Forget the EPA. Consumer Guide's auto editors drove 150,000 miles last year. We drove to work, to day care, to the grocery store, and on vacation. We drove through record heat, blinding snow, driving rain, and confounding road construction, keeping track of every drop of fuel we used along the way. These three misers hit the magic triumvirate of frugality: modest sticker prices, low projected operating costs, and miniature appetites for fuel. Power goes wanting, but not so much as might be expected. Order the available automatic transmission on any of these thrifty commuters and expect fuel consumption to rise and performance to suffer. Compact Car CG Class Average: 26 mpg
The EPA admits its fuel economy numbers are estimates. Our numbers are real. A typical Consumer Guide test car is evaluated by at least four editors, all of whom account for their individual fuel usage. Here are the vehicles in each class that used the least amount of fuel while in our care.
A few notes about this list: Though Consumer Guide takes pains to drive every version of every car; we may not have tested some combinations of engines, transmissions, and bodystyles. This list represents the best out of the vehicles we have evaluated. In the event that our testing was inconclusive, typically because time limitations precluded achieving a balanced mix of urban and highway driving, that vehicle was excluded from our list.
Also, we avoided listing multiple versions of a specific car. If the sedan version of a car made the list, the wagon will not be listed--even though its mileage might be similar. Hybrids and diesels are the exception to this rule.
An * indicates that the manufacturer either recommends or requires costlier mid-grade or premium-grade fuel for that vehicle. Consumer Guide always follows the manufacturers' fuel recommendations.
Subcompact Car CG Class Average: 30 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Toyota Yaris hatchback manual 34.8 mpg 29/36 mpg Hyundai Accent hatchback manual 34.2 mpg 27/32 mpg Honda Fit hatchback manual 31.9 mpg 28/34 mpg Vehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Civic Hybrid sedan CVT 38.0 mpg 40/45 mpg Nissan Versa sedan CVT 27.7 mpg 24/32 mpg Mazda 3 s sedan manual 27.1 mpg 26/31 mpg
Applying the energy recapturing magic of hybrid technology to a small car yields big fuel economy savings, as our time with a Civic Hybrid demonstrated. Neither the Versa nor Mazda3 is available in hybrid guise, but both cars came close to reaching 30 mpg during their respective stays with Consumer Guide.
Premium Compact Car CG Class Average: 22 mpg
Vehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Acura TSX sedan manual 27.3 mpg 19/28* mpg Audi A3 hatchback automatic 26.2 mpg 22/29* mpg Saab 9-3 convertible automatic 24.0 mpg 19/26* mpg
Engines
in this class regularly exceed 3-liters, but this trio all make do with
2.4-liters or less. There's no shortage of power here, however. The
Acura and Audi both check in at 200 horsepower, and the Saab at 210.
It
may seem odd to see a convertible representing the 9-3 lineup. But the
numbers are the numbers, and in our testing, the 9-3 sedan with an
identical drive train came in slightly thirstier than our drop top at
23.3 mpg.
Midsize Car CG Class Average: 21 mpg
| Vehicle | Body | Transmission | CG Fuel Economy | EPA City/Highway |
| Toyota Prius | sedan | CVT | 45.2 mpg | 48/45 mpg |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | sedan | CVT | 29.0 mpg | 33/34 mpg |
| Saturn Aura Green Line | sedan | automatic | 26.9 mpg | 28/35 mpg |
Three hybrids, three levels of commitment to the technology. A purpose built hybrid, Prius forsakes style, power, and to some degree comfort, in the name of economy. Also from Toyota, the Camry Hybrid looks like any other Camry, but thanks to its hybrid drivetrain uses less fuel than any compact Consumer Guide has tested save the Civic Hybrid. Saturn's Aura Greenline is often derided as a "hollow hybrid" because it never propels itself on electric power alone. Still, a low base price and a third-pace finish in this class make Aura worth a look for economizing midsize sedan shoppers. Fuel economy usually isn't a high priority for shoppers in this category, but no one wants to waste gas, either. Note that in this sea of V8 and V12 engines, Volvo's S80 can be had with the only six-cylinder engine in the Premium Large Car class. Sporty/Performance Car CG Class Average: 19 mpg What's more amazing, an SUV that breaks the 30 mpg barrier, or that an all-wheel-drive RAV4 equipped with a 269-horsepower V6 nearly matched the mileage of the four-cylinder front-drive CR-V? Midsize SUV CG Class Average: 16 mpg
Premium Midsize Car CG Class Averaged: 18 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Acura TL sedan manual 23.0 mpg 18/27* mpg Lexus GS350 sedan automatic 22.7 mpg 21/29* mpg Volvo S60 T5 sedan manual 21.5 mpg 18/26* mpg
Seems that power and economy need not be mutually exclusive. All three of these midsize luxury sedans boast in excess of 250 horsepower, and all three squeeze more than 20 miles out of a gallon of gas. On the downside, all three cars here do best on a diet of premium gas.
Large Cars CG Class Average: 18 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Toyota Avalon sedan automatic 22.9 mpg 19/28 mpg Chrysler 300 sedan automatic 19.7 mpg 17/24* mpg Dodge Charger sedan automatic 19.4 mpg 17/24* mpg
There are no V8s here, but there's no shortage of power, either. For large cars with large V6 engines, all three of these sedans sport a 3.5-liter V6 with enough muscle for all but towing. Credit Toyota for tuning the Avalon's engine to run on regular-grade gas.
