What Are the Most Fuel-Efficient Cars?
Cars with good fuel economy and high efficiency reduce the cost of ownership over the vehicle’s lifetime, and buying a car with a high mpg rating could be one of the few countermeasures to stubbornly high new-car prices. But with so many fuel-efficient choices, from gas-only models to hybrids and plug-in hybrids, which ones rate the highest for the 2025 model year based on the EPA cycle?
Related: What Are the Best MPG Pickup Trucks?
Small cars remain more efficient due to basic physics; they’re lighter weight and often more aerodynamic because they ride closer to the ground, bucking the American preference toward larger, blockier vehicles. But consumers want it all: rugged SUV style, a roomy cabin and good fuel economy. Automakers are keen to meet shoppers where they’re at, which is why some fuel-efficient SUVs crack the top rankings in the PHEV category.
The ratings are based on the EPA cycle, but as always, your mileage may vary. Larger wheels and tires, certain loaded trim levels and (more than anything) how you drive will affect your real-world fuel economy. On average, electric vehicles are more efficient than any other mass-produced powertrain type; we cover the most efficient ones of those separately.
2025 Gas-Only Cars With the Best MPG
1. Honda Civic: 32/41/36 mpg city/highway/combined (tie)
2. Hyundai Elantra: 32/41/36 mpg (tie)
3. Toyota Corolla: 32/41/35 mpg
4. Nissan Versa: 32/40/35 mpg
5. Kia K4: 30/40/34 mpg (tie)
6. Nissan Sentra: 30/40/34 mpg (tie)
1. Honda Civic
The Honda Civic sedan and Hyundai Elantra tie for the most efficient gas-only cars, and it makes sense since their hybrid variants are also in the Hybrid section below. Honda gives Civic shoppers more choice than most other automakers and their entry-level cars: In addition to sedan and hatchback body styles, there are the sporty Civic Si sedan and Civic Type R hot hatch. The most efficient of these options is the base sedan and its 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. A thrifty continuously variable automatic transmission sends power to the front wheels only, helping the sedan earn an EPA rating of 32/41/36 mpg city/highway/combined. Other trims are rated at a maximum of 31/39/34 mpg, while the hatch gets up to 30/38/34 mpg.
2. Hyundai Elantra
The Elantra comes in several varieties as well, but only in a sedan body style. While the Elantra N squares off against the Civic Type R and the turbocharged Elantra N-Line faces the Civic Si, the base Elantra and its 147-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder matches the Civic sedan’s fuel economy with a 32/41/36 mpg rating from the EPA. It too uses a CVT and only comes with front-wheel drive, but it’s priced about $2,400 less than the Civic.
3. Toyota Corolla
The Corolla comes with plenty of choices; it can be had as a sedan, hatchback, hybrid and even a hot hatch with all-wheel drive in the 300-hp GR Corolla. On the most efficient gas-only model, the Corolla employs a 169-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that moves power to the front wheels via a CVT. The EPA rates both the sedan and hatchback versions of the base Corolla at 32/41/35 mpg.
4. Nissan Versa
The lowest priced new car for 2025 is also one of the most efficient. The Versa can be had for less than $20,000 (all prices include destination) and its standard five-speed manual transmission may be hard to find on dealer lots. That leaves the Versa with a 122-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a CVT and FWD. It’s pretty basic, but it makes for a great low-cost commuter with an EPA rating of 32/40/35 mpg with the CVT.
5. Kia K4
Formerly known as the Forte, the K4 not only has a new name, but a daring new fastback look and wider, longer, roomier proportions. The base LX earns an EPA rating of 30/40/34 mpg from its 147-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, and a CVT moves power through the front wheels only. Better-equipped higher trims with larger wheels lower the fuel economy by 1 mpg in each measurement except for the range-topping GT-Line Turbo and its 190-hp, turbo 1.6-liter four and eight-speed automatic; it gets 26/36/29 mpg.
6. Nissan Sentra
The second Nissan on this list ties the K4’s EPA-rated 30/40/34 mpg rating with a similar formula: A 149-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder and CVT with FWD is the sole powertrain setup. Larger than the Versa, the Sentra compact sedan represents another Nissan with a low starting price ($22,730) and low cost of ownership.
2025 Gas-Electric Hybrids With the Best MPG
1. Toyota Prius: 57/56/57 mpg
2. Hyundai Elantra Hybrid: 51/58/54 mpg
3. Kia Niro: 53/54/53 mpg
4. Toyota Camry: 53/50/51 mpg
5. Honda Civic: 50/47/49 mpg
1. Toyota Prius
It should be no surprise that the Prius is the most fuel-efficient vehicle without a plug, as it has been for most years since it launched in the U.S. for the 2001 model year. Redesigned and reborn for 2023 with a slick, swoopy shape, the Prius comes with a base 194-hp LE trim with FWD that tops the charts at an EPA-rated 57/56/57 mpg. Adding a third motor to power the rear axle for AWD and a rating of 196 hp lowers fuel economy a bit to 53/54/54 mpg. The heavier, more loaded XLE and Limited trims cut efficiency to 52/52/52 mpg with FWD or 49/50/49 mpg with AWD.
