Mileage Mavens: America’s 40-mpg Nonhybrid Superstars

Whatever you might think about the accuracy of the EPA’s testing methods, achieving 40 miles per gallon by the U.S. government’s metrics has become an important benchmark of fuel economy. Gas-electric hybrids such as the Toyota Prius have been surpassing that mark for many years, but traditional internal-combustion engines have recently made big strides in efficiency, and a good number of conventional nonhybrid, cars now clear that bar, too. We rounded up the 20 nonhybrid cars from the 2016 and 2017 model years that hit-or beat-the magic 4-0 in the EPA’s highway testing (hybrids remain the only gasoline-powered cars that can top 40 mpg in either the city or combined mileage cycles). It’s a group with more variety than you’d expect: Chevrolet produced more mpg mavens than any other single automaker, with three of its fuel-sippers making the list, but BMW and Mercedes-Benz were represented, as well. For our ranking, we used the highest possible efficiency number in cases where multiple powertrain variations reached 40 mpg or better. City fuel-economy numbers served as tiebreakers. As always, though, the “your mileage may vary” disclaimer applies.

Other mid-size sedans come close to 40 mpg-the Nissan Altima and the Kia Optima top out at 39-but the Mazda 6 is the only one that actually hits the mark. It does need some special equipment to do so, as the i-ELOOP regenerative-braking system earns it an extra 2 mpg compared with the standard model.

The i-ELOOP regenerative-braking system is offered only as part of the $2180 Technology package, and that option is offered only on the top Grand Touring trim level. So you’ll pay a pretty penny for the 40-mpg Mazda 6: $33,195, to be specific.

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Volkswagen currently cannot sell its efficient TDI diesels, but its gasoline engines provide competitive fuel economy, too. The Jetta gained a new base engine for 2016, and that 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder earns 40 mpg when equipped with the standard five-speed manual.

That’s a huge improvement over the Jetta’s previous base engine, the 2.0 (nickname: “two point slow”) four-cylinder that got only 34 mpg. The new engine still falls short of the Jetta Hybrid’s impressive 48-mpg highway figure, however.

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Chevrolet uses a small-displacement turbocharged engine to great effect in its Sonic subcompact. This powerplant delivers 138 energetic horsepower while hitting 40 mpg on the highway. That 40-mpg number is applicable only for manual-transmission models, as the six-speed automatic transmission drops the highway figure to 37 mpg.

We’re talking about the 2016 Sonic, as we don’t yet know official EPA figures for the refreshed 2017 model. The update, though, is purely visual and Chevy says that not much should change mpg-wise.

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Nissan still relies on a fuel-economy package to hit 40 mpg with its Sentra compact. For an extra $400, the FE+ upgrade available for the CVT-equipped Sentra S adds low-rolling-resistance tires, special underbody aerodynamics, and a rear spoiler to eke out an extra 2 mpg on the highway and 1 mpg in the city, for ratings of 30/40 mpg.

It otherwise uses the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder as other Sentras, which provides 130 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque.

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You’d hope a car as diminutive as the Fiat 500 would get good fuel economy, and it mostly delivers with 40 mpg on the highway and 31 city when equipped with the base, naturally aspirated four-cylinder and five-speed manual transmission-although premium fuel is recommended. The optional six-speed automatic, though, drops the ratings precipitously, to 27/34 mpg.

Opting for the sporty 500 Abarth, with its rorty-sounding exhaust, also drags down the EPA numbers-to 28/34 mpg-but that may be worth it.

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The Versa might exemplify the idea of basic transportation, and while there’s not much verve to be had from its 1.6-liter four-cylinder and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), at least it earns the kind of miserly EPA ratings you’d expect, in this case 31 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. The base five-speed manual and four-speed automatic (yes, really) that also are offered can’t match that, achieving only 35 and 36 mpg on the highway.

Both the Versa sedan and Versa Note hatchback models feature cheap-feeling interior materials, but they make up for that somewhat with capacious back seats that rival many larger sedans in terms of legroom.

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The latest generation of Hyundai’s Elantra compact sedan, redesigned for 2017, gains a special fuel-economy model to mirror its big brother the Sonata. Like the Sonata Eco, the Elantra Eco gets a small-displacement turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

To go along with the Elantra’s smaller footprint, its turbo four is also downsized slightly, from 1.6 liters to 1.4 liters, and produces 128 horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque. This makes for a nice uptick of 4 mpg on the highway and 3 mpg in the city compared with the standard Elantra’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder, giving the Eco ratings of 32 mpg city and 40 highway.

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Dodge recently streamlined the slow-selling Dart lineup to consolidate its trim levels to three, but its most efficient powertrain sticks around so that Dodge can advertise its lofty 41-mpg EPA highway figure.

That powertrain consists of a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a six-speed manual transmission. It’s now called the Dart Turbo (it was previously called the Dart Aero), and its mpg numbers trounce those of the Dart’s 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine options, which manage only up to 36 and 33 mpg highway. Premium fuel is recommended.

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Mazda’s “Skyactiv” technology moniker may seem vague, but its focus on weight savings and powertrain efficiency pays off with strong fuel-economy numbers for the brand’s bread-and-butter Mazda 3 compact sedans and hatchbacks.

Every version of the 3 i model, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, hits at least 40 mpg on the highway; sedans earn a 41 mpg rating. The more powerful, 2.5-liter 3 s trim, however, requires a special package to hit the magic number: Opting for the $2600 package on automatic-transmission-equipped 3 s sedans adds a regenerative engine-braking system called i-ELOOP to boost the car’s EPA highway number to 40 mpg.

