2003 Honda Civic Hybrid Road Test
Honda has always been a fuel economy leader. It shook the status quo in 1975 with the CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion), an engine that burned fuel so efficiently it didn't need a catalytic converter to meet emission standards of the original 1970 U.S. Clean Air Act. Within two years it placed first in fuel efficiency in the EPA's initial Top 10 list of fuel-efficient cars. Seven years later, in 1984, the sporty manual transmission equipped 1.3-L Civic CRX achieved 4.6 L/100 km (51 mpg) city and 3.5 L/100 km (67 mpg) on the highway.