Finding a car with great fuel efficiency can help you save a lot of money over a long period of time. Along with MPG, you might also want to consider the price of the car. In 2012, the price of gasoline rose to over $4.00/gallon and it is predicted that it will reach over $5.00/gallon within the next year or so. How many miles are you getting from a gallon of gas? This list only include cars that run on gasoline 100% of the time (no electric car).
Best Gas Mileage Cars in the U.S. - Top 10 List:
1. Toyota Prius: 51 City/48 Hwy (50 Avg.), Base Price: $24,000.
1.8-liter, with 4-Cylinder engine and 134 hp, 0-60 mph in 9.8 secs. The most fuel efficient car on the market is the Toyota Prius, also the most demanding car in the U.S. A small sedan, but roomy enough for 5 and it is perfect for those that drive over 100 miles a day to work. The 3rd Generation Toyota Prius model is on sale since 2009 and currently available for purchase at most Toyota dealers. Also available are the Prius C (53 City/46 Hwy, Starting at: $18,950) and the Prius V (44 City/40 hwy, Starting at $26,400).
2. Honda Civic Hybrid: 44 City/44 Hwy (44 Avg.), Base Price: $24,050. 1.3-liter, with 4-Cylinder engine and up to 111 hp, 0-60 mph in 11.3 secs. The runner up is Toyota biggest rival; the Honda Civic Hybrid is a sporty sedan with an average 44 combined mpg. This is worth every penny, especially for those who prefer Honda over Toyota.
3. Lexus CT 200h vs Honda Insight: Tie for third are the Lexus CT 200h and the Honda Insight , which both give an estimated combined 42 mpg. Luxury or necessity?
Lexus CT 200h: 43 City/40 Hwy (42 Avg.), Base Price: $29,120.
1.8-liter, with 4-Cylinder engine and up to 134 hp, 0-60 mph in 9.8 secs. Why not have both luxury and fuel efficiency in one car? The Lexus CT 200h does just that by offering great gas mileage with a luxurious feel. Wow your friends and colleagues with a whopping 42 mpg in a Lexus.
Honda Insight: 41 City/44 Hwy (42 Avg.), Base Price: $18,350.
1.3-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 98 hp. The Honda Insight is much more affordable than the Lexus CT 200h.
4. Toyota Camry Hybrid: 43 City/39 Hwy (41 Avg.), Base Price: $25,900. 2.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 200-horsepower, reaching 0-60 mph in 7.7 secs. If you love the original Camry, then you should try the Camry Hybrid because it has better fuel economy, which can be a big saver after a few years.
5. Ford Fusion Hybrid vs Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: In the fifth spot are two contenders from Ford Motors with each having a combined 39 mpg. These hybrids are packed with a powerful engine which give out 191 hp. The Fusion Hybrid is more affordable, while the MKZ Hybrid has more class and style.
Ford Fusion Hybrid: 41 City/36 Hwy (39 Avg.), Base Price: $28,775.
2.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 191 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.4 secs.
Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: 41 City/36 Hwy (39 Avg.), Base Price: $34,755.
2.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 191 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.2 secs.
6. Honda CR-Z vs Hyundai Sonata Hybrid vs Kia Optima Hybrid vs Scion iQ: Ranking in sixth place is a 4-way tie with each car having an estimated combined 37 mpg.
Honda CR-Z: 35 City/39 Hwy (37 Avg.), Base price: $19,545.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: 35 City/40 Hwy (37 Avg.) Base Price: $25,850.
Kia Optima Hybrid: 35 City/40 Hwy (37 Avg.), Base Price: $25,700.
Scion iQ: 36 City/37 Hwy (37 Avg.), Base Price: $15,265.
7. Smart for Two: 34 City/38 Hwy (36 Avg.), Base Price: $12,490.
1.0-liter, 3-cylinder runs on high-priced premium fuel with only 70 hp. 0-60 mph in 12.8 secs. When is it too smart to save money? Small, affordable 2-seat coupe that has a small engine, capable of saving you a lot of money due to it low cost and 36 combined fuel efficiency. If you prefer style, go with the cabriolet model, a convertible version that start at $17,690.
8. Volkswagen Jetta TDI, Golf TDI, Volkswagen Passat TDI, and Audi A3. Each car has a estimated combined 36 mpg and they all run on diesel instead of regular gasoline.
Volkswagen Jetta TDI: 30 City/42 Hwy (36 Avg.), Base Price: $22,775.
Volkswagen Golf TDI: 30 City/42 Hwy (36 Avg.), Base Price: $24,235.
Volkswagen Passat TDI: 31 City/43 Hwy (36 Avg.), Base Price: $25,995.
Audi A3: 30 City/42 Hwy (36 Avg.), Base Price: $27,270.
9. Chevrolet Cruze Eco vs Kia Rio vs Hyundai Accent vs Lexus HS 250h: All 4 cars have a combined 35 mpg.
Chevrolet Cruze Eco: 28 City/42 Hwy (35 Avg.), Base Price: $19,325.
Kia Rio: 30 City/40 Hwy (35 Avg.), Base Price: $13,400.
Hyundai Accent: 30 City/40 Hwy (35 Avg.), Base Price: $12,545.
Lexus HS 250h: 35 City/34 Hwy (35 Avg.), Base Price: $37,030.
10. The 9 cars listed below, every car has an estimated combined 34 mpg. When trying to save money, fuel efficiency is not the only factor, buying a car that cost much less with fewer mpg is actually better than buying one with high mpg but costing you over $5k more.
