Key Findings
- The cheapest configuration to fuel in model year 2025 is rated 57 MPG (Toyota Prius, Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD) and costs $653 a year at 12,000 miles.
- Hybrids fill 20 of the 20 lowest-cost places; the best non-hybrid gasoline configuration is rated 36 MPG ($1,033 a year).
- Against an average gasoline-fueled configuration (23.9 MPG, $1,556 a year), the cheapest saves $904 a year, or $4,519 over five years.
Contents
01 The 20 Cheapest Configurations to Fuel
Ranked by annual fuel cost at 12,000 miles a year among conventional gasoline, hybrid and diesel configurations, all classes. Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are excluded here; see the calculator for electric costs.
| Rank | Vehicle | Configuration | Combined MPG | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Prius | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 57 | $653 |
| 2 | Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Blue | Midsize car, 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 54 | $689 |
| 3 | Toyota Prius AWD | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 4WD | 54 | $689 |
| 4 | Kia Niro FE | Small SUV, 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 53 | $702 |
| 5 | Toyota Prius XLE/LTD | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 52 | $715 |
| 6 | Toyota Camry HEV FF LE | Midsize car, 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 51 | $729 |
| 7 | Hyundai Elantra Hybrid | Midsize car, 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 50 | $744 |
| 8 | Toyota Camry HEV AWD LE | Midsize car, 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, AWD | 50 | $744 |
| 9 | Toyota Corolla Hybrid | Compact car, 1.8L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 50 | $744 |
| 10 | Honda Civic 4Dr | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 49 | $759 |
| 11 | Kia Niro | Small SUV, 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 49 | $759 |
| 12 | Toyota Prius AWD XLE/LTD | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 4WD | 49 | $759 |
| 13 | Honda Civic 5Dr | Large car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 48 | $775 |
| 14 | Honda Accord Hybrid | Large car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 48 | $775 |
| 15 | Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD | Compact car, 1.8L 4-cyl hybrid, AWD | 48 | $775 |
| 16 | Toyota Camry HEV FF SE/XLE/XSE | Midsize car, 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 47 | $791 |
| 17 | Hyundai Sonata Hybrid | Large car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 47 | $791 |
| 18 | Toyota Corolla Hybrid | Compact car, 1.8L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 47 | $791 |
| 19 | Toyota Camry HEV AWD SE/XLE | Midsize car, 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, AWD | 46 | $809 |
| 20 | Toyota Camry HEV AWD XSE | Midsize car, 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, AWD | 44 | $845 |
Estimate your vehicle's total driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.
Use the Calculator02 Top 10 Hybrids
Non-plug-in hybrid configurations of any class.
| Rank | Vehicle | Configuration | Combined MPG | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Prius | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 57 | $653 |
| 2 | Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Blue | Midsize car, 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 54 | $689 |
| 3 | Toyota Prius AWD | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 4WD | 54 | $689 |
| 4 | Kia Niro FE | Small SUV, 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 53 | $702 |
| 5 | Toyota Prius XLE/LTD | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 52 | $715 |
| 6 | Toyota Camry HEV FF LE | Midsize car, 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 51 | $729 |
| 7 | Hyundai Elantra Hybrid | Midsize car, 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 50 | $744 |
| 8 | Toyota Camry HEV AWD LE | Midsize car, 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, AWD | 50 | $744 |
| 9 | Toyota Corolla Hybrid | Compact car, 1.8L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 50 | $744 |
| 10 | Honda Civic 4Dr | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 49 | $759 |
03 Top 10 Gasoline-Only
Non-hybrid gasoline configurations of any class.
| Rank | Vehicle | Configuration | Combined MPG | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda Civic 4Dr | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 36 | $1,033 |
| 2 | Hyundai Elantra | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 36 | $1,033 |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla Hatchback | Compact car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 35 | $1,063 |
| 4 | Toyota Corolla | Compact car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 35 | $1,063 |
| 5 | Nissan Versa | Compact car, 1.6L 4-cyl, FWD | 35 | $1,063 |
| 6 | Honda Civic 4Dr | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 34 | $1,094 |
| 7 | Hyundai Elantra | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 34 | $1,094 |
| 8 | Kia K4 | Midsize car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 34 | $1,094 |
| 9 | Toyota Corolla | Compact car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 34 | $1,094 |
| 10 | Toyota Corolla FX | Compact car, 2.0L 4-cyl, FWD | 34 | $1,094 |
04 Class Leaders
The lowest-cost configuration in each major EPA class group.
| Class group | Vehicle | Configuration | Combined MPG | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars (compact, midsize, large, subcompact) | Toyota Prius | 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 57 | $653 |
| Small SUV | Kia Niro FE | 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 53 | $702 |
| Standard SUV | Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid | 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 36 | $1,033 |
| Small pickup | Ford Maverick HEV FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 38 | $979 |
| Standard pickup | Ram 1500 HFE 2WD | 3.6L 6-cyl hybrid, RWD | 23 | $1,617 |
| Minivan | Toyota Sienna 2WD | 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD | 36 | $1,033 |
05 Data Sources
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. Fuel Economy Guide dataset (FuelEconomy.gov), model year 2025. fueleconomy.gov
- U.S. Energy Information Administration. Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices, annual averages for 2025. eia.gov
Disclaimer. This article is for informational purposes only. Rankings use EPA combined fuel economy ratings for model year 2025 configurations, not sales, and real-world economy differs from the rating. Annual costs assume 12,000 miles a year and 2025 average national fuel prices. Class averages are unweighted means over configurations.