10 Fun Cars with Great MPG (2024)

We love the Giulia for its strong and snarly 280-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, playful handling, and sexy looks. This is a car with character, enough to make us overlook the challenges we had getting our long-term Giulia Quadrifoglio serviced. Starting price: $45,875.

ALL ABOUT THE GIULIA

We've called the Audi S3 "small, sporty, and satisfying." Now add "parsimonious" to that description. This compact all-wheel-drive bombshell packs 306 horsepower and refined road manners into a compact body shell. It shoots to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and still manages excellent fuel economy. If you'd like similar performance in a box, go for the Volkswagen Golf R, with which the S3 shares mechanicals. Starting price of the S3: $47,895.

ALL ABOUT THE S3

The 2.0-liter turbo-four in the 330i overachieves in both fuel mileage and performance, sprinting to 60 mph sprints in well under six seconds. Find a 330i with the Dynamic Handling package and you’ll have a spicy sports sedan. Starting price: $44,795.

ALL ABOUT THE 3-SERIES

The Civic Si is happiness on four wheels. Light on its feet and adequately peppy, its steering and brakes feel hard-wired to your nervous system. Plus, it wears a taut, athletic suit of clothes and has a roomy cabin. Best of all, the Si self-selects for enthusiastic drivers: it comes only with a six-speed manual transmission. Starting price: $29,595.

ALL ABOUT THE CIVIC SI

There's lots of fun baked into the new Elantra N: a snorting 276-hp turbo-four; a sharp-handling, good-riding chassis; and the availability of a six-speed manual gearbox. The optional eight-speed dual-clutch automatic delivers slightly less fuel economy than the manual gearbox car (highlighted here), but it still manages 30 mpg on the highway. Starting price: $34,015.

ALL ABOUT THE ELANTRA N

Why pick the Toyota GR86 over the almost identical Subaru BRZ? Simple. The Toyota's base price undercuts the Subie's by $120 and it earns one extra mpg on the highway with its six-speed manual transmission (neither car clears 30 mpg on the highway with the optional automatic transmission). Regardless, both of these Japanese sports cars are absolute joys to drive and there's no shame in choosing the BRZ over the GR86. But if efficiency bang-for-the-buck is what you're after, then the Toyota comes out—slightly—on top. Starting price: $29,495

ALL ABOUT THE GR86

We can't think of a better way to sidestep gas pumps than in a Miata, with the top down and the wind in your hair. We dare you to not love this tossable, zippy sweetheart of a two-seater. The manual-gearbox version's fuel economy (highlighted here) sacrifices one mile per gallon combined and on the highway to the automatic-equipped model—a small price to pay for the joy of stirring a great gearbox. Starting price: $29,115.

ALL ABOUT THE MX-5 MIATA

If you can look past the Mini line's kitschy styling—which we admit can be a challenge—you'll find cars that are both fun to drive and very economical. Many offer a manual gearbox, and every model—up to and including the hi-po John Cooper Works variants—crest at 30 mpg or well beyond on the highway. (The EPA numbers here are for the Hardtop with the automatic.) Starting price: $24,395.

ALL ABOUT THE HARDTOP

Want a muscled-up, sharp-handling, 10Best-winning sports car that delivers excellent mileage at a reasonable asking price? Here's your answer. The base four-cylinder Supra busts out the fuel-economy numbers noted here. More good news: the EPA says the 382-hp six-cylinder version with the automatic transmission is a 31-mpg highway cruiser. Starting price: $45,135.

ALL ABOUT THE GR SUPRA

We're smitten by the Volkswagen Golf GTI, and if you love to drive, you will be, too. This feisty 241-hp box on wheels has a racer's heart, a blueblood's manners, and a distaste for gasoline. It's swift, comfortable, and beautifully balanced, with the bonus of hatchback utility. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic posts the mileage seen here; the six-speed manual gives up just 1 mpg in city driving and 2 mpg at highway speed. Starting price: $31,625.

All ABOUT THE GOLF GTI

• Alfa Romeo Giulia: 27 mpg combined/24 city/33 highway
• Audi S3: 26 mpg combined/23 city/32 highway
• BMW 330i: 29 mpg combined/25 city/34 highway
• Honda Civic Si: 31 mpg combined/27 city/37 highway
• Hyundai Elantra N: 25 mpg combined/22 city/31 highway
• Toyota GR86: 25 mpg combined/21 city/31 highway
• Mazda MX-5 Miata: 30 mpg combined/26 city/35 highway
• Mini Hardtop: 32 mpg combined/29 city/38 highway
• Toyota GR Supra: 27 mpg combined/25 city/31 highway
• Volkswagen Golf GTI: 28 mpg combined/24 city/34 highway