10 Cheapest Cars With the Best Fuel Economy
While full-electric and gas/electric hybrid-power cars can get phenomenal fuel economy, they command stiff price premiums that are difficult to recover in savings at the pump, particularly with gas prices recently falling to their lowest levels in four years.
Fortunately, budget-minded and environmentally conscious car shoppers don’t need to break the bank to choose a higher mileage car, with a growing number of conventional gasoline-powered models already able to attain 40 mpg or better on the highway and 30 or more mpg around town.
This is largely due to engines that leverage gas-saving high-tech features like fuel injection and turbocharging, as well as advanced automatic transmissions that maximize acceleration and fuel economy. Some models can eke another one or two mpg out of select models by adding features like low rolling-resistance tires and aerodynamic shutters that automatically close at higher speeds to reduce wind resistance. In addition, several non-hybrids now include automatic stop-start systems that de-power the engine while at a stoplight or at idle to help boost their mpg in city driving.
Here’s a look at the 10 gasoline-powered non-hybrid/electric cars for 2015 that are rated by the EPA to achieve at least 30 mpg in city driving and 40 mpg or better on the highway. (Prices cited are for specified models/configurations and do not include destination charges or other options).