Gas prices may be at their lowest in roughly a decade, but that doesn’t mean automakers aren’t conscious of the fact that consumers still want to save money at the gas pump.
The latest model of Toyota Motor’s (TM) Prius hybrid car gets the best gas mileage of any mass-produced vehicle ever tested by Consumer Reports, the publication said Wednesday. Consumer Reports‘ measurements peg the 2016 Toyota Prius at 52 miles per gallon, which easily tops the 44 mpg achieved by Toyota’s previous generation of the hybrid cars. The redesigned Prius also barely edged out the 2000 Honda Insight’s 51 mpg, which previously had the best gas mileage of any car ever tested by the publication. (The Insight was also a much smaller vehicle, with only two seats, whereas the 2016 Prius is a five-person car.)
As Fortunehas reported, Toyota set out to maximize the new car’s fuel efficiency in its latest redesign, which features a more aerodynamic body and a lighter battery pack, among other new features. The new Prius represents the first update to the hybrid since 2009.
Of course, there are electric cars that have achieved better gas mileage in the past, with various Tesla Motors (TSLA) models landing somewhere in the 80 to 100 mpg range. But, Prius’ Consumer Reports record still sets it apart from any other mass-produced hybrid vehicle. Meanwhile, customers can continue to look forward to a larger rollout of the company’s hydrogen fuel cell-powered car, the Toyota Mirai, which gets an EPA-estimated equivalent of 67 miles per gallon and