2009 Corporate Average Fuel Economy Rankings

There is no clear-cut way to compare the average gas mileage of vehicle fleets from one carmaker to another. However, the U.S. government's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rankings are about as fair and balanced as the process can get.

Instituted in 1975, CAFE serves as a standard calculation procedure that is intended to compare each automaker's fleet against government mandated regulations. At its core, the goal of the CAFE program is to spur improvements in fuel efficiency by requiring car companies who do not meet benchmark regulations to pay stiff penalties.

From 1990 through today, the government standard for an automaker's fleet of passenger vehicles has been an average of 27.5 mpg. This figure will increase to 30.2 mpg for the 2011 model year. CAFE standards will rise again in 2016 to 35.5 mpg.

To calculate a company's CAFE rating, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) takes into account the fuel efficiency estimates of each vehicle in the fleet, as well as the number of each car produced. Vehicles categorized as light trucks (which include trucks, SUVs and minivans), are calculated separately and held to different regulations. Light truck fleets were held to a benchmark average of 23.1 mpg in 2009. This number increases to 24.1 mpg in 2011.

The EPA posts CAFE rankings in three different categories - domestic passenger vehicles, import passenger vehicles and light trucks. Full-size trucks (those weighing more than 8,500 lbs.) are not held to CAFE regulations.

Based on preliminary figures posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2009 CAFE rankings for all car companies are as follows:

You may have noticed that big-name auto brands like Lexus, Chevrolet and Lincoln are conspicuously absent from the list. This is because all corporate brands are rolled into the parent company's figure. As such, the above Honda figures include Lexus models; Ford's figures include Lincoln, Volvo, etc; and so forth.

Based on these preliminary listings, Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover, Spyker, Maserati and Ferrari can all expect to pay CAFE penalties for the 2009 year. Light truck fleets of GM, Daimler, Porsche, Jaguar and Land Rover are also in danger of incurring penalties.

CAFE penalties are calculated by multiplying $5.50 per tenth of a mpg that a company is under the benchmark figure by the total number of manufactured vehicles in the fleet.