Premium Large Car CG Class Average: 17 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Volvo S80 3.2 sedan automatic 19.9 mpg 19/28* mpg BMW 750Li sedan automatic 19.0 mpg 17/25* mpg Jaguar XJ8 L sedan automatic 18.4 mpg 16/25* mpg Vehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Mini Cooper S hatchback manual 31.2 mpg 29/36* mpg Honda S2000 convertible manual 24.6 mpg 18/25* mpg VW GTI hatchback manual 24.1 mpg 21/29* mpg
Here's a classic formula: low mass + good power = fun. In the case of these three cars, the equation also equals thrift. These modestly sized funsters all feature manual transmissions and four-cylinder engines of 2.2-liters or less. Who says economy can't be fun?
Premium Sporty/Performance Car CG Class Average: 17 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Porsche Cayman coupe manual 22.9 mpg 20/29* mpg Mercedes-Benz SLK350 convertible manual 22.7 mpg 16/23* mpg BMW Z4 3.0si coupe manual 22.5 mpg 16/24* mpg
These upper-crust sportsters all feature six-cylinder engines and manual transmissions. And apart from the stiff monthly payments, all three offer relatively guilt-free fun, as well.
Compact SUV CG Class Average: 19 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Ford Escape Hybrid 2WD 4-door wagon CVT 31.2 mpg 34/30 mpg Honda CR-V 2WD 4-door wagon automatic 24.0 mpg 20/26 mpg Toyota RAV4 AWD V6 4-door wagon automatic 22.8 mpg 19/26 mpg Vehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Mazda CX-7 AWD 4-door wagon automatic 21.5 mpg 16/22* mpg Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD 4-door wagon automatic 19.2 mpg 18/24 mpg Ford Edge AWD 4-door wagon automatic 18.0 mpg 15/22 mpg
Mazda's CX-7 looks like the champ here, but its turbocharged four-cylinder engine is an odd fit in this category--it also requires premium gas. It's V6 engines that dominate this category, and the Santa Fe and Edge both make use of one. Note that our test Santa Fe came with the large 3.3-liter V6.
Premium Midsize SUV CG Class Average: 16 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Lexus RX400h AWD 4-door wagon CVT 21.5 mpg 26/24* mpg Buick Enclave 2WD 4-door wagon automatic 18.6 mpg 16/24 mpg VW Touareg V10 TDI AWD 4-door wagon automatic 18.3 mpg 15/20 mpg
Here we have one hybrid (Lexus), one diesel (Volkswagen), and one brand-new design (Buick). All are spacious, all luxurious, and all are relatively easy on the wallet at fill-up time. Note that the RX400h is the odd hybrid that requires premium fuel. Likewise, the VW requires diesel fuel, which often costs more than premium gas.
Large SUV CG Class Average: 13 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway GMC Yukon 2WD 4-door wagon automatic 16.7 mpg 14/20 mpg Chevrolet Tahoe AWD 4-door wagon automatic 14.1 mpg 14/19 mpg Nissan Armada 2WD 4-door wagon automatic 14.0 mpg 12/17 mpg
The near-17 mpg performance by the GMC Yukon came by way of a stripped, base model with two-wheel drive. The mechanically similar Chevrolet Tahoe returned almost 3 mpg less fully loaded and with all-wheel drive. Note that both the GMC and Chevy make use of GM's Active Fuel Management system that shuts off engine cylinders when power demands are light.
Premium Large SUV CG Class Average: 14 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Audi Q7 3.6 AWD 4-door wagon automatic 17.1 mpg 14/20* mpg Mercedes-Benz GL450 AWD 4-door wagon automatic 16.4 mpg 13/17* mpg Cadillac Escalade AWD 4-door wagon automatic 15.6 mpg 12/18* mpg
These numbers may look grim, but they represent the best of a thirsty category of vehicles. Adding insult to injury, most of the vehicles in this class should be fed a diet of premium gas.
Compact Pickup CG Class Average: 15 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Toyota Tacoma 4WD crew cab long bed automatic 16.6 mpg 16/20 mpg Honda Ridgeline AWD crew cab automatic 16.4 mpg 15/20 mpg Nissan Frontier 4WD crew cab automatic 14.5 mpg 15/20 mpg
Small trucks aren't very small anymore, and they aren't especially fuel efficient either. Our testers all came V6-equipped, as manufacturers are loathe to lend 4-cylinder trucks out for testing. Honda's Ridgeline comes only in V6 guise.
Large Pickup CG Class Average: 14 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway GMC Sierra AWD crew cab automatic 14.8 mpg 13/18 mpg Toyota Tundra 4WD extended cab short bed automatic 14.7 mpg 13/17 mpg Nissan Titan 4WD crew cab short bed automatic 14.5 mpg 12/17 mpg
We'll excuse the excessive thirst here, these rigs are meant for work, and work they can. Our test Sierra came with the available 5.3-liter V8; our Tundra with an available 5.7-liter V8. Titan is only available with a 5.6-liter V8.
Minivan CG Class Average: 16 mpgVehicle Body Transmission CG Fuel Economy EPA City/Highway Hyundai Entourage 4-door van automatic 18.1 mpg 16/23 mpg Dodge Grand Caravan 4-door van automatic 18.1 mpg 16/23 mpg Honda Odyssey 4-door van automatic 16.4 mpg 17/25 mpg Toyota Sienna 4-door van automatic 16.4 mpg 17/23 mpg
If these numbers disappoint, keep in mind that these living rooms on wheels are usually carrying several people, hopefully reducing the number of vehicles on the road. Only the Grand Caravan offers a choice of engines, and ours came with the mid-level 3.8-liter V6.
New Car Quote
Acura