The human race has spent millions of collective hours fine-tuning the internal combustion engine over the past century. In the past decade alone, the effort poured into small MPG gains has been mind-boggling. That makes it all the more shocking to see how old many vehicles are on Jalopnik’s “Most Fuel-Efficient Cars Ever” list. Here’s the full ranking.

• 2012 Honda Civic HF (32 mpg)
• 2014 Toyota Corolla LE Eco (34 mpg)
• 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage (39 mpg)
• 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid, manual (41 mpg combined)
• 1987 Honda CR-X HF (46 mpg)
• 1994 Geo Metro XFi (47 mpg)
• 2010 Toyota Prius (50 mpg)
• 2000 Honda Insight (53 mpg)
• 2016 Toyota Prius Eco (56 mpg)
• 2023 Toyota Prius (57 mpg)
• 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Blue (58 mpg)

Notice something about this list? Buyers had multiple new or used options for a 40 mpg-plus car as early as 2000. Yes, there have been advances. Toyota’s latest Prius redesign squeezed out one more mpg by pulling out all the stops. But 1980s technology could get us about 80 percent of the way there. Literally.

Here’s a closer look at the three oldest cars from the fuel efficiency list above.

1987 Honda CR-X HF (46 mpg)

With a 1.5-liter inline-four and a five-speed manual, the CR-X HF delivered 42 mpg in the city. The EPA estimated 51 mpg on the highway, for 46 mpg combined. It weighed about 1,700 pounds. Some markets received a 2+2 layout, but U.S. buyers only got a two-seat version.

1994 Geo Metro XFi (47 mpg)

Buyers could order the 1994 Geo Metro with either an automatic or a five-speed manual. Both paired with a Suzuki-built 1.0-liter inline-three. The EPA rated the manual XFi at 43 mpg city, 52 mpg highway, and 47 mpg combined. The XFi trim featured a taller final drive, an mpg-focused engine tune, and reduced weight. Early versions even deleted the passenger-side mirror. The result weighed just over 1,600 pounds.

2000 Honda Insight (53 mpg)

Honda purpose-built the Insight for fuel economy. The EPA rated it at 49 mpg city, 61 mpg highway, and 53 mpg combined. Its secret was a tiny 1.0-liter inline-three paired with a five-speed manual. The aluminum-bodied hybrid featured an engine that shut off while coasting and extreme aerodynamic optimization. Even the rear wheels were narrower than the fronts. Despite its advanced materials, it weighed more than 1,800 pounds. It still enjoyed the highest EPA fuel efficiency rating of its day.

Efficiency in a bygone era

I understand why Jalopnik writer Josh West limited the list to gasoline-powered internal combustion cars. Adding plug-in hybrids would have muddied the waters. Still, it’s worth remembering the remarkable mpg records set by small diesel cars. Those engines later lost efficiency when regulators detuned them to reduce NOx emissions.

Nine years before anything on this list hit the market, Volkswagen launched the 1978 Rabbit. The EPA rated the diesel version at 40 mpg city and 53 mpg highway for 45 mpg combined. Yup, it was tickling Honda CR-X HF and Geo Metro HFi numbers–in the 1970s.

The diesel mpg enthusiasts kept rolling for decades. In 2013, a team drove a 2013 VW Passat TDI more than 8,000 miles through 48 states. They averaged 78 mpg and set a Guinness World Record.