Cars, Trucks and SUVs With the Best Gas Mileage
You don’t stop paying for your car when you leave the dealership. In fact, every car that isn’t fully electric requires a sizeable donation every time the gas light comes on. The cost of filling up at the pump is one of the key factors in determining any vehicle’s long-term ownership costs, and seemingly small differences in fuel economy can add big bucks to the cost of owning a vehicle over the years.
Cars get better gas mileage than trucks and many SUVs, but not all cars, trucks and SUVs are created equal. When it comes to vehicles, every class and category has standout models that give drivers more bang for their buck at the pump.
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Using data from Edmunds’ Most Fuel Efficient rankings, GOBankingRates developed a list of the 2020 model year cars, SUVs and trucks that offer the best fuel economy. All mpg estimates are for the most efficient options and all vehicles are ranked in order of fuel efficiency in their category, from most efficient to least.
Many of the findings are surprising, but in some cases, there were clear winners. The Mitsubishi Mirage, for example, has the best starting price of all cars and ties with just one other car for the best fuel economy among all nonhybrid cars.
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Read on to learn which vehicles offer the best fuel economy in their class. Great fuel economy can make a car less expensive over time — no matter how pricey that vehicle might be.
Last updated: March 15, 2021
Cars
When it comes to fuel economy, a car will mostly give you more gas mileage than a truck or SUV. However, fuel efficiency varies significantly across the five types of cars GOBankingRates looked at: sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Find out which car will take you the farthest without a fill-up.
Sedan
A sedan is a passenger vehicle with a fixed, hard-topped roof. The front and back sections of the car are supported by beams in the middle. They usually seat four to five people.
Hyundai Accent
Combined mpg: 39
Starting price: $16,125
Most fuel-efficient option: CVT automatic
Mitsubishi Mirage G4
Combined mpg: 37
Starting price: $16,135
Most fuel-efficient option: CVT automatic
Honda Civic EX
Combined mpg: 36
Starting price: $24,630
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
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Toyota Camry L
Combined mpg: 34
Starting price: $25,250
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Honda Accord LX
Combined mpg: 33
Starting price: $24,800
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Nissan Altima
Combined mpg: 32
Starting price: $25,025
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Coupe
Like sedans, coupes are passenger cars with fixed roofs. They, however, have two doors instead of four and are easily identifiable by their sleek, sloping rear sections.
Honda Civic EX
Combined mpg: 35
Starting price: $24,430
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
BMW 4 Series
Combined mpg: 27
Starting price: $45,945
Most fuel-efficient option: Automatic
Subaru BRZ
Combined mpg: 27
Starting price: $29,745
Most fuel-efficient option: Automatic
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Hatchback
Hatchbacks are great for hauling gear. They have a rear door that takes up the full width of the back of the car, which allows access to an open storage compartment, making loading and unloading easier than it would be in a coupe or sedan.
Mitsubishi Mirage
Combined mpg: 39
Starting price: $15,265
Most fuel-efficient option: CVT automatic
Kia Rio
Combined mpg: 36
Starting price: $17,615
Most fuel-efficient option: CVT automatic
Toyota Corolla Hatchback
Combined mpg: 35
Starting price: $21,245
Most fuel-efficient option: CVT automatic
Hybrids
Hybrids have a traditional internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor that can propel the vehicle without burning fuel. The electric motor saves gas, and when it runs low on energy, the engine kicks and takes over while also charging the battery.
Toyota Prius L Eco
Combined mpg: 56
Starting price: $25,155
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Honda Insight LX
Combined mpg: 52
Starting price: $23,860
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Plug-In Hybrids
Just like regular hybrids, plug-in hybrids have an electric motor and a traditional engine that complement each other while the car is being driven. As the name implies, however, plug-in hybrids can also be charged by plugging the car’s battery into a fixed electrical source.
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Toyota Prius Prime
Combined mpg: 54
Starting price: $28,705
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid
Combined mpg: 52
Starting price: $27,230
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
SUVs
Sport utility vehicles are a loosely defined class of passenger vehicles that offer the comfort and road performance of regular cars blended with elements usually associated with off-road vehicles. Those elements often include things like all-wheel drive, higher ground clearance and advanced suspensions. GOBankingRates profiled SUVs in four categories: small, midsize, full-size and luxury.
Small SUVS
There’s no official size that determines which SUVs are “small,” but they’re more compact, get better gas mileage and are easier to park than midsize SUVs. The downside is they can hold fewer people and less stuff. They’re sometimes called compact or subcompact SUVs, and some crossovers fit into this category, as well.
Ford Escape Hybrid
Combined mpg: 41
Starting price: $29,350
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Combined mpg: 40
Starting price: $29,220
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
Combined mpg: 35
Starting price: $36,155
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
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Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Combined mpg: 25
Starting price: $37,190
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Midsize SUVs
This intermediate category of SUVs tends to get better gas mileage than their bigger cousins. They’re also roomier, more trail-worthy and more functional than small SUVs.
