Most Economical Car


Economical car data by country & car type

U.S. Most Economical Cars

U.K. Most Economical Cars

Australia Most Economical Cars



Cheap Car Hire Coolangatta

Fuel Mileage Ratings
Body Kits

The Most Economical Car Website

In this website you'll find the most efficient cars for all different types of vehicle. We have the most economical small cars and family cars, the most economical SUV's, the most economical diesels and hybrids, and many more.

Because not all cars are available in every country and each country has its own set of standards for testing fuel consumption we've listed the MPG information by country.

An identical car will often have different fuel economy figures in different countries because of the vary test procedures. U.S. MPG figures for instance are always lower than U.K. figures for the same car (even after adjusting for the different gallon sizes). This is because the U.S. has a tougher testing schedule than the U.K. resulting in less fuel efficient MPG readings.

Fuel Efficient Engine Options

There are three different approaches that manufacturers take when trying to develop the most economical car.

They can use a standard gasoline or petrol engine. This has historically been the favoured approach simply because there was no alternative until relatively recently.

The second choice is a diesel engine. Diesel technology has improved immensely over the last two decades, becoming highly efficient and, importantly, very refined.

The final approach open to car makers is the gasoline or petrol electric hybrid. This technology has only been around in the last decade and consists of two powerplants in the one vehicle - a gasoline engine and an electric motor.


Economical Gasoline Engines

When building the most economical car with a gasoline (petrol) engine its vital to keep the engine capacity down. Often only 3 in-line cylinders are used instead of the usual 4 cylinders. Cylinder deactivation can be used on larger 6 or 8 cylinder cars to shut down cylinders when they're not needed.

Direct fuel injection into the cylinders of gasoline engines allows for a more efficient fuel intake which results in lower fuel consumption.

Variable valve timing is another aid to fuel economy. The optimum valve timing setting depends on the engine speed, so having a system that can change the timings on the fly increases efficiency.

Economical Diesel Engines

Diesel engines are very popular in Europe and you'll find the most economical car tables for the U.K. are full of them. By contrast they are not widely used to power cars in the U.S. although this is changing.

We're seeing much smaller diesel engines now which are suitable for economical small cars. Turbochargers are fans which force extra air into the cylinders and they allow manufacturers to get the same performance from smaller engines.

Common rail diesel systems use an engine driven pump that produces extremely high injection pressures. The high pressure results in a more complete burn, more power and greater fuel efficiency.

Economical Hybrid Engines

The hybrid approach to building the most economical car is all about reducing the City MPG figure as much as possible. The city is where the hybrid technology works best. Out on the open road its largely negated.

Stop/start systems for a hybrid car's gasoline engine helps to save fuel by switching it off when stationary. Hybrids that offer all-electric modes boast even greater fuel savings since the gasoline (petrol) engine does not need to run at all until a certain speed is reached.

Regenerative braking converts the the hybrid car's kinetic energy into electric energy to be stored in batteries. Traditional brakes dissipate the energy as heat.

Most Economical Diesel | 2011 Seat Ibiza Ecomotive

The 2011 Seat Ibiza Ecomotive is one of the most economical diesel cars. Now in its third incarnation it has consistently raised the standard for fuel economy. The latest version has a combined fuel consumption of 80.2 miles per U.K. gallon, up from 76.3 mpg for the previous model. The Ecomotive is also a very cheap car to buy yet is a good quality car.

The latest Seat Ibiza Ecomotive has had a major overhaul since the 2010 version. A brand new engine and the addition of a stop start system powered by regenerative braking are the biggest improvements and also the biggest reason why fuel consumption is down. More...

Small Economical Cars - Suzuki Alto / Nissan Pixo

Small economical cars sound very good in theory but when you're inside one driving on the roads in heavy traffic there's always a small part of your mind thinking 'this really doesn't feel like a very safe car, I really don't want to crash in this'. Well the Suzuki Alto is one small economical car that also promises to be very safe.

