- Fuel efficiency refers to how many miles a vehicle can go on 1 gallon of gas
- The most fuel-efficient vehicle for 2022 is the Mitsubishi Mirage, which receives 39 mpg combined
- The most affordable fuel-efficient vehicle of 2022 is the Chevrolet Spark, starting at $13,600
With gas prices continuing to rise throughout the nation, a vehicle’s fuel efficiency becomes even more crucial. Fuel efficiency is a term used to describe how many miles a car can go on a single gallon of gas. Going further on a single gallon can help you save significantly in the long run. In some instances, you could end up spending half as much on gas when upgrading to a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
Thankfully, many new vehicles have excellent fuel efficiency. Each option below receives more than 30 mpg, combined city and highway miles. These models get as much as 43 mpg when driving on highways.
Understanding Fuel Efficiency
Looking at a vehicle’s fuel efficiency can feel confusing because most manufacturers list three numbers. It may look something like this: 36/43/39.
The first number refers to the miles per gallon received when driving in a city or residential area. This number will be the lowest because constantly stopping and accelerating your vehicle (at stop signs or traffic lights) consumes more gas.
The second number is the miles per gallon you can expect to get when driving on a highway. This number will be the highest. Driving on a highway (like an interstate or expressway) allows your vehicle to remain in motion and at a consistent speed. Less gas is consumed when driving this way.
The final number is the combined miles per gallon. This number is simply the average between the first two numbers. The combined fuel efficiency is most often used when determining general miles per gallon in advertisements or websites.
ShutterstockMitsubishi Mirage
The Mitsubishi Mirage receives 39 mpg combined, with an estimated 36 city and 43 highway mpg. The Mirage starts at $14,645, making it an affordable fuel-efficient option, and provides comfortable seating for five.
Key features include cruise control, remote keyless entry and a rearview camera that makes backing up simple. There aren’t any significant updates to this year’s model. But, new vehicles come with a 10-year or 10,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.
Source: MitsubishiHyundai Elantra
The Hyundai Elantra receives 36 mpg combined and starts at $19,950. Drivers can expect an estimated 33 mpg when driving in the city and 43 mpg on the highway.
Although there aren’t any notable changes to this year’s model, the Elantra won the North American Car of the Year Award. Lane-keeping assist, cruise control and driver attention warning capabilities make the Elantra perfect for long trips. But, of course, no safety features are a replacement for paying attention to the road.
Source: HyundaiHyundai Accent
The Hyundai Accent starts at just $16,045 and has 36 mpg combined fuel efficiency. Drivers can expect an estimated 33 mpg when driving in the city and 41 mpg when driving on the highway.
All new Hyundai purchases come with an incredible complimentary maintenance package for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. The tire pressure monitoring system and remote keyless entry (with alarm) are convenient features. There aren’t any notable changes in this year’s Accent compared to last year.
Source: HyundaiKia Rio
The 2022 Kia Rio starts at just $16,250 and gets 36 mpg combined. You can expect to receive an estimated 33 city and 41 highway mpg. Compared to last year’s model, this year’s Rio offers rear disc brakes in higher trim levels. Otherwise, no significant updates have been made to the base trim.
The Kia Rio has an eight-inch touchscreen display with a rearview camera, tire pressure monitoring system and hill start assist control. In addition, new vehicle purchases are eligible for the industry-leading 10-year or 100,000-mile Kia warranty program.
Source: KiaHonda Civic
The Honda Civic starts at just $22,350 and comes with an updated design (interior and exterior) from last year’s model. The Civic receives an estimated 35 mpg combined. You can expect to get 31 city and 40 highway mpg.
Key features for the Civic include a collision mitigation braking system, lane-keeping assistant and an adaptive cruise control system with automatic low-speed follow. In addition, the Civic received the 2021 IIHS Top Safety Pick.
Source: HondaToyota Corolla
The 2022 Toyota Corolla starts at just $20,175 and receives 34 mpg combined fuel efficiency. You can expect an average of 31 city and 40 highway mpg. There are no significant updates to this year’s Corolla compared to last year’s model.
The integrated backup camera provides a projected path for easier backing up. The 60/40 split-folding backseats offer extra storage space when needed. All new Toyota purchases are eligible for the ToyotaCare program, which provides a no-cost maintenance plan and 24-hour roadside assistance.
Source: ToyotaNissan Versa
The Nissan Versa starts at $15,080 and receives a 35 mpg combined fuel efficiency. You can expect an average of 32 city and 40 highway mpg. There are no notable updates to this year’s model compared to last year.
Notable safety features for the Versa include automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection technology and lane departure warnings. In addition, remote keyless entry and voice recognition are convenient features that come standard with all trim levels.
Source: NissanKia Forte
The 2022 Kia Forte receives an estimated 35 mpg combined and starts at just $19,090. You can expect an average of 31 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. There are several significant updates to this year’s model compared to last year. The most notable updates include a refreshed design and enhanced technology.
The Forte features cruise control with steering wheel controls, driver attention warning and automatic emergency braking. New vehicle purchases are eligible for the industry-leading ten-year or 100,000 mile Kia warranty program.
Source: KiaVolkswagen Jetta
The Volkswagen Jetta has a combined fuel efficiency of 34 mpg and starts at $18,995. Jetta drivers can expect to receive 30 city and 41 highway mpg. The 2022 comes with numerous upgrades when compared to last year’s model. In addition to an updated exterior design, this year’s Jetta also has an upgraded engine and various new technological features.
Key features include lane assistance, rear traffic alerts and blind-spot monitoring. The Jetta also comes with a convenient mobile app featuring remote commands, parking information and estimated miles remaining until empty.
Source: VolkswagenChevrolet Spark
The Chevrolet Spark has a combined fuel efficiency of 33 mpg and starts at $13,600. You can expect to average 30 city and 38 highway mpg. There aren’t any notable updates to this year’s Spark model compared to last year.
Key features include a rear-vision camera, lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking. New Spark purchases are also covered by the Chevrolet Complete Care Package, which provides complimentary maintenance and other forms of vehicle coverage.
Source: ChevroletHonda Accord
The Honda Accord gets a combined fuel efficiency of 33 mpg and starts at $26,120. You can expect an estimated 30 city and 38 highway mpg. This year’s model comes with several updates compared to the 2021 Accord. The 2022 Accord has undergone a minor exterior redesign and upgraded interior infotainment system.
The Accord is equipped with Honda Sensing Safety and Driver Assistive technology. Key features include dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control and rear window defroster.
Source: Honda
