What makes the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla so good with fuel economy? A comparison showed that not all compact cars are able to get the same fuel economy, no matter what they may advertise. I will tell you that out of this highly competitive category the similarities are more abundant than the differences.

Most of these vehicles come equipped with a four cylinder engine as their chosen powerplant, whether they be as small as 1.5 liter or as large as a 2.7 liter. The weight ratings for the majority of compact vehicles do not exceed 1400 kg and they come in both manual or automatic transmissions.

The most obvious answers to gain the most bang for your buck when it comes to fuel economy would be to have the smallest engine pushing the least amount of weight. The manual transmission or having more gears, such as a six speed automatic or manual, has historically been the choice for fuel misers, but axle ratio on manual’s is often stronger so the initial launch of a vehicle is smoother. If this is the case, the engine’s RPM’s will be higher at higher speeds.
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