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Cheap High MPG Cars: 1994

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The names remained the same among the ranks of high MPG cars in 1994, with a notable exception.

The Ford Aspire was the only car to break Suzuki/GM and Honda’s firm grip on the Top Ten High-MPG list for the 1994 model year. The Aspire, a result of a collaboration between Kia and Mazda, replaced the Festiva in Ford subcompact lineup and remained a fixture through the 1997 model year.

Top Ten High MPG Cars – 1994 Model Year:

  • Geo Metro – XFi 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 53 city / 58 highway
  • Honda Civic – HB VX 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 47 city / 56 highway
  • Honda Civic – HB VX 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 44 city / 51 highway
  • Pontiac Firefly – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Chevrolet Sprint – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Geo Metro – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 49 highway
  • Honda Civic – 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 42 city / 46 highway
  • Honda Civic – 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 40 city / 45 highway
  • Suzuki Swift – 4-cyl., 1.3 liter – MPG: 37 city / 44 highway
  • Ford Aspire – 4-cyl., 1.3 liter – MPG: 36 city / 43 highway

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Cheap High MPG Cars: 1993

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The 1993 model year was “deja vu all over again,” with Honda and Suzuki-built cars edging out every other manufacturer in the Top Ten High MPG list. A good sampling of cars delivered over 35 miles per gallon highway in 1993, with vehicles from all the usual suspects. While GM’s Saturn division didn’t crack the top ten, it put in a solid showing with nine models eclipsing the 35 miles per gallon highway mark. With the departure of the Jetta diesel, Volkswagen fell out of the high-MPG club until the oil-burner’s return in 1997.

Top Ten High MPG Cars – 1993 Model Year:

  • Geo Metro XFi 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 53 city / 58 highway
  • Honda Civic HB VX 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 48 city / 55 highway
  • Honda Civic HB VX 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 44 city / 51 highway
  • Geo Metro LSi 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Suzuki Swift 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Geo Metro 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Honda Civic 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 42 city / 46 highway
  • Honda Civic 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 40 city / 46 highway
  • Geo Metro LSi Convertible 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 41 city / 46 highway
  • Suzuki Swift 4-cyl., 1.3 liter – MPG: 39 city / 43 highway

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Cheap High MPG Cars: 1992

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The 1992 model year offers a good range of choices for the high MPG used car shopper. The ranks of 1992 cars (as opposed to rank cars) that score over 35 miles per gallon on the highway includes: the Chevy Sprint and Cavelier, Daihatsu Charade, Dodge Colt, Eagle Summit, Ford Escort and Festiva, Geo Metro and Storm, Honda Civic, Hyundai Precis and Excel, Isuzu Stylus, Lincoln-Mercury Tracer, Mazda MX-3 and 323, Mitsubushi Mirage, Missan NX and Sentra, Oldsmobile Achieva, Plymouth Colt, Pontiac Sunbird and Lemans, Saturn SL, Suburu Justy, Toyota Tercel, and the Volkswagen Jetta. The Jetta remained as the only diesel offering in the group.

1992’s Top Ten High MPG list looks quite a bit like the 1991 list, with Suzuki-built cars grabbing six of the top ten spots. The Honda Civic VX Hatchback took the place of the CRX HF as Honda’s highest MPG offering. All of the entries are equipped with five-speed manual gearboxes.

Top Ten High MPG Cars – 1992 Model Year:

  • Geo Metro XFi – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 53 city / 58 highway
  • Honda Civic HB VX – 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 48 city / 55 highway
  • Honda Civic HB VX – 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 44 city / 51 highway
  • Chevrolet Sprint – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Geo Metro – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Pontiac Firefly – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Geo Metro LSi – 3 -cyl., 1.0 – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Suzuki Swift – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Honda Civic – 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 42 city / 48 highway
  • Honda Civic – 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 40 city / 47 highway

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Cheap High MPG Cars: 1991

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1991’s Top Ten High MPG list is dominated by GM-badged Suzukis, wearing Geo Metro, Pontiac Firefly, and Chevy Sprint nameplates. Eight of the top ten spots are taken by variations of the Suzuki Swift in both three- and four-cylinder form. (All run on regular fuel and are equipped with five-speed manual transmissions.) The convertible Geo Metro LSI is perhaps the most interesting of all … it’s hard to argue the fun factor of a ragtop with 46 miles per gallon on open road. Honda’s CRX HF was the sole non-Suzuki entry among the most thrifty, with 1991 ending its run.

All-in-all, 1991 wasn’t a bad year for high-MPG cars, with cars from Daihatsu, Dodge, Eagle, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln-Mercury, Mazda, Mitsubushi, Nissan, Plymouth, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen joining the GM and Honda entries in breaking the 35 highway miles per gallon mark.

Top Ten High MPG Cars – 1991 Model Year:

  • Geo Metro XFI – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 53 city / 58 highway
  • Honda Civic CRX HF – 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 49 city / 52 highway
  • Pontiac Firefly – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 45 city / 50 highway
  • Suzuki Swift – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 45 city / 50 highway
  • Geo Metro – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 45 city / 50 highway
  • Chevrolet Sprint – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 45 city / 50 highway
  • Geo Metro LSI – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 45 city / 50 highway
  • Honda Civic CRX HF – 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 43 city / 49 highway
  • Geo Metro LSI Convertible – 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 41 city / 46 highway
  • Suzuki Swift – 4-cyl., 1.3 liter – MPG: 39 city / 43 highway

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Cheap High MPG Cars: 1990

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The 1990 model year saw the high-MPG field tighten, as gas mileage ceased to be the priority it was in the early years of the previous decade. While half of the top ten highest-MPG cars in 1990 carried a domestic nameplate, those choices were all imports. GM grabbed the top honors with the fuel-sipping three-cylinder Geo Metro XFI, a rebadged Suzuki Swift. (In fact, all of GM’s highest mileage offerings in 1990 were manufactured by Suzuki.) The Chevy Cavalier struggled to break the 35 MPG highway mark. On the other side of the domestic fence, just one model of the domestic Ford Escort broke the 40 MPG highway mark, as did the imported Ford Festiva. The two-seater Honda Civic CRX HF continued to produce respectable results, with a 52 MPG highway mark. The Jetta remained as Volkswagen’s sole compact diesel.

Top Ten High MPG Cars – 1990 Model Year:

  • Geo Metro XFI 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 53 city / 58 highway
  • Honda Civic CRX HF 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 49 city / 52 highway
  • Geo Metro 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Suzuki Swift 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Geo Metro LSI 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Chevrolet Sprint 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Pontiac Firefly 3-cyl., 1.0 liter – MPG: 46 city / 50 highway
  • Honda Civic CRX HF 4-cyl., 1.5 liter – MPG: 43 city / 49 highway
  • Suzuki Swift 4-cyl., 1.3 liter – MPG: 40 city / 44 highway
  • Volkswagen Jetta 4-cyl., 1.6 liter – MPG: 37 city / 43 highway

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