to GM's Hummer: It's Off the List

Lamborghini and Dodge Ram Remain, Bentley Joins Them

While Better World Club provides discounts to drivers of alternative fuel vehicles, we also surcharge the least fuel-efficient cars sold in the U.S. This year, according to federal government statistics:

  • The Lamborghini Marcielago is the least efficient two-seat car getting only 9 city miles per gallon
  • The Dodge Ram 1500 Pick-Up remains the least efficient pick-up truck, once again only getting 9 mpg in the city. The Ram deserves special recognition as it is only 3 miles more efficient on the highway than in urban driving, the worst performance among the inefficient cars.
  • There has been one change in the line-up. The third position has been assumed by the Bentley Amage 8 in the Least Efficient Midsize category and the Bentley Amage LWB in the Least Efficient Large with their 10 mpg records. (Yes, we know, how many Bentley drivers do we have? Sigh. Well, the facts are the facts.)
  • One of last year's premier gas guzzlers, the Hummer H2, has been replaced by a new model, the H3, which has improved gas mileage from roughly 9 to 15 miles per gallon. Our congratulations to GM for this improvement.(Hey, it's better than the Dodge Ram.)


And, congratuations as well as to all of our "winners".

Meanwhile the Honda Insight, a gas-electric hybrid car, edged out the Toyota Prius as the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the U.S. Both get an estimated 60 miles per gallon in city driving.

The Insight, winner in the two-seat category, gets an estimated 66 miles an gallon on the highway, though, while the Prius gets 55 miles per gallon. (The regular transmission version of the Insight does a bit better than the automatic.)

The Prius, the mid-sized category winner, stands out as its hybrid system that delivers better mileage in stop-and-go driving than in steady highway cruising. The Prius is the most efficient "mid-sized" sedan by a wide margin. The Hyundai Elantra is listed as the most efficient non-hybrid mid-sized sedan. It gets an estimated 34 miles per gallon on the highway and 27 in the city.

Volkswagen took the top spots in the "compact" and "sub-compact" car categories. The diesel VW Beetle with manual transmission is the most efficient sub-compact and the VW Golf diesel, which is built on the same vehicle structure as the Beetle, is the most efficient compact. Both get an estimated 44 mpg on the highway and 37 in the city. These figures placed them 4rd and 5tth in overall mileage rankings, behind the Insight, Prius, and the Honda Civic Hybrid.

Among SUVs, the Ford Escape hybrid is the most efficient with 36 mpg in city driving and 31 on the highway.

The Mercury Mariner hybrid and Mazda Tribute hybrid are very similar and get the same mileage.

Among cars that were not "alternative fuel" vehicles, the Honda Civic topped the list with 30 mpg in city driving and 40 on the highway.

(The EPA's fuel economy figures are conducted under special conditions. Drivers in real-world conditions generally report lower actual mileage.)