Best Mileage Models for Your New-Car Money

Smart car buying helps you pass up the gas pump

by James M. Flammang
DriveSmart - Buying - autoMedia.com

As consumers turn toward fuel-efficient vehicles, it pays to know which ones are thriftiest—and which aren't as economical as they might appear.

Largely ignored by most car buyers for years, fuel economy has become a top selling point following the rapid hike in gasoline prices. Gas mileage is only one item in the cost of ownership, though. Purchase price, resale value, and likely maintenance costs also need to be considered.

“Your Mileage May Vary”

Just a few years back, it would have been unheard of to get better gas mileage from a car with an automatic transmission than from an equivalent model with manual shift. After all, automatic transmissions operated on a principle of slippage, which meant a loss of efficiency. Engineers have since been very busy developing higher-efficiency automatics, many with six speeds. As a result, a surprising number of cars get fuel-economy estimates with an automatic transmission that match—or even beat—those of comparable manual-gearbox models. Taking just one example, the Kia Spectra earns an EPA estimate of 24 mpg in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway with automatic—but only 23/30 mpg with manual shift.

Gas mileage estimates provided by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) are just that—estimates. Actual vehicles are not evaluated. Instead, every vehicle sold in the U.S. gets an estimate derived from a simulation of actual driving. Following the change in methodology that began with 2008 models, EPA figures reflect real world driving much more closely than in the past. Still, not every driver will match—or even approach—the published mileage figures. Some drivers, on the other hand, manage to exceed those estimates. Or at least, they claim to do so.

The Least Gas by Automotive Class

Here's a rundown of the thriftiest cars on the market, judged by estimated gas mileage, in various vehicle categories. Premium-level cars have been omitted, to concentrate on those with more modest sticker prices. Note that 2009 estimates have not yet been released for all models, so some figures reflect the 2008 model year. Check out our New Car Buyer's Guides for more information on these vehicles.

Subcompact Cars

Toyota's Yaris hatchback and sedan take the lead among the smallest conventional passenger cars. With a manual gearbox, the Yaris get an EPA estimate of 29 mpg city/36 mpg highway. With an automatic transmission, those figures drop to 27/35 city/highway mpg. For all-out frugality, the recently launched smart fortwo is the top choice, with a 33/41 mpg estimate. But the smart car holds only two passengers. Several subcompacts come close to Yaris estimates, including the Chevrolet Aveo (25/36 mpg with automatic, 27/34 with manual).

Compact Cars

Fuel-efficiency leaders in this group include the frugal XFE editions of the Chevrolet Cobalt and related Pontiac G5, which earn an estimate of 25 mpg city/37 mpg highway. Ford's Focus comes close with 24/35 mpg manual and 24/33 mpg automatic. So does the Honda Civic, with estimates of 26/34 mpg with manual and 25/36 with automatic; and the Toyota Corolla, which scores 26/35 and 27/35 mpg. The Nissan Versa, with its roomy backseat, scores a thrifty 27/33 mpg with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Hybrid Compacts and Midsize Models

Nowadays, the big trouble with hybrids is the difficulty of finding one for sale. Many dealers have run low, forcing hybrid-seekers onto long waiting lists. Top scorer in the EPA-estimate race is the popular Toyota Prius, rated at 48 mpg for city driving and 45 mpg on the highway. The higher city figure reflects the Prius's ability to run on electricity alone part of the time. The Honda Civic Hybrid works differently, and therefore gets a city estimate of only 40 mpg—but the same 45 mpg in highway driving.

Among the larger hybrid sedans, Nissan's Altima edges out the Toyota Camry, with 35/33 mpg versus the Camry's 33/34 mpg. From GM, the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura Hybrids get an impressive 34 mpg rating on the highway, but only 26 mpg for city driving.

Specialty Compact and Midsize Models

Among the vehicles that don't quite fit into regular categories, the Pontiac Vibe and similar Toyota Matrix take thrift honors, courtesy of 25-26 mpg estimates in city driving and 31-32 mpg on the highway. Chevrolet's HHR with manual shift gets an EPA estimate of up to 22/32 mpg. The Chrysler PT Cruiser, Kia Rondo, Mazda5, and Scion xB aren't quite as frugal, according to the EPA.

Midsize Sedans

Four-cylinder models take the lead here, with V-6 versions falling short. With a six-speed automatic transmission and four-cylinder engine, the Chevrolet Malibu and related Saturn Aura/Pontiac G6 score 22-mpg city/33-mpg highway estimates. Kia's four-cylinder Optima gets 22/32 mpg EPA estimates with either manual or automatic shift—just a hair better than the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, and Toyota Camry. The Nissan Altima is rated 23/32 mpg with manual shift and 23/31 mpg with a CVT.

