Normally a car buyer will select a coupe or compact car to reap the benefits of having a car that is great at the pump and requires fewer stops to fill up. As a whole because of the fuel efficiency these cars make great daily commuter cars or getting around town cars without having to pay the higher prices for the technology built into a hybrid vehicle, but which ones are the leaders when it comes to fuel efficiency? Here is a list of the top ten leaders for gas mileage to select from.
#10 2015 Toyota Corolla
Starting off the list is the long standing favorite from Toyota in the Corolla. The 2015 version that is the Corolla LE ECO is powered by a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine that carries 140 horsepower and is matched up with a two-speed continuously variable transmission. The vehicle is equipped with overdrive, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, and a full complement of airbags including a driver knee airbag, an airbag occupancy sensor, automatic air conditioning, 15-inch steel wheels, cruise control, driveline traction control and electronic stability control. The fuel efficiency numbers come in at 30 city/42 hwy mpg to get this list started.
#9 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage
Aptly named with its larger than expected interior, the Mirage from Mitsubishi for 2015 in the DE model is powered by a 1.2-liter inline three-cylinder engine that offers 74 horsepower. This tiny engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission to enjoy a sporty feel along with some great fuel efficiency. This vehicle is equipped with overdrive, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, a full list of airbags to include the driver knee airbag, an airbag occupancy sensor, automatic air conditioning, 14-inch steel wheels, driveline traction control, electronic stability control and power mirrors. This ninth place finisher for fuel mileage comes into 2015 with a fuel efficiency of 34 city/42 hwy mpg.
#8 2014 Honda Insight
As the model year closes and dealers need to make room for the next model year, the Insight is a vehicle to head to the dealership and score a great deal along with some excellent fuel mileage. The base model for this car is powered by a 1.3-liter inline four-cylinder engine that comes in with 88 horsepower and is mated to a two-speed continuously variable transmission. This vehicle includes features such as overdrive, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, airbags all around, an airbag occupancy sensor, automatic air conditioning, 15-inch steel wheels, driveline traction control, VSA electronic stability control, and power mirrors. The fuel efficiency for this soon to be gone model from Honda comes in at 41 city/44 hwy mpg.
#7 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
Another vehicle that is soon to disappear from showroom floors and dealer inventories that can be had for a great end of year price is the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. As the seventh place finisher for fuel efficiency the Diesel model of this car is powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder intercooled turbo-diesel engine that offers up 151 horsepower and is partnered with a six-speed automatic transmission. This car features overdrive, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, airbags all around to include a driver and passenger knee airbag, an airbag occupancy sensor, air conditioning, 17-inch aluminum wheels, cruise control, driveline traction control and StabiliTrak electronic stability control. The fuel efficiency for the Cruze comes in at 27city/46 hwy mpg.
#6 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
As the only hybrid on this particular list the Jetta Hybrid base model is powered by a 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder intercooled turbo engine that is paired up with a seven-speed auto-shift manual transmission. This hybrid vehicle is equipped with overdrive, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, airbags, an airbag occupancy sensor, Climatronic automatic air conditioning, 15-inch aluminum wheels, cruise control, driveline traction control and electronic stability control. This sixth place finisher comes in with a fuel efficiency of 42 city/48 hwy mpg and is another model that will soon be gone from dealer inventories.
The list is halfway finished and so far there has been four great models that are not hybrids and only one diesel engine allowing shoppers who want to pay prices for the lower priced sedans an opportunity to find them with the offerings listed at number eight through ten. The remainder of this list offers some electric vehicles and technologically advanced vehicles to choose from that generally require a higher price to be paid, but the fuel efficiency offered is so strong it can offset some of these higher price tags, not to mention the tax credit offered on many of them.
#5 2014 smart fortwo electric drive
For the standard base model of the smart fortwo electric drive car is an electric engine that offers 74 horsepower and is paired with a one-speed automatic transmission. This tiny car includes four-wheel anti-lock brakes, five airbags, an airbag occupancy sensor, automatic air conditioning, 15-inch aluminum wheels, driveline traction control, electronic stability control and power mirrors. The fuel efficiency is very high as expected at 122 city/93 hwy mpg.
#4 2014 Ford Focus Electric
For the base model of the 2014 Ford Focus Electric car the engine is an electric motor that gives an amazing 143 horsepower and is partnered with a one-speed automatic transmission. This car features four-wheel anti-lock brakes, an integrated navigation system, five airbags, an airbag occupancy sensor, automatic air conditioning, 17-inch aluminum wheels, cruise control and traction control. The fuel efficiency for this electric car comes in at an equivalent 110 city/99 hwy mpg.
#3 2015 Nissan LEAF
Nissan is not going to be left out of the electric motor game that is becoming increasingly more popular and comes in with the LEAF that has gained quite a following over the past few years. The LEAF in its base format is powered by an electric motor that offers 107 horsepower and is mated to a one-speed automatic transmission. This car is equipped with four-wheel anti-lock brakes, five airbags, an airbag occupancy sensor, automatic air conditioning, 16-inch steel wheels, traction control, electronic stability control and power mirrors. The fuel efficiency for the LEAF for the new model year comes in at 126 city/101 hwy mpg.
#2 2014 Honda Fit EV
A Honda has to be on this list, especially the Fit EV and this great offering that is soon to be gone from dealer inventories shows up powered by a 123 horsepower electric motor and is matched together with a one-speed automatic transmission. The Fit EV is equipped with four-wheel anti-lock brakes, an integrated navigation system, five airbags, an airbag occupancy sensor, automatic air conditioning, 15-inch aluminum wheels, cruise control and driveline traction control. The fuel efficiency for the Fit EV shows up in the second place spot with 132 city/105 hwy mpg.
#1 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV
Topping the charts is the new Chevrolet Spark EV 1LT that is powered by a 130 horsepower electric motor and is paired with a one-speed automatic transmission. This new Spark is equipped with four-wheel anti-lock brakes, seven airbags including a driver and passenger knee airbag, an airbag occupancy sensor, automatic air conditioning, 15-inch aluminum wheels, cruise control, traction control and StabiliTrak electronic stability control. The fuel efficiency that tops the list comes in at 128 city/109 hwy to make this car able to go a long way without a recharge.
As a list this is almost the story of two very different sets of vehicles. The top five all include electric motors and show off with generally better city numbers than highway numbers, which this list is based upon. The cars featured in the six through ten spots are all powered at least in some part by a traditional engine and allow shoppers the ability to have a more traditional car ownership experience. No matter what car is selected from this list, the owner will certainly enjoy the great fuel efficiency offered, which allows them to pass many gas stations without worry of running out of fuel themselves.