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Chevy’s smallest car, which was redesigned for 2016, puts up some pretty big fuel-economy numbers. It now hits 41 mpg on the highway, surpassing the last-generation Spark, which managed 39 mpg. The uptick is thanks to a new 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that offers 14 more horses than the old car’s 1.2-liter four.

The new engine’s 98 horsepower output falls just short of the century mark, not that the Spark needs much more grunt than that to propel its featherweight 2200-to-2300-pound mass.

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The Fit is one of the most practical and sensible cars you can buy today, and its efficiency is a big part of that. It gets the best mileage when equipped with the optional CVT and the smaller wheels found on the base LX model. EX and EX-L models can’t quite hit 40 mpg, and neither can Fits equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.

But all Fits share the same spacious cabin, which uses Honda’s clever fuel-tank location under the front seats to provide for an unbelievable amount of cargo space and rear-seat room.

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The W212-generation Mercedes E-class is about to be replaced by the new W213 model, but we haven’t yet heard anything about a diesel version of the new model coming to the United States. So the current diesel E-class, the E250 Bluetec, with its 2.1-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder, is still on sale.

It’s the largest and most luxurious car on this list, and its EPA ratings of 28/42 mpg, combined with a 21-gallon fuel tank, mean it can cruise for many hundreds of miles without refueling. The all-wheel-drive 4MATIC model is rated a bit lower, at 27/38 mpg.

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The venerable Corolla has always been miserly with fuel, and Toyota rolled out a bit of new fuel-saving tech for the latest generation that debuted a few years ago. LE Eco models have the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder as the rest of the lineup but use a variable intake-valve lift and phasing system called Valvematic to boost both power output and fuel economy. The LE Eco is rated at 42 mpg on the highway, bettering the standard Corolla by 4 mpg.

Opting for the larger 16-inch wheels on the LE Eco Plus and LE Eco Premium models lowers the mileage figures a bit, but the higher trim levels still manage 40 mpg on the EPA’s highway test.

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All versions of Chevy’s redesigned Cruze compact sedan hit the 40-mpg mark, thanks to the new model’s more aerodynamic shape, new 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder, and lighter curb weight.

The automatic-equipped LS and LT versions are tops, with their impressive 42-mpg highway rating, while manual-transmission models hit 41 mpg and the loaded Cruze Premier sneaks in with its 40-mpg highway number.

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We were a bit surprised when Ford tucked its tiny 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine into the compact Focus sedan and hatchback. Sure, it makes sense in the smaller Fiesta, but this engine is a bit overmatched by the bigger, heavier Focus, delivering a laggard zero-to-60-mph time of 9.4 seconds. The payoff, however, is up to 42 mpg on the highway.

But if the three-cylinder’s performance doesn’t do it for you, the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine hits 40 mpg, at least if you choose the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and avoid the optional paddle shifters offered with the SE Sport package or the top Titanium trim level.

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Nearly every version of the well-rounded tenth-generation Honda Civic achieves 40 mpg-at least of the variants we’ve seen so far. All trim levels of the sedan hit the mark, with the 1.5-liter turbo engine paired with a CVT delivering the highest numbers, at 31/42 mpg city/highway and the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter/CVT combo achieving 31/41 mpg. The only model that doesn’t join the club is the Civic coupe with its base 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a manual transmission, which gets 38 mpg highway.

A stick shift will also soon be available with the 1.5T engine in all 2017 Civic body styles, although we’re still awaiting EPA numbers for that powertrain combo. And don’t expect the upcoming high-performance Civic Si and Type R variants, also with turbocharged engines, to be quite so thrifty.MODEL REVIEWS, PRICING, AND MORE >>

Yes, German automakers still sell diesel passenger cars in America. In fact, the diesel-powered BMW 3-series, at least while Volkswagen’s diesel Golfs and Jettas and the like are still under a stop-sale, is now the most efficient diesel-powered new car you can buy, with its 32/42 mpg city/highway rating. That’s with the 328d’s standard rear-wheel-drive setup.

Opting for all-wheel drive ($2000)-or choosing the more practical wagon body style, which comes standard with AWD-drops those numbers down a bit to a still impressive 30/40 mpg.

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The Scion that’s actually a Mazda will soon become a Toyota, but its complicated background doesn’t take anything away from its impressive efficiency. When mated to its optional six-speed automatic transmission, the iA’s little 106-hp 1.5-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder delivers EPA ratings of 33 mpg city and 42 mpg highway. Retaining the base six-speed manual transmission drops those figures a bit, to 31/41 mpg, but ups the fun factor for this tossable, lively runabout.

Starting with the 2017 model year, the iA will be known as the Toyota Yaris iA, as the Scion brand says goodbye after 13 years spent trying to capture the youth market.

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It’s no surprise that the Ford Fiesta is efficient when equipped with the plucky little 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine. After all, this diminutive engine is part of a “Super Fuel Economy” package and offers a significant, 6-mpg boost over the standard 1.6-liter four-cylinder’s 37-mpg highway rating.

But Ford’s smallest car with such a small engine piques our interest more than you’d expect, as the three-cylinder delivers nice midrange punch along with a surprisingly sonorous engine note, making for a nice complement to the Fiesta’s precise handling and fun personality.

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The Mitsubishi Mirage’s stellar fuel-economy numbers are just about all that this tinny subcompact has going for it. Loud, slow, and low-rent inside, the Mirage pales in comparison to used Hondas and Toyotas that match its bargain-basement price. It does, however, offer modern tech options including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, and its 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty could reel in some shoppers, too.