What is a good fuel efficiency?

Don't expect to achieve more than 20 mpg overall with a non-hybrid, and most offer less than 30 mpg on the highway. In general, a good rule of thumb for gasoline mileage today is to make sure you get at least 23 MPG combined city and highway. So what qualifies as fuel economy? You should consider your needs and consider your budget. But with all that said, a good MPG number to aim for is between 50 and 60 MPG.

This will ensure that your car is efficient and economical, which means low running costs and car tax rates. But since it's not at the upper limit of what's possible with modern MPGs, you're likely to get a more versatile ride overall. Of course, the most fuel-efficient vehicles are going to be electric vehicles like the BMW i4, which don't require fuel at all. The lists below highlight the vehicles by category that achieved the best fuel economy in the latest Consumer Reports tests.

The more air needed to move the car, the more energy the engine will eject, increasing the amount of fuel that is burned while the vehicle is in motion. Replace the 2.3-liter turbocharged engine with the V-6 in the Explorer and the fuel economy estimate will increase to 23 mpg. A Chevrolet Colorado will be less fuel efficient than a Honda Accord based solely on the fact that it is a larger, heavier vehicle. Some cars are also available in variants that have been specifically tuned to save fuel.

Even though hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, gasoline is currently the primary fuel of most cars. With longer battery ranges and more places to charge, electric cars are becoming a popular choice for drivers who want to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Sometimes, this can be a better way to demonstrate a vehicle's fuel consumption depending on the circumstances. Automakers and consumers often sacrifice a good fuel economy rating if they know a vehicle will be capable of heavy duty work.

Vehicles such as vans or trucks are often not very aerodynamic and, because of this, will have lower fuel economy. This is a unit of measurement designed by Edmunds to show how many gallons of fuel a vehicle needs to travel 100 miles. A four-wheel drive vehicle offers many benefits in terms of handling and responsiveness, but will almost always result in lower fuel economy. For example, if a car gets “good gas mileage,” then it has a fuel-efficient engine, but if it gets “poor petrol performance,” then its engine isn't enough.

This will effectively ensure that the car and engine remain in good condition, and even the car could have some of the same fuel-saving innovations that you would find in a new car.

Bethany Pesch
Bethany Pesch

Amateur music geek. Lifelong gamer. Incurable music trailblazer. Subtly charming organizer. Extreme internet evangelist.