Most fuel efficient cars in California
EPA fuel economy ratings for 2026–2027 models, priced at this week's gas prices in California.
Best gas mileage 36 mpg Honda Civic 4Dr
Its yearly gas cost $2,513 15,000 miles
Regular gas this week $6.03 California average
Typical car 24.5 mpg $3,692 a year
Which cars get the best gas mileage?
- The car with the best gas mileage (not counting hybrids) for 2026–2027 is the 2026 Honda Civic 4Dr, at 36 mpg combined (32 city, 41 highway).
- At $6.03 a gallon for regular (California average, week of October 19, 2026), it costs about $2,513 a year in gas for 15,000 miles, or 16.8¢ a mile.
- The best hybrid is the 2026 Toyota Prius at 57 mpg: about $1,587 a year, $926 less than the best non-hybrid.
- The typical car gets 24.5 mpg, which costs about $3,692 a year at the same price.
EPA combined ratings; your mileage will vary with driving, weather and load. Models that need premium are priced at $7.48 a gallon (US premium-to-regular ratio). How we calculate.
Yearly gas cost
Yearly gas cost for the most fuel efficient cars in California: from $1,587
15,000 miles at $6.03 a gallon for regular ($7.48 for premium). A typical car (24.5 mpg) costs $3,692.
Honda Civic 4Dr 2026 Per year: $2,513
Toyota Corolla Hatchback 2027 Per year: $2,585
Hyundai Elantra w/Stop-Start 2026 Per year: $2,585
Volkswagen Jetta 2027 Per year: $2,661
Kia K4 4DR with DMS 2027 Per year: $2,741
Nissan Sentra with Sport/Normal/Eco Modes 2027 Per year: $2,741
Hyundai Sonata FWD w/Stop-Start 2026 Per year: $2,827
Honda Accord 2026 Per year: $2,827
Toyota Prius hybrid Per year: $1,587
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Blue hybrid Per year: $1,675
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Blue hybrid Per year: $1,774
Toyota Camry HEV FF LE hybrid Per year: $1,774
Toyota Corolla Hybrid (Normal/Eco Modes) hybrid Per year: $1,809
Honda Civic 4Dr hybrid Per year: $1,846
Honda Accord Hybrid hybrid Per year: $1,885
Lexus ES 350h hybrid Per year: $2,439
Source: fueleconomy.gov (EPA ratings); EIA weekly gas prices and residential electricity prices. Our calculation.
Show the numbers
| Per year | |
|---|---|
| Honda Civic 4Dr | $2,513 |
| Toyota Corolla Hatchback | $2,585 |
| Hyundai Elantra w/Stop-Start | $2,585 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | $2,661 |
| Kia K4 4DR with DMS | $2,741 |
| Nissan Sentra with Sport/Normal/Eco Modes | $2,741 |
| Hyundai Sonata FWD w/Stop-Start | $2,827 |
| Honda Accord | $2,827 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,587 |
| Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Blue | $1,675 |
| Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Blue | $1,774 |
| Toyota Camry HEV FF LE | $1,774 |
| Toyota Corolla Hybrid (Normal/Eco Modes) | $1,809 |
| Honda Civic 4Dr | $1,846 |
| Honda Accord Hybrid | $1,885 |
| Lexus ES 350h | $2,439 |
Best gas mileage cars (non-hybrid)
| # | Vehicle | MPG combined | City / hwy | Fuel | Per mile | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026 Honda Civic 4Dr · FWD | 36 | 32 / 41 | Regular | 16.8¢ | $2,513 |
| 2 | 2027 Toyota Corolla Hatchback · FWD | 35 | 32 / 41 | Regular | 17.2¢ | $2,585 |
| 3 | 2026 Hyundai Elantra w/Stop-Start · FWD | 35 | 31 / 40 | Regular | 17.2¢ | $2,585 |
| 4 | 2027 Volkswagen Jetta · FWD | 34 | 29 / 40 | Regular | 17.7¢ | $2,661 |
| 5 | 2027 Kia K4 4DR with DMS · FWD | 33 | 29 / 39 | Regular | 18.3¢ | $2,741 |
| 6 | 2027 Nissan Sentra with Sport/Normal/Eco Modes · FWD | 33 | 30 / 38 | Regular | 18.3¢ | $2,741 |
| 7 | 2026 Hyundai Sonata FWD w/Stop-Start | 32 | 28 / 38 | Regular | 18.8¢ | $2,827 |
| 8 | 2026 Honda Accord · FWD | 32 | 29 / 37 | Regular | 18.8¢ | $2,827 |
| 9 | 2026 MINI Cooper C 2 Door · FWD | 32 | 27 / 39 | Premium | 23.4¢ | $3,507 |
| 10 | 2026 Mini Cooper C 4 Door · FWD | 32 | 28 / 39 | Premium | 23.4¢ | $3,507 |
| 11 | 2026 Acura Integra · FWD | 32 | 29 / 37 | Premium | 23.4¢ | $3,507 |
| 12 | 2027 BMW 228 Gran Coupe · FWD | 31 | 27 / 39 | Premium | 24.1¢ | $3,620 |
| 13 | 2026 Mazda 3 4-Door 2WD · FWD | 30 | 27 / 36 | Regular | 20.1¢ | $3,016 |
| 14 | 2027 Kia K5 w/Stop-Start · FWD | 30 | 26 / 37 | Regular | 20.1¢ | $3,016 |
| 15 | 2026 Buick Envista FFV · FWD | 30 | 28 / 32 | Regular | 20.1¢ | $3,016 |
| 16 | 2026 Buick Envista · FWD | 30 | 28 / 32 | Regular | 20.1¢ | $3,016 |
| 17 | 2026 Chevrolet Trax FFV · FWD | 30 | 28 / 32 | Regular | 20.1¢ | $3,016 |
| 18 | 2027 Honda CR-V FWD | 30 | 28 / 33 | Regular | 20.1¢ | $3,016 |
| 19 | 2026 Nissan Altima · FWD | 30 | 26 / 36 | Regular | 20.1¢ | $3,016 |
| 20 | 2027 MINI JCW Convertible · FWD | 30 | 26 / 35 | Premium | 24.9¢ | $3,740 |
| 21 | 2027 Volkswagen GLI · FWD | 29 | 26 / 35 | Regular | 20.8¢ | $3,119 |
| 22 | 2026 Chevrolet Trax · FWD | 29 | 28 / 31 | Regular | 20.8¢ | $3,119 |
| 23 | 2027 Subaru Impreza · AWD | 29 | 26 / 33 | Regular | 20.8¢ | $3,119 |
| 24 | 2026 Mazda MX-5 · RWD | 29 | 26 / 34 | Premium | 25.8¢ | $3,869 |
| 25 | 2027 Volkswagen Golf GTI · FWD | 28 | 25 / 34 | Regular | 21.5¢ | $3,231 |
One row per model; where trims differ, the most efficient trim is shown. official ratings, estimated costs.
