Your Prius may be - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER at 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg while cruising the countryside, but chances are you’re not realizing those numbers the EPA obtained by strapping Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive to a dynamometer. In - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER, where fuel economy is calculated by actually operating an engine on the road while it’s under the hood of a vehicle, the Prius - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER a more realistic 47 mpg in the city and 56 mpg on the highway, or 5.0L/100km city and 4.2L/100km highway in the continent’s native metric.

This more realistic fuel economy rating lowers the bar enough for a handful of European small cars to beat the Prius in a game at which many Americans believe it’s indomitable. And guess what, these cars from the old world all use highly fuel-efficient diesel engines.

(All mileage numbers represent official European rating converted into miles/gallon via - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER conversion site)

Audi A2 1.2 TDI
city: 65.33
highway: 87.11
average: 78.4







Smart fortwo CDI
city: 60.31
highway: 75.87
average: 69.18






Citroën C1 HDi 55 SX / Peugeot 107 Urban 1.4 HDi 54
city: 44.38
highway: 69.18
average: 57.37)





Citroën C2 HDi 70 SensoDrive VTR
city: 48
highway: 61.9
average: 56



KIA Picanto 1.1 CRDi EX
city: 48
highway: 31.9
average: 56







If many in this country are so concerned about eeking the most amount of miles from a gallon of fuel, why hasn’t the modern diesel enjoyed the same success here as the hybrid? The easy answer would be the ghost of diesel’s past, particularly a bad batch of oil burners designed by - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER in the 1980’s.

The more complicated response is that - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER fuel hasn’t been readily available in the U.S. like it is in Europe. This special blend of diesel contains less sulfur, which reduces emissions, but also allows for better emissions control systems to be used on a diesel engine. Fortunately ULSD will be the new standard in the U.S. come this fall. Some companies, like DaimlerChrysler, are waiting in the wings with 50-state approved diesels that are powerful, clean and get grand gas mileage. Will diesels finally become the eco-peer of hybrids? Who will be the first to marry the two in an ultra-efficient diesel hybrid production car? Time will tell, but we can all breathe easier knowing more green options are sprouting up every year.

wow.. that Audi is superb!
if they had that engine in the A4, i would go nuts over it..
if they had that engine in the A4 with a hybrid system..

it's not just the engine. its engine and the aluminum frame.

Although those European diesels picture here are no lookers, they look much better than the Prius!

i remember reading a new ML320 CDI is more fuel efficient than a Lexus RX.....something or other off-roader! its great though when they badge them as hybrids....people think oh wow i am saving the environment when they really aren't lol! another thing that confuses me...while on this topic.....all the retarded greenpeace activists who act like hypocrits....they tell everyone to be green....and to drive "hybrids" but when they are on tv they are normally in a 20 year old Land Rover....LOOOOOL...so fuel efficient!!

If that A2's engine was in an A4.. then you could drive it and watch snails overtake you.

Honestly, there's no reason why those cars can't be more efficient than a Prius - they're a full size-category smaller. They'd better be more efficient!

Anyhow, as for the ML320 CDI being more efficient, I remember a review somewhere where they drove one across a large distance and compared it to a RX400h (or whatever it is) on the same trip. The ML was overall more fuel efficient, by a bit; more so on the open road and less so in the city.

It depends wholely on your driving habits. Toyota's Synergy Drive rewards bumper-to-bumper driving, because it operates in full-electric mode up until 19mph. So, if you're an LA commuter it's a godsend. Anybody who commutes the 405 freeway knows exactly what I'm talking about.

However, if you spend lots of your time at real freeway speeds, the fantastic MPG drops off to the point where it's just on par with economy cars.

The Prius is a runaway success because it's not a chincy microcar, and it's backed by Toyota's bulletproof reputation. The rear quarters are surprisingly massive, and there's SUV-like room for cargo.