Fuel-efficient cars by body style
- Compact cars
- Sports cars/coupes
- Wagons
- Minivans/vans
Choosing a new car? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet. The following cars are ranked by city miles per gallon (MPG), followed by highway MPG based on the Environmental Protection Agency's Fuel Economy Guide for the 2009 model year. (For details of the testing, see the notes below.)
| Rank | Model | MPG: city/hwy | Annual fuel cost * | Carbon footprint (tons/yr of CO2) |
Additional info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nissan Altima Coupe |
23/32 | $2010 | 7.1 tons | 4 cylinder, 2.5 liter, manual 6-speed, regular gas |
| 2 |
Audi TT Coupe |
23/31 | $2166 | 7.1 tons | 4 cylinder, 2 liter, automatic (S6), premium gas |
| 3 |
Audi A4 Cabriolet |
23/30 | $2250 | 7.3 tons | 4 cylinder, 2 liter, automatic (variable gear ratios), premium gas |
| 4 |
Pontiac G6 Coupe |
22/33 | $2010 | 7.1 tons | 4 cylinder, 2.4 liter, automatic (S6), regular gas |
| 5 |
Honda Accord Coupe |
22/31 | $2088 | 7.3 tons | 4 cylinder, 2.4 liter, manual 5-speed, regular gas |
| 6 |
Volkswagen Eos |
22/29 | $2250 | 7.3 tons | 4 cylinder, 2 liter, automatic (S6), premium gas |
| 7 |
Chrysler Sebring Convertible |
20/29 | $2271 | 8 tons | 4 cylinder, 2.4 liter, automatic 4-speed, regular gas |
| 8 |
Mitsubishi Eclipse |
20/28 | $2271 | 8 tons | 4 cylinder, 2.4 liter, manual 5-speed, SOHC, regular gas |
| 9 (tie) |
Pontiac Solstice |
19/28 | $2559 | 8.3 tons | 4 cylinder, 2 liter, manual 5-speed, premium gas |
| 9 (tie) |
Saturn Sky |
19/28 | $2559 | 8.3 tons | 4 cylinder, 2 liter, manual 5-speed, premium gas |
Notes:
* Annual fuel cost estimates are based on the assumptions that you travel 15,000 miles per year (55 percent in the city and 45 percent on the highway) and that fuel costs $3.48 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, $3.75 per gallon for premium and $3.88 for diesel. Visit www.fueleconomy.gov to calculate fuel costs based on current fuel prices and your driving habits.
Each model is allowed to appear on the list only once regardless of variations in its trim, options and/or specs.
Note that the models featured on the research pages linked here may have slight variations to the models specified in this list.
3 Comments
By owlafaye on January 21, 2009 6:41 PM
There are a couple of dozen cars in America more fuel efficient than this.
Fire the author...get someone with a little research experience and drive. This guy is a wank.
By Gary Ingle on August 21, 2009 5:38 AM
They left out the one sports car that leaves every one of these cars in the dust, both in performance and in economy. The Tesla has ten times the energy efficiency of any of these vehicles; more than five times the range of the upcoming Volt; and easily outperforms any of these. Of course none of these so-called sports cars really is a sports car anyway. The one thing they have in common is that they are relatively affordable compared to the exotics; can't say that about the $100K Tesla.
By Rizwan on September 5, 2009 7:00 AM
This review makes no sense, totally biased.
btw does anyone has any idea about most fuel efficient cars in 300-500hp range. Offcourse they won't be much economical but if you are to compare them... then what would be the results?