From its launch in the early 1970s, the Honda Civic has earned its reputation as a frugal choice for drivers on a tight budget. The Honda Civic’s gas mileage figures have consistently topped the charts over the years, even as the car has grown in size, weight, and engine displacement. While not the most miserly with gas, current Civic Si models come with high-performance 2.0 liter engines … a far cry from the tiny 1100cc engines found in the earliest (and equally tiny) Civics.
Today’s Civic Hybrid, on the other hand, uses a much smaller 1.3 liter gasoline engine in tandem with its electric motor. While the current Civic Hybrid’s performance can’t match the Si, its gas mileage figures are quite respectable at 44 combined.
The Civic CRX HF of the late 1980s is in particularly high demand from Honda enthusiasts and prices can be quite elevated, given the model year. Part of the secret behind the the high-MPG HF models is their low weight … the HF cars are lighter than their stable mates making them particularly attractive for the drag racing crowd. The power-to-weight ratio that delivers excellent gas mileage can be easily raised with an engine swap that delivers remarkable times in the quarter mile. 2012 marks the return of the HF designation.
