Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, October 2, 1995                   TAG: 9510020061
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

GEO METRO GOES THE MILE CHEAPER THAN ALL THE REST

The dozen most fuel-efficient 1996 model automobiles all recorded combined city and highway driving of at least 35 mpg, although most automobiles were in the 20 to 29 mpg range, the Environmental Protection Agency reported Sunday.

The Geo Metro, which peaked at 49 mpg on the open highway and 44 mpg in cities, has been No. 1 in the mileage race six of the last seven years. Last year, the Honda Civic hatchback captured the honors, but that model no longer is being produced.

Mileage ranged widely among the roughly 900 model vehicles tested.

The highest mileage cars were in the subcompact category, but two Mazda models - the Protege and the 626 - did well leading the compact and mid-size categories. The Protege reported 39 mpg on the highway and 35 mpg overall, and the 626 tested at 34 mpg on the highway and 29 mpg overall. Both cars earned the same honors last year.

The subcompact, compact and mid-size cars account for most cars on the road.

The auto industry has complained for years that while high-mileage cars such as the Geo Metro and Honda Civic attract attention in the annual EPA mileage report, they do poorly in sales.

``EPA's top 10 fuel-efficient cars represent less than 2 percent of passenger car sales,'' said Diane Steed, president of Coalition for Vehicle Choice, a group that has lobbied against federal fuel efficiency requirements. She said polling data has shown that, in the current era of low gasoline prices, fuel economy ranks 15th in importance among purchasers, behind performance, safety features, durability and other attributes.

Following the Geo Metro, the highest mileage cars were the Honda Civic hatchback, a slightly different model than last year's, another Geo Metro and a Suzuki Swift, all at 41 mpg combined driving.

As has been the case in past years, a string of luxury and high performance cars tested as the biggest gas guzzlers. Again, the Lamborghini Diablo, a two-seater, had the worst mileage, at 9 mpg in the city and 11 mpg overall, followed by six models of Rolls Royce, a Jaguar, a Mercedes-Benz and a Porsche 911.

The highest mileage pickup trucks were the Chevrolet S10, GMC Sonoma and Izuzu Hombre, all at 26 mpg combined and 30 mpg in highway driving. Among the increasingly popular minivans, the Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan had the best mileage at 22 mpg combined and 26 mpg highway.

The EPA has no minivan category and includes such vehicles under both vans and ``special purpose'' vehicle categories.

MILEAGE MASTERS

Miles per gallon of the top 10 1996 auto models, according to the Environmental Protection Agency:

Model City Highway

Geo Metro 44 49

Honda Civic HB 39 45

Suzuki Swift 39 43

Honda Civic HX 35 39

Toyota Tercel 34 40

Honda Del Sol 34 38

Honda Civic 33 38

Mitsubishi Mirage 32 39

Mazda Protege 32 39

Eagle Summit 32 39