Large Midsize Sedans

Compared to the Buick LaCrosse, Hyundai Azera, and redesigned 2009 Nissan Maxima, the fuel-efficiency leader in this group is the four-cylinder Volkswagen Passat, which earns a 21/31 mpg estimate with manual shift (19/29 with automatic). Chevrolet's Impala isn't far behind at 19/29 mpg.

Full-Size Cars

Size matters in the fuel-efficiency struggle, so big cars nearly always consume more fuel. Toyota's Avalon edges past its large-car rivals with a 19/28 mpg EPA estimate. The front-drive Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable come close with 18/28 mpg.

Sporty Cars

Most of the time, a penalty must be paid for driving a sporty model. But there are exceptions, starting with the popular MINI Cooper. Offered as a coupe or convertible, the basic Cooper with manual shift turns in an estimate of 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway. Runner-up may be the Volkswagen GTI, which promises 21/31 mpg with a six-speed gearbox and 22/29 mpg with dual-clutch automatic.

Dodge won no fuel-economy plaudits with the new retro-style Challenger, which debuted during the 2008 model year. That's because the only version was an action-packed SRT8, with a potent 425-horsepower V-8 and a guzzling 13/16 mpg EPA estimate. Milder-mannered Challengers are arriving for 2009. Mazda's MX-5 (Miata) roadster takes the frugality prize among sports cars, with a 22/27 mpg estimate for the five-speed manual model (20/27 mpg with automatic).

Small SUVs and Crossovers

Except for the Jeep Liberty, Nissan Xterra, and Suzuki Grand Vitara, two-wheel-drive versions of each small SUV and crossover get estimates of at least 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg for highway driving. Toyota's RAV4 promises only 19 mpg in the city, but 27 mpg on the highway. Both the Jeep Compass and Patriot warrant a 23 mpg city estimate and 27 mpg on the highway, while the Ford Escape scores 28 mpg on the highway with either manual or automatic shift. Nissan's Rogue wagon earns a 22/27 mpg estimate.

Midsize SUVs and Crossovers

When V-6 and V-8 engines are offered, the V-6 nearly always wins the gas-mileage race; and a four-cylinder consumes even less. Two-wheel-drive models inevitably beat those with 4WD. Thriftiest of this lot are the four-cylinder Saturn Vue and manual-shift Volkswagen Tiguan, with an EPA estimate of 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway. The four-cylinder Dodge Journey is almost as frugal at 19 mpg city/25 mpg highway–just ahead of the Hyundai Santa Fe and Nissan Murano. Several models manage 17/24 mpg, including the new Chevrolet Traverse and Ford Flex, Suzuki XL7, plus the GM quartet: Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent, Saturn Outlook, and GMC Acadia.

Traditional Full-Size SUVs

Buyers of big SUVs cannot expect tempting gas mileage, but the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe with two-wheel drive and a 5.3-liter V-8 head the pack with a 14/20 mpg estimate. The Ford Expedition and Nissan Armada promise a distressing 12 mpg in city driving, and only 18 mpg on the highway.

Hybrid SUVs

Ford took the lead in hybrid-SUV production with the Escape Hybrid, which leads by far at 34 mpg city/31 mpg highway. A little larger in size, the Saturn Vue Hybrid gets a 25/32 mpg estimate. Even with GM's 2Mode system, the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid is rated at only 21/22 mpg–not so bad for a vehicle of that size. Dodge has recently launched a Durango Hybrid, but EPA estimates are not yet available. Toyota's Highlander Hybrid gets a 27 mpg/25 mpg score.

Minivans

No big winners are found among minivans. Each model gets 16 or 17 mpg in city driving and 23-24 on the highway, according to the EPA.

Compact Pickup Trucks

Among smaller pickups, the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma take the fuel-efficiency prize, with up to 21/26 and 20/26 mpg estimates, respectively (for manual-shift 2WD models).

Full-Size Pickups

In some form, the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ford F-150 manage a highway estimate of 20 mpg, but 14 mpg is all they achieve in city driving. Toyota's six-cylinder Tundra earns a 15/19 mpg estimate. Trailing is the Nissan Titan, at a fuel-slurping 13/17 miles per gallon.

Hybrid Pickups

Choices are simple among hybrid-powertrain pickups. Only the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and similar GMC Sierra are on sale, with EPA estimates of 21 mpg city and a slightly better 22 mpg on the highway.

What About Diesel?

Running on "clean" fuel, the latest diesels deliver impressive mileage. Volkswagen's Jetta sedan and wagon earn an estimate of up to 30 mpg city/41 mpg highway.