Measuring fuel economy is one of more than 50 tests we conduct on each car we purchase. Our fuel-economy numbers are derived from a precision flow meter and are rounded to the nearest mile per gallon. CR’s overall mileage results are calculated based on equal portions of city and highway driving.
This list starts with the most efficient car, and it doesn’t include plug-in vehicles, nor does it include some redesigned models, like the Honda Accord Hybrid and Toyota Prius, because we haven’t tested them yet. And yes, all of the featured cars are hybrids.
Every car here is CR Recommended and achieved at least 32 mpg overall in our tests.
If you’re open to other vehicle types, there are some small SUVs (Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, Kia Sportage Hybrid, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid) that get 35 mpg or better in our tests and come in just under $35,000 when nicely equipped.
If you’re a CR member, the information and list of cars and SUVs recommended by CR in this article are already available to you. But if you haven’t signed up yet, be sure to click below and become a member to access this information and all our exclusive ratings and reviews for each car we buy and test. Joining also gives you full access to exclusive ratings for the other products our experts evaluate in several categories, including electronics and home appliances.
