Green On The Outside? Five Small Cars With Poor Gas Mileage

By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

4,512 views Jun 6, 2012

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2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution / Ralliart 4-door Sedan TC-SST MR Angular Front Exterior View

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With many of today’s small cars hitting dealer lots with EPA ratings that rival those of hybrid cars, it’s easy to forget that not all small cars are green. 

Many small cars win the gas-mileage race, but which small cars should you avoid if you're trying to top out on fuel economy? These are five cars you should avoid. Pay attention: the list includes some surprises, including versions of cars known for their good gas mileage:

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X AWD

2.0-liter four-cylinder, six-speed automatic
17/22 mpg, 19 combined

it’s no surprise then, that the Evo X features a sophisticated all-wheel drive system, a dual-clutch, six-speed automatic gearbox, and a drive system that offers ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’, or ‘Super Sport’. 

But while it is undeniably fun to drive, the Evo’s gas-guzzling days might be over, thanks to tightening gas mileage legislation. In fact, when the Evo X ends production next year, its successor, the Evo XI, could be powered by none other than a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain. 

2012 Subaru Impreza Preimum

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2012 Subaru Impreza AWD WRX/STI

2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, six-speed manual
17/23 mpg, 19 mpg combined

With as much world rally heritage as the Evo, the 2012 Subaru SRX -- "Scooby" to its friends -- isn’t quite as primal to drive as its predecessors, but when specified with its 2.5-liter, flat-four, turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed gearbox, it’s hard to think about driving in an eco-minded way. 

Based on the old-style 2008-2011 Impreza, the WRX is certainly not designed as an everyday driver, but will, at a push, help you with daily driving if you need it to.

There is a saving grace however: the 2012 Subaru Impreza. New for 2012, it comes with a 2.0-liter flat-four, engine that can get an impressive 36 mpg on the highway and 27 mpg city when paired with a continuously variable transmission. That’s a surprising 30 mpg combined. For the record, that particular engine and transmission choice makes it the greenest all-wheel-drive compact car on the market today. 

The best bit? The new Impreza, while less fun to drive than its sportier WRX and STi cousins, still packs a sporty punch. 

[EDIT: As one of our eagle-eyed, sporty readers pointed out, our original version of this segment was factually incorrect. We've corrected it, and apologize for the misinformation.]

2012 Mazdaspeed3

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2012 Mazda MazdaSpeed3

2.3-liter four-cylinder, six-speed manual
18/25 mpg, 21 combined

In Mazda’s own words, “We started with something very good, then made it very, very naughty.”

Unlike the goody-two-shoes, 40-mpg SkyActiv-G 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine available on the 2012 Mazda3, the 2012 MazdaSpeed3’s 2.3-liter turbocharged, intercooled, four-cylinder engine can push out 263 horsepower and develop an impressive 280 pound-feet of torque. To help it stay on the road, Mazda put the Speed3 through extensive race-testing, including the famous Nürburgring in Germany, and of course, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. 

It might buy you some extra seconds in the stop-light derby, but it won’t save you gas. Enough said.