[Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2006 issue of Grassroots Motorsports.]
You can’t deny the fact that today’s hybrids get a lot out of a gallon of gasoline. However, these cars are not the most exciting vehicles out there. While the Honda Insight can do a mean burnout thanks to its manual gearbox and near-instant torque delivery, most …
Honda CRX HF: 52 city/57 hwy
Photograph Courtesy Honda
1986 Honda CRX HF, 4 cyl., 1.5L, five-speed manual
- Stock performance: C
- Industry support: A
- Motorsports potential: C
- Cool factor: B
This magazine would normally be profiling Honda’s CRX Si, but we wanted to make a point: The combined city and highway fuel economy figure for the latest Toyota Prius beats the 20-year-old CRX HF by only 1 mpg, according to the EPA. It’s a tie in the cleanliness department, as the two cars produce the same annual greenhouse gas emissions. The CRX Si really is the model most of us crave, and it, too, is very good on gas; the 1986 model, for example, was rated at 31 city and 37 highway. (For those of you keeping score, we’d give the CRX Si a B for stock performance and a solid A for motorsports potential.) Honda offered CRX HF and Si models from 1985 through 1991.
Volkswagen Golf (TDI): 42 city/49 hwy
Photography Credit: David S. Wallens
2000 Volkswagen Golf, turbo 4 cyl., 1.9L, five-speed manual—diesel fuel required
- Stock performance: D
- Industry support: B
- Motorsports potential: C
- Cool factor: B
We admit that a stock turbo diesel Volkswagen isn’t exactly the most thrilling car to drive, but a couple of bolt-ons can quickly change that. Once the computer has been chipped to allow more boost and the suspension tweaked for better track manners, these cars can be excellent, fuel-efficient drivers. On the other hand, the TDI Volkswagens tend to earn very low EPA Air Pollution Scores. Perhaps the cleaner diesel fuels that are around the corner—or a more widespread use of veggie fuels—will provide an ultimate solution.
Honda Civic VX: 48 city/55 hwy
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