1992 rankings · Compact Cars
Most Fuel-Efficient 1992 Compact Cars, Ranked
We ranked all 46 EPA-rated 1992 compact cars by what they cost to fuel. The Ford Escort leads at about $1,550 a year (30 MPG), while the Wallace Environmental Wetl 412 is the most expensive to run at $5,925 (10 MPG). The median compact car costs $2,022 a year to fuel.
Fuel costs assume 15,000 miles a year at $3.10/gal regular, $3.95/gal premium and 18¢/kWh. Each model is shown in its most efficient configuration.
Top 15
Annual fuel cost (lower is better)All 46 models
| # | Model | Type | Combined | Range | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Escort | Gas | 30 MPG | — | $1,550 |
| 2 | Pontiac Lemans | Gas | 30 MPG | — | $1,550 |
| 3 | Mercury Tracer | Gas | 29 MPG | — | $1,603 |
| 4 | Isuzu Stylus | Gas | 29 MPG | — | $1,603 |
| 5 | Mazda 323 | Gas | 28 MPG | — | $1,661 |
| 6 | Saturn SL | Gas | 28 MPG | — | $1,661 |
| 7 | Mitsubishi Precis | Gas | 28 MPG | — | $1,661 |
| 8 | Volkswagen Jetta Diesel | Diesel | 33 MPG | — | $1,682 |
| 9 | Mazda Protege | Gas | 27 MPG | — | $1,722 |
| 10 | Oldsmobile Achieva | Gas | 26 MPG | — | $1,788 |
| 11 | Pontiac Grand Am | Gas | 26 MPG | — | $1,788 |
| 12 | Volkswagen Golf/GTI | Gas | 25 MPG | — | $1,860 |
| 13 | Volkswagen Jetta | Gas | 25 MPG | — | $1,860 |
| 14 | Chevrolet Beretta | Gas | 25 MPG | — | $1,860 |
| 15 | Chevrolet Corsica | Gas | 25 MPG | — | $1,860 |
| 16 | Plymouth Sundance/Duster | Gas | 25 MPG | — | $1,860 |
| 17 | Honda Accord | Gas | 24 MPG | — | $1,938 |
| 18 | Ford Probe | Gas | 24 MPG | — | $1,938 |
| 19 | Ford Tempo | Gas | 24 MPG | — | $1,938 |
| 20 | Infiniti G20 | Gas | 24 MPG | — | $1,938 |
| 21 | Mercury Topaz | Gas | 24 MPG | — | $1,938 |
| 22 | Subaru Legacy/Outback | Gas | 23 MPG | — | $2,022 |
| 23 | Buick Skylark | Gas | 23 MPG | — | $2,022 |
| 24 | Mitsubishi Galant | Gas | 23 MPG | — | $2,022 |
| 25 | Volvo 240 | Gas | 22 MPG | — | $2,114 |
| 26 | Chrysler LeBaron | Gas | 22 MPG | — | $2,114 |
| 27 | Nissan Stanza | Gas | 22 MPG | — | $2,114 |
| 28 | Hyundai J-Car/Elantra | Gas | 22 MPG | — | $2,114 |
| 29 | Peugeot 405 | Gas | 21 MPG | — | $2,214 |
| 30 | Mercedes-Benz 300 Diesel | Diesel | 25 MPG | — | $2,220 |
| 31 | Lexus ES | Gas | 19 MPG | — | $2,447 |
| 32 | BMW 5 Series | Gas | 17 MPG | — | $2,735 |
| 33 | Mercedes-Benz 300 | Gas | 20 MPG | — | $2,962 |
| 34 | Acura Vigor | Gas | 20 MPG | — | $2,962 |
| 35 | Import Trade Services BMW 325I | Gas | 15 MPG | — | $3,100 |
| 36 | Mitsubishi Diamante | Gas | 19 MPG | — | $3,118 |
| 37 | Acura Legend | Gas | 19 MPG | — | $3,118 |
| 38 | Alfa Romeo 164 | Gas | 19 MPG | — | $3,118 |
| 39 | Toyota Cressida | Gas | 19 MPG | — | $3,118 |
| 40 | Jaguar XJ | Gas | 17 MPG | — | $3,485 |
| 41 | Mercedes-Benz 400 | Gas | 16 MPG | — | $3,703 |
| 42 | Mercedes-Benz 500 | Gas | 14 MPG | — | $4,232 |
| 43 | BMW M | Gas | 14 MPG | — | $4,232 |
| 44 | Wallace Environmental Wetl 500 | Gas | 13 MPG | — | $4,558 |
| 45 | Wallace Environmental Wetl 560 | Gas | 13 MPG | — | $4,558 |
| 46 | Wallace Environmental Wetl 412 | Gas | 10 MPG | — | $5,925 |