2011 Fuel-Economy Leaders

For many drivers, the Holy Grail is a vehicle that is both exciting to drive and fuel-efficient. The Honda CR-Z isn't divine, but it's close. Starting at $19,200, this 2-seat hybrid's 1.5-liter VTEC engine and continuously variable transmission delivers 35 mpg city/39 mpg highway, as well as perky if not exhilarating performance. A 6-speed manual transmission is also available, although this option does take a toll on city and highway mileage.

Read:  Powerfully Efficient

As long as you don't need much room in the back seat, the MINI serves up plenty of zoom on the road. Spawned from the BMW gene pool, the MINI Cooper is still refreshingly stylish, as well as being fun to drive. It was already rather expensive for its class, and 2011 brings another price hike. A MINI Cooper with a 6-speed manual transmission gets 29 mpg city/37 mpg highway. Choosing the automatic transmission shaves a point off each.

Bing Images: MINI Cooper

Refined through years of popularity overseas, the Fiesta is earning a belated good reputation in the United States. Starting in the $13,000s and available as a sedan or hatchback, this subcompact feels bigger and drives more assertively than its size would suggest. Five trim choices offer a slew of modestly indulgent add-ons and tech-friendly upgrades, and seven airbags come standard. With a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Ford Fiesta earns EPA ratings of 29 mpg city/ 40 mpg highway.

Compare: Ford Fiesta vs. Honda Fit vs. Mazda Mazda2

The prize for most efficient compact car is shared by two Hondas: the Insight and the Civic Hybrid. Both get an estimated 40 mpg city/43 mpg highway. The Insight is often compared to the Toyota Prius because of its similar body profile and niche appeal. The Insight, however, is several thousand dollars cheaper. It's also less efficient than its nemesis, but not by much. The Civic Hybrid has been around longer than the Insight, and in case you forgot it existed, there is talk of some notable updates for the 2012 model year.

Bing: Honda Civic Hybrid

The poster child of fuel-efficient vehicles, the Toyota Prius sits in a category of its own. While it tops the EPA's midsize category for fuel efficiency, it also boasts the highest mileage of any car the market today, with ratings of 51 mpg city/48 mpg highway. Redesigned in 2010, the third-generation Prius has even better mileage and more power. Critics seem to agree that even if it weren't a hybrid, the newest Prius would still earn exceptional marks.

View Slideshow:  Hybrids Versus EVs

Topping the large-car category for fuel efficiency at 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway, the Sonata is a model that's been quietly climbing in status since it arrived in 1989. But despite steady improvement, it wasn't until 2011 that heads started to turn, when an all-new Sonata arrived with dramatic and innovative styling inside and out. Reviewers have had a hard time finding bad things to say about this sedan, especially considering that its starting price is less than $20,000.

Compare: Hyundai Sonata vs. Honda Accord vs. Ford Fusion

Sharing the EPA's slot for most efficient small station wagon are the diesel models of Audi's A3 and the VW Jetta SportWagen. Both German vehicles share the same 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine. It delivers 30 mpg city/42 mpg highway. The Audi offers a considerably more opulent and feature-rich ride, while the VW serves up greater cargo space and a more tolerable price tag. Tax credits are available for these efficient diesels, but they run out at the end of 2010.

Bing: Volkswagen Jetta Accessories

If you need to haul seven people while burning the least gas, the Kia Rondo might be your best friend: The 4-cylinder version gets 20 mpg city/27 mpg highway. In addition to respectable gas mileage, the Rondo comes with a solid warranty, high crash-test ratings and an agreeable price tag. Even though it's still available at dealerships, the Rondo has been put to bed and won't be revived for the 2011 year.

Read:  Kia Banks on Hybrids

For a pickup truck, the Ford Ranger ekes out some respectable fuel economy at 22 mpg city/27 mpg highway with a standard transmission. Despite some updates for 2011, the Ranger tends to be rough around the edges — perhaps the way a truck should be — and it has fallen behind the trend of pickups with cushier cabins with more carlike amenities. With 2- and 4-door SuperCab configurations and a towing capacity of nearly 6,000 pounds, the Ranger is an economical workhorse, if not the most supple ride.

Compare: Ford Ranger vs. Chevrolet Colorado vs. Nissan Frontier

Chevy was the first to bring a hybrid pickup truck to the market, and the gas-electric version of theChevy Silverado — along with its clone, the GMC Sierra — is the standard pickup with the best fuel economy, at 20 mpg city/23 mpg highway. Even at the base trim level, the hybrid Silverado is generous with the bells and whistles. But despite being the least muscular member of the Silverado brotherhood, with the lowest payload, towing and horsepower numbers, the hybrid version is by far the most expensive, starting at $38,340.

View Pictures:  Wild Trucks

Ford brought the world its first hybrid SUV back in 2004; since then, the Escape Hybrid has built a solid reputation that shows no signs of waning. The hybrid variants of the Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner use the same gas-electric platform, and the three vehicles share the title of EPA's most efficient SUV, with mileage figures of 34 mpg city/31 mpg highway. For the 2011 model year, the Escape Hybrid adds HD radio and active park assist to an already well-regarded stack of features.

Bing Images: Ford Escape Hybrid

If your life calls for an eight-passenger minivan, the Honda Odyssey Touring Elite is the EPA's most fuel-efficient minivan pick, with ratings of 19 mpg city/28 mpg highway. A hit with reviewers, the Odyssey has been fully revamped for 2011, raising the bar on just about everything the vehicle has to offer. The Odyssey's base trim level comes in at $27,800, but it's the tricked-out Touring Elite that wins the efficiency prize, and that'll cost you $43,250. The trim levels below that are beat by the Toyota Sienna's fuel economy.

View Slideshow:  The Mighty Minivan

For a work van that will play rough in the field and take it easy on the gas, the Chevy Express — and its twin, the GMC Savana — might be the right hire. Its 6-cylinder option is the most efficient, clocking in at 15 mpg city/20 mpg highway. Buyers looking for more fleet-integration technology may end up leaning toward Ford vans, but they're unlikely to beat the Express in price or fuel economy.

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With an 8-cylinder engine and room for up to 15 people, the GMC Savana passenger van is the most fuel-efficient in its class. If 13 mpg city/17 mpg highway sound like truck numbers, that's because the Savana is a road warrior, not a cushy minivan. And whether you're shuttling crowds around the city or taking your band out on the road, a few extra miles per gallon can add up fast.

Bing: GMC Savana

Jacob Gordon is a freelance writer, a blogger for TreeHugger.com and a producer of TreeHugger Radio. He can be reached at jacob@treehugger.com.

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