Best gas mileage hybrid cars
| # | Vehicle | MPG combined | City / hwy | Fuel | Per mile | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026 Toyota Prius · FWD | 57 | 57 / 56 | Regular | 10.6¢ | $1,587 |
| 2 | 2026 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Blue · FWD | 54 | 51 / 58 | Regular | 11.2¢ | $1,675 |
| 3 | 2027 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Blue · FWD | 51 | 47 / 56 | Regular | 11.8¢ | $1,774 |
| 4 | 2026 Toyota Camry HEV FF LE · FWD | 51 | 52 / 49 | Regular | 11.8¢ | $1,774 |
| 5 | 2027 Toyota Corolla Hybrid (Normal/Eco Modes) · FWD | 50 | 53 / 46 | Regular | 12.1¢ | $1,809 |
| 6 | 2026 Honda Civic 4Dr · FWD | 49 | 50 / 47 | Regular | 12.3¢ | $1,846 |
| 7 | 2026 Honda Accord Hybrid · FWD | 48 | 51 / 44 | Regular | 12.6¢ | $1,885 |
| 8 | 2026 Lexus ES 350h · FWD | 46 | 48 / 44 | Premium | 16.3¢ | $2,439 |
| 9 | 2027 Honda Prelude · FWD | 44 | 46 / 41 | Regular | 13.7¢ | $2,056 |
| 10 | 2026 Lexus UX 300h · FWD | 43 | 45 / 41 | Regular | 14.0¢ | $2,104 |
| 11 | 2026 Toyota Crown Hybrid AWD | 41 | 42 / 41 | Regular | 14.7¢ | $2,206 |
| 12 | 2027 Honda CR-V FWD | 40 | 43 / 36 | Regular | 15.1¢ | $2,262 |
| 13 | 2026 Toyota Crown Signia AWD | 38 | 39 / 37 | Regular | 15.9¢ | $2,381 |
| 14 | 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 220 · FWD | 33 | 29 / 39 | Premium | 22.7¢ | $3,400 |
| 15 | 2027 BMW 430i Coupe · RWD | 31 | 28 / 36 | Premium | 24.1¢ | $3,620 |
| 16 | 2026 BMW 330i Sedan · RWD | 31 | 28 / 35 | Premium | 24.1¢ | $3,620 |
| 17 | 2027 BMW 530i Sedan · RWD | 31 | 29 / 35 | Premium | 24.1¢ | $3,620 |
| 18 | 2027 BMW M240i Coupe · RWD | 30 | 27 / 34 | Premium | 24.9¢ | $3,740 |
| 19 | 2027 Mercedes-Benz C300 · RWD | 29 | 25 / 35 | Premium | 25.8¢ | $3,869 |
| 20 | 2027 Mercedes-Benz E350 · RWD | 28 | 25 / 33 | Premium | 26.7¢ | $4,008 |
| 21 | 2026 Volvo S90 B5 · FWD | 28 | 24 / 34 | Premium | 26.7¢ | $4,008 |
| 22 | 2026 BMW 740i Sedan · RWD | 28 | 25 / 31 | Premium | 26.7¢ | $4,008 |
| 23 | 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLE300 4matic (Convertible) · AWD | 27 | 24 / 33 | Premium | 27.7¢ | $4,156 |
| 24 | 2026 Volvo V60CC B5 AWD | 26 | 23 / 31 | Premium | 28.8¢ | $4,316 |
| 25 | 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA35 4matic · AWD | 25 | 22 / 30 | Premium | 29.9¢ | $4,489 |
One row per model; where trims differ, the most efficient trim is shown. official ratings, estimated costs.
More fuel cost rankings
Sources and limits
- Fuel economy: fueleconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), model years 2026–2027, downloaded 2026-10-23. 2027 models are still being added through the year. Plug-in hybrids, diesel and natural-gas vehicles are not included.
- Gas: EIA weekly retail gasoline prices, regular grade, week of October 19, 2026. Premium is priced at 1.24× regular, the US ratio for the week of October 19, 2026.
- Electricity: EIA Electric Power Monthly, average residential price, July 2026.
- Costs assume 15,000 miles a year, the figure fueleconomy.gov uses. They cover fuel or electricity only, not purchase price, insurance or maintenance.