Fuel-Efficient Honda Cars
The 2010 Insight is Honda's "Prius-killer." The style and fuel efficiency is similar, but the price is $19,800.
Honda took an early leadership role on hybrids, but hit a few bumps on the hybrid highway, especially after discontinuing the Honda Accord Hybrid and Honda Insight in 2006. The Accord Hybrid over-emphasized power instead of fuel economy, and the Insight was impractical as a two-seater.
But the company is back on track. Starting in 2009, Honda roars back with the second-generation Honda Insight—a more practical four-door hybrid vehicle aimed at great fuel economy and absolute affordability. The company is following a well-defined fuel efficiency strategy: hybrids for small cars—and diesel engines for larger vehicles. And the company continues to innovate. Honda leases a handful of Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered hybrids in California and sells the Civic GX, the only mass-produced car running on compressed natural gas. It also offers one of the most compelling small cars on the road, the Honda Fit.
Honda consistently earns high praise from environmentalists. David Friedman, research director of Union of Concerned Scientists’ Clean Vehicles Program, said, "Honda is in a class of its own when it comes to producing clean cars and trucks.” See our list of Honda models and read the latest news about Honda's fuel efficient models.
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Honda Hybrid and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
| Sort by: | Name | Combined MPG  | Technology | MSRP | Available | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Honda Civic Hybrid | 42 MPG | Hybrid | $22,600 | Now | Fuel efficiency, full-hybrid system, and a sleek design. |
 | Honda Insight | 41 MPG | Hybrid | $19,800 | Now | The new Honda Insight combines practicality, affordability and top-of-the-charts fuel economy. |
 | Honda Fit | 31 MPG | Small Car | $14,600 | Now | The Fit has a smart, but playful appearance, and a deceivingly large and versatile five-passenger interior. |
 | Honda Civic | 30 MPG | Small Car | $15,500 | Now | The best-selling compact is affordable, and gets good mileage. |
 | Honda Global Subcompact Hybrid | n/a | n/a | 2009 | A small, practical, affordable and entirely new hybrid-only model from Honda. | |
 | Honda Fit Hybrid | n/a | Hybrid | n/a | 2010 | The hybrid version of the Honda subcompact could become the leader of the pack on fuel efficiency. |
 | Honda CR-Z Hybrid | n/a | Hybrid | n/a | 2010 | Can a hybrid compact car be sporty and speedy? Honda will try. |
 | Honda FCX Clarity | 74 MPG | Hydrogen | n/a | Concept | A limited number of southern Californians will have the opportunity to lease a Honda FCX Clarity in the next few years. This is the first time a customer can obtain a fuel cell car directly from a retail dealer. |
 | Honda Accord Hybrid | n/a | Hybrid | n/a | Discntd. | The Honda Accord Hybrid emphasized power over efficiency. Honda's experiment failed, and the vehicle was discontinued in 2007. |
Top news for Honda
October 2009 Dashboard: Hybrid Sales Regain Momentum- As we approach the end of 2009—the worst year for overall auto sales in decades—the picture for this year’s hybrid sales becomes clearer. Hybrids are dramatically outperforming the market as a whole. Incentive programs like Cash for Clunkers, as well as factory incentives, uneven inventory, changes in gas prices and new model introductions have skewed sales numbers up and down in recent months. But the auto industry’s movement toward fuel efficiency and hybrids is regaining momentum.
Consumer Reports Names Honda Insight as Most Reliable Car - Consumer Reports released results from its annual car reliability survey, and the 2010 Honda Insight scored the highest of any vehicle in predicted reliability. Hybrids dominated the list for reliability—with five of the eight most reliable family cars: Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Urban Networked Electric Cars Coming to Tokyo Show- The theme of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show 2009 is “Fun Driving for Us, Eco Driving for Earth.” So, it’s no surprise that Japan’s biggest automakers will be rolling out their funkiest electric cars—vehicles that can lean, download files from home, and carry smaller electric unicycles. The show opens to the public on Oct. 24.
September 2009 Dashboard: End of Clunkers Hurts Hybrids
- The hybrid market disproportionally benefited from the Cash For Clunkers program in July and August, and therefore disproportionally fell in September. The overall vehicle market dropped by about 41 percent, and hybrids plunged by about 48 percent.
Honda Unveils New Personal People Mover- The race toward sustainable mobility is moving car companies in odd and unexpected directions. For example, Honda today unveiled the U3-X, a compact electric personal mobility device that fits between the rider’s legs to provide movement forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally.
China and Japan Intensify Green Car Goals- China will soon overtake America as the world’s biggest car market. The country will need consumer incentives to boost its nascent market for hybrid and electric cars. Japan's hybrid market is booming, largely supported by generous consumer tax breaks for green cars. To further accelerate its hybrid market, Japan's newly elected government is expected to set much tougher goals for reducing auto emissions.
- Hybrid sales were nearly 50 percent higher than a year ago, compared to the overall car market which was up by only 1 percent. The Cash for Clunkers program, which helped the Toyota Prius so much in July, had less of an effect in August. The Honda Insight showed new life, boosting sales by 84 percent compared to last month. Sales of the Nissan Altima Hybrid boomed, making Nissan's only hybrid the third most popular hybrid in August, despite being offered in only eight states.
Next Wave of Japanese Hybrids Heading to US- The number of hybrid gas-electric vehicles offered by Japanese car companies will multiply in the next few years. That’s evidenced by a list of upcoming hybrids reported by the trade publication Automotive News this week—providing a plausible scenario for specific hybrid models coming to the United States around 2011.
Prius and Insight Hybrids Earn Top Safety Awards- The Honda Insight and Toyota Prius received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's “Top Safety Pick” award based on front, side, and rear crash testing. The rating dispels the myth that high fuel efficiency always requires a compromise in terms of safety.
- With nearly all gas-electric hybrid cars qualifying for the Cash for Clunkers vouchers, hybrid sales in July grew to 3.55 percent of the new car market—its largest market share ever. The Toyota Prius was the fourth most popular model purchased with vouchers from the Clunkers program.