2017 rankings · Compact Cars

Most Fuel-Efficient 2017 Compact Cars, Ranked

We ranked all 50 EPA-rated 2017 compact cars by what they cost to fuel. The Volkswagen Golf/GTI EV leads at about $767 a year (119 MPGe), while the Rolls-Royce Dawn is the most expensive to run at $4,232 (14 MPG). The median compact car costs $1,603 a year to fuel. The class includes 2 electric and 7 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 EV119 MPGe $767
  2. 2Ford Focus EV107 MPGe $837
  3. 3Chevrolet Volt106 MPGe + 42 MPG $902
  4. 4Toyota Prius c46 MPG $1,011
  5. 5Lexus CT42 MPG $1,107
  6. 6Mitsubishi Mirage39 MPG $1,192
  7. 7Honda Civic36 MPG $1,292
  8. 8Toyota Yaris35 MPG $1,329
  9. 9Mazda 235 MPG $1,329
  10. 10Ford Focus34 MPG $1,368
  11. 11Nissan Versa34 MPG $1,368
  12. 12Chevrolet Cruze34 MPG $1,368
  13. 13Volkswagen Jetta33 MPG $1,409
  14. 14Mazda 332 MPG $1,453
  15. 15Chevrolet Sonic32 MPG $1,453

All 50 models

#Model Type Combined Range Fuel / yr
1Volkswagen Golf/GTI EV Electric 119 MPGe 125 mi $767
2Ford Focus EV Electric 107 MPGe 115 mi $837
3Chevrolet Volt Plug-in hybrid 106 MPGe + 42 MPG 420 mi $902
4Toyota Prius c Hybrid 46 MPG — $1,011
5Lexus CT Hybrid 42 MPG — $1,107
6Mitsubishi Mirage Gas 39 MPG — $1,192
7Honda Civic Gas 36 MPG — $1,292
8Toyota Yaris Gas 35 MPG — $1,329
9Mazda 2 Gas 35 MPG — $1,329
10Ford Focus Gas 34 MPG — $1,368
11Nissan Versa Gas 34 MPG — $1,368
12Chevrolet Cruze Gas 34 MPG — $1,368
13Volkswagen Jetta Gas 33 MPG — $1,409
14Mazda 3 Gas 32 MPG — $1,453
15Chevrolet Sonic Gas 32 MPG — $1,453
16Audi A3 Plug-in Hybrid Plug-in hybrid 83 MPGe + 34 MPG 380 mi $1,493
17Hyundai Accent Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
18Kia Rio Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
19Chevrolet Cruze Diesel Diesel 37 MPG — $1,500
20Hyundai Veloster Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
21Mazda CX-3 Gas 31 MPG — $1,500
22BMW 3 Series Diesel Diesel 36 MPG — $1,542
23Jaguar XE Diesel Diesel 36 MPG — $1,542
24Mitsubishi Lancer Gas 30 MPG — $1,550
25Volkswagen Golf/GTI Gas 29 MPG — $1,603
26Volvo S60 Gas 29 MPG — $1,603
27BMW 3 Series Plug-in Hybrid Plug-in hybrid 71 MPGe + 30 MPG 350 mi $1,722
28Cadillac ATS Gas 26 MPG — $1,788
29Mercedes-Benz C-Class Plug-in Hybrid Plug-in hybrid 51 MPGe + 30 MPG 410 mi $1,837
30Audi A4 Gas 31 MPG — $1,911
31Buick Verano Gas 24 MPG — $1,938
32Acura ILX Gas 29 MPG — $2,043
33Infiniti Q50 Hybrid Hybrid 29 MPG — $2,043
34Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Gas 29 MPG — $2,043
35BMW 3 Series Gas 28 MPG — $2,116
36Acura TLX Gas 28 MPG — $2,116
37BMW 4 Series Gas 27 MPG — $2,194
38Infiniti QX30 Gas 27 MPG — $2,194
39Lexus IS Gas 26 MPG — $2,279
40Volkswagen CC Gas 20 MPG — $2,325
41Jaguar XE Gas 24 MPG — $2,469
42Subaru WRX Gas 23 MPG — $2,576
43Audi Q3 Gas 23 MPG — $2,576
44Mercedes-Benz S-Class Gas 21 MPG — $2,821
45Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Gas 21 MPG — $2,821
46Cadillac ATS-V Gas 20 MPG — $2,962
47Bentley Continental Gas 18 MPG — $3,292
48Rolls-Royce Phantom Gas 14 MPG — $4,232
49Bentley Continental Supersports Gas 14 MPG — $4,232
50Rolls-Royce Dawn Gas 14 MPG — $4,232

More 2017 rankings

2017 class rankings

This ranking in other years