Hyundai Elantra: 29 City/40 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $16,695.
Ford Fiesta: 29 City/40 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $15,670.
Chevrolet Sonic: 29 City/40 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $15,065.
Nissan Versa: 30 City/38 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $10,990.
Fiat 500: 30 City/38 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $15,500.
Toyota Yaris: 30 City/38 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $14,115.
Hyundai Veloster: 28 City/40 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $17,300.
Mazda 3 iTouring: 28 City/40 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $18,700.
Ford Focus: 28 City/40 Hwy (34 Avg.), Base Price: $18,300.
*Special Cars* - The following cars will help you save money on gas every month. However, their prices are a little hefty at the moment and the reason they are not on the top 10 list because you cannot refuel them at most local gas stations.
*S1. Chevrolet Volt: 35 City/40 Hwy (37 Avg.) (Premium Gas), 95 City/93 Hwy (94 Avg. MPG3) (Electric) Base Price: $39,145. Premium Gas or Electric. Single Charge Range: 35 Miles. Start using gas after 35 miles.
*S2. Mitsubishi i-MiEV: 126 City/99 Hwy (112 Avg. MPGe), Base Price: $29,125. All-Electric. Single Charge Range: 62 Miles.
*S3. Ford Focus Electric: 110 City/99 Hwy (105 Avg. MPGe), Base Price: $39,200. All-Electric. Single Charge Range: 76 Miles.
*S4. Nissan Leaf: 106 City/92 Hwy (99 Avg. MPGe), Base Price: $35,200. All-Electric. Single Charge Range: 73 Miles.
*S5. CODA Electric: 77 City/68 Hwy (73 Avg. MPGe), Base Price: $38,145. All-Electric. Single Charge Range: 88 Miles.
*S6. Azure Transit Connect Electric: 62 City/62 Hwy (62 Avg. MPGe), Base Price: $57,400. All-Electric. Single Charge Range: 56 Miles.
*S7. Honda Civic GX: 27 City/38 Hwy (32 Avg.), Base Price: $26,305. Natural Gas. Fuel Tank: 8.0 GGE.
What do you think of this list? If there are better fuel efficient cars available on the market, please list those cars and link to them. We only list cars that are currently available for purchase in the U.S. market. Concept cars that have not been release cannot be on the list because it is not yet available for purchase. Your comment is very valuable and it will help us keep the list accurate. Please allow 1-3 weeks for revision.
I own a Volt and love it. If you drive a 20 miles or less to work you’ll use zero gas. If you drive farther, the car auotmatically goes into extended range and gets 37 MPG. Total rang is around 400+ miles. I have 1300 miles on the car and haven’t had to fill up yet. Gas milage is over 230 MPG. Love it …. stickin it to the man..
Have a 2012 Subaru Impreza – getting about 37 mpg combined. Car is nicely equipped, base car is less than 20K
I have been very skeptical of published mpg’s by car companies. Edmund’s testing
is very accurate and turns out the published numbers for Mini Coopers are accurate.
I have a new Mini Cooper Coupe with 6 speed stick shift and turbo–am getting 35
miles per gallon in Portland and up lots of steep hills. This is an awesome car which
is lots of fun to drive with great acceleration , with a turbo that gets you going fast
wit 188 horsepower. It is rated at 42 highway mpg.
I was told by a dealer that ALL cars which operate totally or semi on Batteries will have to have them replaced at 60,000 and that cost is around $3,000. Plus the batteries are a waste and enviormental hazard so were is the UP side to this if after just a year or two you have to put $3,000 into the vehicle? I’ll stick to gas only and drive a Civic.
I think some of the the information realeated to avg.of the cars are not too accurate because avg. of 50 is quit impossible.but I comletly agree with the top 10 fastest car list which have been posted by the site
Keep in mind Toyota only makes a very few Prius every year and they sell them at below cost. So just how sustainable is this market when it comes to the top 5 best players?
And some of these vehicles like the Smart are just silly. Not fuel economical, not safe and not practical. It’s for people too poor to afford parking spaces in the city.
Once Toyota and Honda are fed up paying us to buy their hybrids we’ll be back to gas only cars. We need to make the transition into affordable hydrogen gas cars. Yes, too expensive for now, but it seems to be the only sustainable solution.
I FIND IT KIND OF FUNNY THAT WE BAIL OUT GM WITH TAXPAYERS MONEY AND THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE 1 CAR ON THIS LIST WHATS UP????
Great list for the US buyers, it covers most popular sizes. Of course it’s not about tiny 3-wheelers used in Asia, it’s about serious cars. American users demand a minimum of room, power and size, that’s why most small cars, very popular in Europe, are a market fiasco in the USA. Thanks to the editor.
Folks, driving like sh*t wastes gas, and technology isn’t going to save you. I get >50 mpg in my 1.7L 2005 Honda Civic LX by hypermiling. And if I had a nickel for every Prius owner who darted around me to slam on the brakes at the next light, I could buy each of you Hummer drivers a full tank of gas!
Electrical cars are another option, but present models are not ideal because the batteries they use do not hold the same amount of energy as a car powered by fuel injection, few recharging stations, and relatively high cost. However, they have far lower maintenance costs than gas powered vehicles. Besides replacing the battery every two or three years for several thousand dollars, checking brake and power steering levels, not much service is required. The driver must stop and recharge the battery every few miles for several hours. Advantages are it is quiet, smooth, and accelerates a lot better than expressed.