2. Hyundai Elantra Hybrid
The Hyundai Elantra Hybrid comes close to the Prius, and it might drive and feel more like a conventional gas car. The Elantra Hybrid uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that combined generate 139 hp. However, this parallel hybrid system differs somewhat from the Prius’ in that it uses a six-speed dual-clutch automatic instead of the Prius’ planetary gear set, which is more like a CVT; it more actively manages power delivery between the motors and engine. That’s why the Prius is both more powerful and more efficient than the base Elantra Hybrid Blue, which is rated at 51/58/54 mpg. Better equipped Elantra Hybrids with larger wheels are rated at 49/52/50 mpg.
3. Kia Niro
Marketed as an SUV but shaped more like a hatchback, the Niro serves as the affordable entry point for Kia’s growing electrified lineup. The smartly packaged Niro can be had as a hybrid, PHEV or all-electric vehicle. The base trim makes a total of 139 hp from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with two electric motors; a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sends power to the front wheels. The Niro rolls in at an EPA-rated 53/54/53 mpg, though more upscale trims with larger wheels (such as the EX Touring or SX Touring) lower the Niro’s rating to 53/45/49 mpg.
4. Toyota Camry
Updated for 2025 to be all hybrid all the time, the Camry borrows the RAV4 SUV’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder and two-motor system, but it’s tuned to generate a total of 225 hp with FWD or, with an additional motor on the rear axle for AWD, 232 hp. The bestselling sedan is EPA-rated at 53/50/51 mpg in the base LE trim, while the LE with AWD hits 51/49/50 mpg. The SE and XLE trims drop to 48/47/47 mpg with FWD or 46 mpg across the board with AWD, while the top XSE gets the same fuel economy as the SE with FWD or 44/43/44 mpg with AWD.
5. Honda Civic hybrid
A new entrant to the list because a hybrid option returns for the first time since the 2015 model year, the Honda Civic Hybrid arrives with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and two motors for a total of 200 hp. It comes with FWD only, but Honda offers it in both sleek sedan and roomier hatchback forms. The Civic hybrid sedan is EPA-rated at 50/47/49 mpg, while the five-door hatchback tops out at 50/45/48 mpg.
2025 PHEVs With the Best MPG-E
1. Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid: 127 mpg-equivalent
2. Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid: 108 mpg-e
3. Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid: 101 mpg-e
4. Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid: 94 mpg-e (manufacturer estimate)
5. Lexus NX 450h+: 84 mpg-e
1. Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid
For the 2025 model year, Toyota dropped the Prime designation for its plug-in hybrid models for the more literal badge, though the PHEVs are still limited in production and can be harder to find than other Toyota models. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid improves on the Prius hybrid by enabling an all-electric EPA-rated driving range of 45 miles. It uses a larger 13.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a 2.0-liter engine paired to two motors for a total of 220 hp and only comes with FWD. The Prius PHEV’s 6.6-kilowatt onboard charger enables a full Level 2 charge in about four hours. Overall, the base SE earns a 127 mpg-e combined rating for electric and gas driving and 52 mpg in hybrid mode. The XSE and XSE Premium trims are rated at 114 mpg-e and 48 mpg combined and have an all-electric range of 40 miles.
2. Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid
The 2025 Niro Plug-in Hybrid rolls on with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors that send a total of 180 hp to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It has a smaller, 11.1-kWh battery pack than other PHEVs, so electric range caps out at an EPA-estimated 33 miles. Charging the Niro PHEV to full at home on a 240-volt charger takes less than three hours, according to Kia. The EPA rates the hatchback at 108 mpg-e combined or 48 mpg combined if the charge runs out.
3. Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid
The 2025 Escape Plug-In Hybrid uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a front electric motor system for a total of 210 hp, but unlike the gas-only Escape, AWD is not an option. On electric power only, the Escape Plug-in Hybrid travels up to an EPA-estimated 37 miles. The EPA rates it at 101 mpg-e combined, and without electric power, its hybrid system gets 40 mpg combined.
4. Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid
The 2025 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid gets the same rebranding as the Prius PHEV, but it’s still a prime candidate as the best version of the bestselling vehicle that’s not a truck. The compact SUV has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors; AWD is standard. Total output is 302 hp, and an estimated 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds makes it the most potent RAV4. But PHEV shoppers might appreciate its manufacturer-estimated 42-mile electric range more, and when the battery is depleted, it still functions as an efficient hybrid rated at 38 mpg combined (official EPA ratings are not yet available).
5. Lexus NX 450h+
The Lexus NX 450h+ uses a similar system as the RAV4 PHEV, but it’s tuned to a total of 304 hp. Because it’s heavier than the RAV4 PHEV, the NX 450h+’s 0-60 mph time is about six seconds. The extra weight and larger wheels trim some efficiency, too; it travels up to 37 miles on electric power, according to the EPA, and is rated at 84 mpg-e or 36 mpg as a conventional hybrid without the extra plug-in juice.
More Fuel Efficiency Articles:
- What Are the Best 2025 Hybrids for the Money?
- Which Compact SUV Has the Best Real-World MPG?
- How Much Does a Hybrid Save on Fuel Compared to Its Gas Equivalent?
- What’s the Difference Between a Hybrid and a Plug-In Hybrid?
- Why Do Cars Get Worse Fuel Economy in Cold Weather?
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