Fuel economy in the EPA’s database is often tied to hybrid and electric drivetrains, yet plenty of ordinary gasoline engines posted strong numbers too. Some of those cars date back to the 1980s, while a few are modern sedans with no battery involved. Here are twelve cars that earned combined ratings of 33 mpg or better on gasoline alone.
1. Chevrolet Metro: Three Cylinders, 40 MPG
The 1998 Metro’s three-cylinder engine returned 40 mpg combined, the best gas-only figure in the EPA’s database, based on its EPA fuel economy listing. The city rating was 36 mpg and the highway rating 44 mpg, equal to 2.5 gallons per 100 miles on regular fuel.
The small engine did all the work with no electric assistance, which makes the result a benchmark for conventional drivetrains. The EPA notes that estimates for 2016 and older vehicles may have been revised, so the figure reflects the agency’s published record.
2. Honda Civic: Hatchback Without a Hybrid
The 1994 Civic hatchback was rated 38 mpg combined with no hybrid system, according to its EPA mileage entry. The city figure was 35 mpg, the highway figure 41 mpg, and consumption 2.6 gallons per 100 miles on regular gasoline.
A gap of only six mpg between city and highway shows the small car stayed efficient in stop-and-go driving. The listing also carries the EPA caveat that estimates for 2016 and older vehicles may have been revised.
3. Scion iQ: City Car, Small Footprint
Toyota’s city car was rated 37 mpg combined, and the EPA ratings page shows 36 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Consumption is 2.7 gallons per 100 miles on regular gasoline, and the total range is listed at 314 miles.
City and highway ratings sat just one mpg apart, an unusual evenness among the cars here. That flat profile suggests the car lost little efficiency in urban driving, where many larger gasoline cars fall off sharply.
4. Ford Aspire: Subcompact From 1994
The 1994 Aspire managed 34 mpg combined, as its EPA comparison page shows. It returned 31 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway, equal to 2.9 gallons per 100 miles on regular gasoline.
A highway rating of 39 mpg put the small hatchback well above its 31 mpg city figure, an eight-mpg gap between the two kinds of driving. The EPA notes that estimates for 2016 and older vehicles may have been revised, so the numbers are historical records.
5. Toyota Starlet: An Eighties Economy Car
The 1984 Starlet was rated 34 mpg combined, based on its EPA fuel economy record. City driving returned 32 mpg and highway driving 38 mpg, which equals 2.9 gallons per 100 miles on regular fuel.
That makes it the oldest car on the list by model year, and its 38 mpg highway rating is the figure that stands out. Its entry, like the others from before 2017, may have been revised by the EPA.
6. Chevrolet Spark: Modern Gas-Only Spark
The 2013 Spark was rated 34 mpg combined, and its EPA vehicle listing shows 31 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Consumption is 2.9 gallons per 100 miles, and the total range is 313 miles.
The 313-mile range gives the small car a practical reach between fill-ups using regular gasoline only. The listing also hosts unofficial owner estimates, kept separate from the EPA’s own measured figures. The 34 mpg combined rating on the page is therefore the official number for the 2013 model.
7. Toyota Camry: A Midsize Sedan Joins In
A full midsize sedan appears here: the 2018 Camry’s four-cylinder was rated 34 mpg combined with no hybrid help, per its EPA mileage data. The city rating was 29 mpg and the highway rating 41 mpg, and the total range is listed at 544 miles.
The 544-mile range is the longest on the list, a reminder that a family-size car did not need a hybrid system to reach this tier. Its 41 mpg highway rating was also among the best of the group.
8. Ford Festiva: Festiva, Late Eighties
The 1988 Festiva was rated 34 mpg combined, and its EPA fuel economy entry lists 32 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. Consumption is 2.9 gallons per 100 miles on regular gasoline.
Only four mpg separated its city and highway ratings, one of the narrower spreads among the cars rated at 34 mpg combined, so the little hatchback held up in both kinds of driving, with 32 mpg in town and 36 on the open road. The 1988 model year places it among the older cars here, and the EPA says estimates for 2016 and older vehicles may have been revised.
9. Subaru Justy: Three-Cylinder Justy
The 1987 Justy’s three-cylinder was rated 34 mpg combined, based on its EPA ratings record. It returned 32 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, equal to 2.9 gallons per 100 miles on regular gasoline.
The small three-cylinder follows the Metro as the second three-cylinder on the list, showing that cutting engine size was a common route to high mileage. Estimates for 2016 and older vehicles may have been revised, so the 34 mpg combined figure stands as the agency’s record for the Justy.
10. Suzuki Swift: A Swift Result
The 1994 Swift was rated 34 mpg combined, and the EPA comparison listing shows 31 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. That equals 2.9 gallons per 100 miles on regular gasoline.
Its 39 mpg highway rating matches the 1994 Aspire, a coincidence between two small cars from the same model year with the same 34 mpg combined figure. The EPA notes that estimates for 2016 and older vehicles may have been revised.
11. Nissan Versa: Compact Sedan Versa
The 2012 Versa sedan was rated 33 mpg combined, and its EPA fuel economy page lists 30 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Consumption is 3.0 gallons per 100 miles, with a total range of 356 miles.
A 356-mile range on regular gasoline gives the sedan a practical reach for commuting. The listing also includes unofficial owner estimates, which the EPA treats separately from its own ratings, so the 33 mpg combined figure is the official number.
12. Honda Accord: Accord Without a Hybrid
The 2018 Accord’s 1.5-litre turbo was rated 33 mpg combined without a hybrid system, according to its EPA mileage listing. The city rating was 30 mpg, the highway rating 38 mpg, and the total range 488 miles.
A midsize sedan with a small turbo engine reached the same combined figure as the compact Versa, with a range of 488 miles. It pairs with the Camry as the two midsize cars on the list, and the 38 mpg highway rating shows the turbo engine’s strength on longer drives.
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