Mazda5: 24.1 CG mpg

Mazda 5
2008 Mazda5

The crime here is that there aren't more Mazda5s on the road. We call it a midsize car, but with sliding side doors and third-row seating, this über-flexible family mover is best considered a mini minivan.

With the tidy dimensions comes a restrained appetite for fuel. In Consumer Guide testing, a Mazda5 with an automatic transmission returned 24.1 mpg, a healthy 6-10 mpg more miserly than most minivans.

To go this far on a gallon of gas, the Mazda5 makes do with a 4-cylinder engine. While no ball of fire, Mazda's micro van gets along just fine, never really wanting for more power.

If you're thinking van but worry about fuel costs, this right-sized Mazda may be the vehicle for you.