These Are The Cars That Get The Best Gas Mileage
Before hybrids and EVs, Americans could buy small, gas-powered cars that got high mileage. These vehicles were light, compact, and equipped with small engines. U.S. manufacturers, however, did not specialize in them. Most Pontiacs, Fords, Chevrolets, and Cadillacs came with large engines.
The American car landscape began to shift in the 1960s, when Toyota established a growing presence in the U.S. market, selling roughly 100,000 cars per year throughout that decade.
Everything changed in 1973. The “Oil Crisis” drove gas prices sharply higher within weeks. At a keynote address at Columbia University, economist Daniel Yergin described its impact: “The 1973 oil embargo shook the global energy market. It also reset geopolitics, reordered the global economy, and introduced the modern energy era. The crisis and the iconic photographs of angry motorists fuming in gas lines are often evoked when oil and gasoline prices spike.”
Following a series of conflicts involving multiple Arab nations, OPEC raised the price of a barrel of oil by 70%. Gasoline was rationed across parts of the United States, and fuel-efficient cars like Toyotas became far more appealing to American buyers.
Toyota’s influence in the U.S. market grew steadily from there. Today, it outsells Ford in most months and comes close to matching GM.
Ford and GM have since oriented their lineups heavily toward SUVs and pickup trucks. The three top selling vehicles in America are consistently full-sized pickups — the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, and RAM. Ford has largely exited the traditional passenger car market. Ironically, the best-seller list still includes fuel-efficient models like the Toyota Corolla, a reminder that budget-conscious drivers remain a force in the market.
For nearly a decade, EVs were expected to reduce vehicle emissions in ways that efficient gas-powered cars could not. Yet with the exception of Tesla, no EV brand has captured even a small slice of overall market share. Hybrids have gained more traction, though they remain a niche segment.
Climate Crisis247 examined gas-powered cars with strong fuel economy, focusing on models that average better than 30 MPG across combined city and highway driving, as measured by the NHTSA. Mileage figures are drawn from the EPA’s Compliance and Fuel Economy Data for Vehicles and Engines, The Fuel Economy Guide, and fueleconomy.gov.
Prices reflect the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) for the base model only, excluding destination charges, taxes, fees, and options. Additional data was sourced from Edmunds, Car and Driver, and Kelley Blue Book as of last month.
These are the American cars that get the best gas mileage.
| Model | Manufacturer | Combined MPG | Base MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Civic | Honda | 36 | $24,595 |
| Hyundai Elantra | Hyundai | 35–36 | $23,870 |
| Toyota Corolla | Toyota | 35 | $22,925 |
| Nissan Versa | Nissan | 35 | $17,390 |
| Nissan Sentra | Nissan | 34 | $22,600 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | Volkswagen | 34 | $23,995 |
| Kia K4 | Kia | 34 | $22,290 |
| Honda Accord | Honda | 33 | $28,395 |
| Acura Integra | Honda | 33 | $33,400 |
| Nissan Rogue | Nissan | 33 | $29,090 |
| Chevrolet Trailblazer | General Motors | 31 | $23,300 |
| Toyota Corolla Cross | Toyota | 32 | $25,030 |
| Hyundai Sonata | Hyundai | 32 | $26,900 |
| Chevrolet Trax | General Motors | 30 | $21,600 |
| Buick Encore GX | General Motors | 30 | $27,995 |
| Buick Envista | General Motors | 30 | $25,995 |