In fact the Suzuki Alto has a lot more going for it than safety because its one of the least expensive cars you can currently buy. New cars seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper and the price point of the Suzuki Alto is quite phenomenal. The other major point to note is this car's fuel economy. Its amazing - just 4.8 liters per 100km. On paper then the Alto looks like a very good small economical car that has great safety.

The Nissan Pixo, available in Europe, is the same car as the Alto, as is the Maruti Suzuki A Star in India. More...

Building Toyota's most efficient car in a green way

During the first few years of Prius production Toyota came under a lot of criticism about how bad for the environment the building and transporting of their most efficient car was. Considering this, many people believed it was better for the environment to keep an old gas guzzler than buy a new economical Prius. Toyota have taken this criticism on board and have progressively made building the Prius more and more environmentally friendly. But its not only their most efficient car thats been looked at. Toyota have worked hard to make the construction of all their cars, their buildings and their work practices as green as possible.

From 2003 to 2009 Toyota reduced their water usage for manufacturing vehicles by 20%. More...

Economical Car Review: Fiat 500 Lounge

The strong sales of BMW's efficient little Mini has resulted in other car makers giving new life to iconic economical cars of the past. Fiat launched a contemporary take on the classic tiny 500 in 2007 and, like the Mini, it is becoming very popular, combining both retro styling with modern luxury and functionality.

Just like the Mini, the original Fiat 500 was a car that ordinary working class people could afford. It was a small, cheap and efficient car. The relaunched model has tried to replicate all the characteristics of the original, including the budget price. This is where the Fiat 500 differs from the Mini. The top of the range 500 is called the Lounge and is only two-thirds the price of the range topping Mini Cooper S.

The Fiat 500 consumes just 6.3 litres per 100 km which places it among the most economical cars. This high fuel mileage More...

2010 Prius - The family sized most efficient car

The most efficient cars are tiny things that barely fit two people and one suitcase. If you need more room than that the Toyota Prius is the most efficient car that also has a decent amount of space. In fact it would do quite nicely as a family car. The Prius has been super successful since its launch back in 2004. Its hard to believe this legendary car has been around that long. Five years on and many car manufacturers still have their hybrids on the drawing board. The unique aerodynamics of the Prius was a defining feature for it and Toyota has largely kept the shape the same for the latest 2010 version.

The Prius power source is a hybrid system consisting of a 1.8 liter 73 kW gas engine coupled to a 60kW electric motor. Performance is pretty much comparable to most other family hatchbacks. Its no sports car but its not designed to be one. The Prius has amazing fuel efficiency. This most efficient car returns fuel mileage figures of 51 miles per gallon around town and 48 mpg on the open road. No other family car of similar size with a traditional internal combustion engine can come close to this vehicle for fuel efficiency. Tailpipe emissions are very low also at just 89g of CO2 per km.

Since this is a Toyota, build quality on the Prius is excellent. Mechanically its very robust, is made of quality parts and is well put together. This car shouldn't break down on you. In fact, I drive 15,000 miles a year, and in the last 5 years since it was launched, I can't remember seeing any Prius on the side of the road broken down.

The Prius has a range of features at the forefront of car technology. The best features are saved for the optional Advanced Technology Package. More on this most efficient car...

Economic Car Review: Hyundai Getz

Since its launch in 2002 the Hyundai Getz has proven to be a very popular economic car. The combination of budget motoring, reliability and good looks has been a winning formula for Hyundai who are now only outsold by Toyota in this category of car.

The economical Hyundai Getz has recently had a facelift but really very little has changed apart from some minor cosmetics. Hyundai are obviously believers of the saying 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it'. Its competitors in the small car market are coming up with more and more futuristic designs but Hyundai has chosen to stick with the conservative but neat styling of the Getz. It is a pretty little car.

Sales of the small economic car have been helped by an overall rise in quality of Hyundai over the last 5 years. More...