I’m not quite ready to accept the Nineties as the distant past, but maybe I need to. Consider that the first official White House website went live in 1994, and that Quentin Tarantino’s now-classic Pulp Fiction was released the same year. It’s getting hard to remember a world before internet connections and great Vincent Vega quotes. In auto-related news, trucks accounted for 40 percent of all light-duty-vehicle sales for the very first time.
And, speaking of light trucks, you might have expected SUVs to be among the least fuel efficient vehicles of 1994, and you’d be half right. Per Consumer Guide testing, as reported in Consumer Guide Auto Test 1994, there were four SUVs on the list of the thirstiest vehicles we evaluated that year. The remainder, save for the Chevrolet Camaro, were all luxury cars.
Presented here for your consideration and amusement are the 10 Worst Gas Guzzlers of 1994*, as tested by Consumer Guide. (The asterisk in the title indicates that this list is limited to vehicles actually tested by CG, thus explaining the absence of any Lamborghini or Unimog vehicles.) Spend any time with these thirsty rides? Tell us about it. The place to leave comments is down below.
Chevrolet Camaro Z28: 13.2 mpg
Body style tested: 2-door hatchback coupe
Curb weight: 3373 pounds
Engine: 5.7-liter V8
Horsepower: 275
Transmission: 5-speed manual
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 17/26
Honda Passport: 14.1 mpg
Body style tested: 4-door wagon
Curb weight: 3545 pounds
Engine: 3.2-liter V6
Horsepower: 175
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 15/18
Jaguar XJ6: 14.3 mpg
Body style tested: 4-door sedan
Curb weight: 4075 pounds
Engine: 4.0-liter inline six
Horsepower: 223
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 17/24
Lincoln Mark VIII: 14.9 mpg
Body style tested: 2-door coupe
Curb weight: 3768 pounds
Engine: 4.6-liter V8
Horsepower: 280
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 18/25
Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe: 15.1 mpg
Body style tested: 2-door coupe
Curb weight: 3774 pounds
Engine: 4.6-liter V8
Horsepower: 295
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 16/25
Jeep Grand Cherokee: 15.2 mpg
Body style tested: 4-door wagon
Curb weight: 3674 pounds
Engine: 4.0-liter inline six
Horsepower: 190
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 15/20
Cadillac Deville: 15.4 mpg
Body style tested: 4-door sedan
Curb weight: 3985 pounds
Engine: 4.6-liter V8
Horsepower: 270
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 16/25
BMW 540i: 15.7 mpg
Body style tested: 4-door sedan
Curb weight: 3804 pounds
Engine: 4.0-liter V8
Horsepower: 282
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 16/23
Isuzu Trooper: 15.8 mpg
Body style tested: 4-door wagon
Curb weight: 4210 pounds
Engine: 3.2-liter V6
Horsepower: 190
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 15/18
Ford Explorer: 16.1 mpg
Body style tested: 4-door wagon
Curb weight: 4053 pounds
Engine: 4.0-liter V6
Horsepower: 160
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
EPA-estimated mpg (city/highway): 15/20
(Click below for enlarged images)
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Gas Guzzlers of 1994 Gallery
Gas Guzzlers of 1994 Gallery
Gas Guzzlers of 1994 Gallery
Gas Guzzlers of 1994 Gallery