SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Not all cars that claim to get 40 miles per gallon will hit that mark in real-world driving conditions, says Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information. But because the cars in the test are very fuel efficient, even those that fell just short of that high mpg threshold would be a good choice for someone who is currently piling up the miles in a gas guzzler, says Edmunds.com.
Edmunds.com’s “40 MPG Challenge” tested six vehicles that claim an EPA-rated 40 mpg on the highway: Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Veloster, Kia Rio 5, Mazda 3i, Ford Focus and the diesel-fueled Volkswagen Passat TDI. Only three vehicles (Passat TDI, Mazda 3i, and Ford Focus) cleared the EPA’s 40 mpg rating in at least one of Edmunds.com’s testing routes. Still, Edmunds.com found that the difference in yearly fuel costs between the top performing vehicle (Passat TDI) and the weakest vehicle (Kia Rio 5) is only $255 (assuming 12,000 miles driven in a year).
“Whether a car achieves 35 mpg or that all-hallowed 40 mpg, the difference won’t have as much impact on your wallet as you might expect,” says Edmunds.com Automobile Editor James Riswick. “The most important takeaway here is that any one of these vehicles would be a tremendous fuel efficiency upgrade if what you’re trading in is a 20-mpg gas guzzler.”
EDMUNDS .COM 40 MPG CHALLENGE – RESULTS
Ranking |
Vehicle |
MPG |
Total Cost |
Total cost for one year/12,000 miles |
1 |
Volkswagen Passat TDI |
45.1 |
$71.46 |
$1,128.09 |
2 |
Mazda 3i Grand Touring |
38.8 |
$79.77 |
$1,259.16 |
3 |
Ford Focus SFE |
37.9 |
$81.61 |
$1,288.22 |
4 |
Hyundai Veloster |
35.5 |
$87.14 |
$1,375.59 |
5 |
Kia Rio 5 |
35.3 |
$87.64 |
$1,383.45 |
6 |
Chevrolet Sonic Turbo |
37.0 |
$83.77 |
$1,322.32 |
Check out the full results and conclusions from Edmunds.com’s “40 MPG Challenge” at http://www.edmunds.com/fuel-
How much money can you save by trading in your gas guzzler? Edmunds.com’s Gas-Guzzler Calculator crunches the numbers for you at http://www.edmunds.com/
Car owners can research how much they can expect to pay in Monthly Fuel Costs in Edmunds.com’s Data Center at http://www.edmunds.com/
About Edmunds.com, Inc.
Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its acclaimed mobile site, Edmunds.com Android App and five-star Edmunds iPhone and iPad apps make car pricing and other research tools available for car shoppers at dealerships and on the go. Its automotive enthusiast web site, InsideLine.com, is the most-read car publication of its kind. Its highly regarded mobile site and iPhone app features the wireless Web’s most comprehensive gallery of automotive photos and videos. Edmunds.com Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit. Follow Edmunds.com on Twitter@edmunds and fan Edmunds.com on Facebook.