Subaru Outback
Combined mpg: 29
Starting price: $27,655
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Ford Explorer Hybrid
Combined mpg: 28
Starting price: $53,375
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Mazda CX-9
Combined mpg: 24
Starting price: $34,990
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Honda Pilot
Combined mpg: 23
Starting price: $32,645
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Large SUVs
Sometimes called full-size SUVs, large SUVs are the biggest sport utility vehicles on the road. They’re big, they’re hard to park and they’re not great on gas, but they’re powerful, roomy and tend to have higher-end tech offerings.
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Ford Expedition
Combined mpg: 19
Starting price: $54,205
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Lincoln Navigator
Combined mpg: 19
Starting price: $77,120
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Luxury SUVs
The most expensive SUVs you can buy, luxury SUVs are status symbols that are built with premium materials. They have the highest-end tech offerings and features, they’re super comfortable and not to mention easy on the eyes.
Lexus UX 250h
Combined mpg: 42
Starting price: $35,375
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Lexus NX 300h
Combined mpg: 31
Starting price: $40,095
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Volvo XC60 T8
Combined mpg: 27
Starting price: $54,945
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Volvo XC90 T8
Combined mpg: 27
Starting price: $67,995
Most fuel-efficient option: N/A
Trucks
Pickup trucks are light trucks characterized by enclosed cabs in the front and open cargo beds in the back. They gobble gas more quickly than cars, but they’re robust, functional and capable both on and off the road. Keep reading to learn more about the three categories of trucks profiled by GOBankingRates: midsize, full-size and diesel.
Midsize
Midsize trucks are the smallest pickups you can buy. They’re more affordable than their full-size cousins, but they offer reduced towing capacity, smaller beds and cabs and lower payload capacity.
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Ford Ranger
Combined mpg: 23
Starting price: $25,605
Most fuel-efficient option: 2.3-liter inline-4/RWD/10-speed automatic
Honda Ridgeline
Combined mpg: 22
Starting price: $35,020
Most fuel-efficient option: 3.5-liter V6/FWD/9-speed auto
Chevrolet Colorado
Combined mpg: 22
Starting price: $21,495
Most fuel-efficient option: 2.5-liter inline-4/RWD/6-speed manual
GMC Canyon
Combined mpg: 22
Starting price: $23,295
Most fuel-efficient option: 2.5-liter inline-4/RWD/6-speed automatic
Full-Size
Full-size trucks are big, powerful pickups with heavy payload capacities and towing capacities that regularly break into five digits. They can often accommodate six adult passengers.
Ram 1500
Combined mpg: 22
Starting price: $33,840
Most fuel-efficient option: 3.6-liter V6/RWD/8-speed automatic
Ford F-150
Combined mpg: 22
Starting price: $33,365
Most fuel-efficient option: 2.7-liter V6/RWD/10-speed automatic
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Combined mpg: 21
Starting price: $35,435
Most fuel-efficient option: 2.7-liter inline-4/RWD/8-speed automatic
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GMC Sierra 1500
Combined mpg: 21
Starting price: $36,860
Most fuel-efficient option: 2.7-liter inline-4/RWD/8-speed automatic
Diesel
Trucks with diesel engines are known for their radically increased torque output, which gives drivers greater towing capacity. They also offer much better fuel economy than trucks with traditional engines.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Diesel
Combined mpg: 27
Starting price: $43,840
Most fuel-efficient option: 3.0-liter inline-6 diesel/RWD/10-speed automatic
GMC Sierra 1500 Diesel
Combined mpg: 26
Starting price: $46,080
Most fuel-efficient option: 3.0-liter inline-6 diesel/RWD/10-speed automatic
Ram 1500
Combined mpg: 26
Starting price: $38,930
Most fuel-efficient option: 3.0-liter V6 diesel/RWD/8-speed automatic
Ford F-150 Diesel
Combined mpg: 25
Starting price: $47,415
Most fuel-efficient option: 3.0-liter V6 diesel/RWD/10-speed automatic
Chevrolet Colorado Diesel
Combined mpg: 23
Starting price: $37,770
Most fuel-efficient option: 2.8 liter inline-4 diesel/RWD/6-speed automatic
GMC Canyon Diesel
Combined mpg: 23
Starting price: $38,900
Most fuel-efficient option: 2.8 liter inline-4 diesel/RWD/6-speed automatic
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Photos are for illustrative purposes only. As a result, some of the images may not reflect the exact make, model and trim listed in this article.
All information is from Edmunds’ Most Fuel Efficient rankings for cars, SUVs and trucks for 2020. All models are 2020. All MPG estimates are for the most efficient options. Vehicles are in order of fuel efficiency within their category.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Cars, Trucks and SUVs With the Best Gas Mileage
