2016 rankings · Compact Cars

Most Fuel-Efficient 2016 Compact Cars, Ranked

We ranked all 51 EPA-rated 2016 compact cars by what they cost to fuel. The Volkswagen Golf/GTI EV leads at about $788 a year (116 MPGe), while the Rolls-Royce Phantom is the most expensive to run at $4,232 (14 MPG). The median compact car costs $1,614 a year to fuel. The class includes 2 electric and 8 hybrid or plug-in models.

Fuel costs assume 15,000 miles a year at $3.10/gal regular, $3.95/gal premium and 18¢/kWh. Each model is shown in its most efficient configuration.

Top 15

Annual fuel cost (lower is better)
  1. 1Volkswagen Golf/GTI EV116 MPGe $788
  2. 2Ford Focus EV105 MPGe $864
  3. 3Chevrolet Volt106 MPGe + 42 MPG $902
  4. 4Toyota Prius c50 MPG $930
  5. 5Lexus CT42 MPG $1,107
  6. 6Mazda 236 MPG $1,292
  7. 7Audi A3 Plug-in Hybrid86 MPGe + 39 MPG $1,317
  8. 8Honda Civic35 MPG $1,329
  9. 9Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid44 MPG $1,347
  10. 10Ford Focus34 MPG $1,368
  11. 11Nissan Versa34 MPG $1,368
  12. 12Volkswagen Jetta33 MPG $1,409
  13. 13Mazda 333 MPG $1,409
  14. 14Toyota Yaris33 MPG $1,409
  15. 15Chevrolet Sonic32 MPG $1,453

All 51 models

#Model Type Combined Range Fuel / yr
1Volkswagen Golf/GTI EV Electric 116 MPGe 83 mi $788
2Ford Focus EV Electric 105 MPGe 76 mi $864
3Chevrolet Volt Plug-in hybrid 106 MPGe + 42 MPG 420 mi $902
4Toyota Prius c Hybrid 50 MPG — $930
5Lexus CT Hybrid 42 MPG — $1,107
6Mazda 2 Gas 36 MPG — $1,292
7Audi A3 Plug-in Hybrid Plug-in hybrid 86 MPGe + 39 MPG 430 mi $1,317
8Honda Civic Gas 35 MPG — $1,329
9Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid Hybrid 44 MPG — $1,347
10Ford Focus Gas 34 MPG — $1,368
11Nissan Versa Gas 34 MPG — $1,368
12Volkswagen Jetta Gas 33 MPG — $1,409
13Mazda 3 Gas 33 MPG — $1,409
14Toyota Yaris Gas 33 MPG — $1,409
15Chevrolet Sonic Gas 32 MPG — $1,453
16Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
17Hyundai Accent Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
18Kia Rio Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
19Hyundai Veloster Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
20Mazda CX-3 Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
21Volvo S60 Gas 30 MPG — $1,550
22Mitsubishi Lancer Gas 30 MPG — $1,550
23Kia Forte Gas 30 MPG — $1,550
24BMW 3 Series Diesel Diesel 35 MPG — $1,586
25Volkswagen Golf/GTI Gas 29 MPG — $1,603
26BMW 3 Series Plug-in Hybrid Plug-in hybrid 72 MPGe + 31 MPG 350 mi $1,614
27Volkswagen Beetle Gas 28 MPG — $1,661
28Scion tC Gas 26 MPG — $1,788
29Cadillac ATS Gas 26 MPG — $1,788
30Mercedes-Benz C-Class Plug-in Hybrid Plug-in hybrid 51 MPGe + 30 MPG 410 mi $1,837
31Buick Verano Gas 24 MPG — $1,938
32Infiniti Q50 Hybrid Hybrid 30 MPG — $1,975
33Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Gas 30 MPG — $1,975
34MINI Countryman Gas 29 MPG — $2,043
35Acura ILX Gas 29 MPG — $2,043
36MINI Paceman Gas 29 MPG — $2,043
37BMW 3 Series Gas 28 MPG — $2,116
38Mercedes-Benz C-Class Gas 28 MPG — $2,116
39Acura TLX Gas 28 MPG — $2,116
40Audi A4 Gas 27 MPG — $2,194
41BMW 4 Series Gas 27 MPG — $2,194
42Lexus IS Gas 26 MPG — $2,279
43Volkswagen CC Gas 20 MPG — $2,325
44Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Gas 24 MPG — $2,469
45Subaru WRX Gas 23 MPG — $2,576
46Audi Q3 Gas 23 MPG — $2,576
47Audi S4 Gas 21 MPG — $2,821
48Cadillac ATS-V Gas 19 MPG — $3,118
49Bentley Continental Gas 18 MPG — $3,292
50Rolls-Royce Dawn Gas 15 MPG — $3,950
51Rolls-Royce Phantom Gas 14 MPG — $4,232

More 2016 rankings

2016 class rankings

This ranking in other years