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Hybrids, diesel cars top fuel-efficiency list for 2006

At 51 miles per gallon on the highway, and 60 mpg in the city, the Toyota Prius ranks second on the fuel-economy list for 2006 vehicles. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
At 51 miles per gallon on the highway, and 60 mpg in the city, the Toyota Prius ranks second on the fuel-economy list for 2006 vehicles. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co., with its hybrid SUVs, is the only American carmaker to crack the top-10 fuel economy list for 2006 vehicles.

The manual version of the hybrid Honda Insight tops the list, with 60 miles per gallon in the city and 66 mpg on the highway, and the hybrid Toyota Prius is second with 60 mpg in the city and 51 on the highway, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy said Wednesday.

Honda Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG make eight of the top 10 cars, mostly hybrid electric-gas or diesel-powered. Ford Escape hybrid SUVs, two-wheel and four-wheel drive, round out the list.

The only gas-only vehicle to make the top 10 is the manual Toyota Corolla.

By classes of vehicles, the most fuel efficient SUV is the Ford Escape, with 36 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway. The most fuel efficient pickup is the Ford Ranger, 24 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway.

Among station wagons, the manual Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Corolla Matrix are tops, each with 30 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. The most fuel efficient minivan is the Honda Odyssey, 20 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway.

Cargo and passenger vans are led by from General Motors Corp.’s Chevrolet and GMC, each with 15 mpg in the city and 20 on the highway.

The government compiles the annual list based on information from manufacturers. The fuel economy estimates are determined by averaging numbers from a specific set of tests.

The Dodge Durango, which gets 12 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on the highway, had the worst fuel economy among SUVs. Dodge is a brand of DaimlerChrysler AG.