Average fuel economy across 20,335 ratings is 23.8 mpg. But the trend is not a straight line: cars got thirstier from 1984 to the mid-2000s — 21.5 mpg down to 19.1 — as buyers moved into trucks and SUVs, and only then did it climb to today's 34.3.
Forty years of fuel economy
Most people assume cars have been getting steadily more efficient. They haven't. Economy fell for two decades as the market moved into trucks and SUVs, bottomed out around 2005, and only then began to climb.
| Model year | Combined mpg | City / Highway | Fuel per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 19.3 / 25 | $1,786 | |
| 1986 | 19.2 / 25 | $1,794 | |
| 1988 | 19.3 / 26 | $1,770 | |
| 1990 | 18.1 / 23.7 | $1,901 | |
| 1992 | 17.9 / 23.7 | $1,910 | |
| 1994 | 17.7 / 24 | $1,930 | |
| 1996 | 17.9 / 24.7 | $1,882 | |
| 1998 | 17.3 / 24.1 | $1,930 | |
| 2000 | 17.5 / 24.1 | $1,930 | |
| 2002 | 17.1 / 23.5 | $1,979 | |
| 2004 | 16.6 / 23.1 | $2,021 | |
| 2006 | 16.7 / 23.3 | $2,021 | |
| 2008 | 17 / 23.8 | $1,979 | |
| 2010 | 17.8 / 24.5 | $1,901 | |
| 2012 | 19.8 / 26.3 | $1,730 | |
| 2014 | 23.9 / 30.3 | $1,466 | |
| 2016 | 23.8 / 30.6 | $1,466 | |
| 2018 | 25.4 / 31.6 | $1,391 | |
| 2020 | 24.5 / 30.7 | $1,433 | |
| 2021 | 24.7 / 30.5 | $1,433 | |
| 2022 | 27.4 / 32.5 | $1,315 | |
| 2023 | 28.8 / 33.4 | $1,263 | |
| 2024 | 31.8 / 35.6 | $1,164 | |
| 2025 | 33.3 / 36.6 | $1,120 | |
| 2026 | 34 / 37.2 | $1,100 |
The dip is not a measurement artefact — the EPA test changed in 2008, but the decline predates it. What changed was what Americans bought.
What that actually costs
Engine classes, from the most frugal down — with the yearly fuel bill each one implies.
| Engine class | Combined mpg | City / Highway | Fuel per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | 106.9 / 92.6 | $385 | |
| 3-cyl | 31.6 / 37.9 | $1,126 | |
| Hybrid | 28.8 / 31.9 | $1,284 | |
| 4-cyl | 22.6 / 29.9 | $1,512 | |
| 5-cyl | 19.1 / 26.7 | $1,753 | |
| V6 | 17.3 / 24.2 | $1,939 | |
| V8 | 13.4 / 19.5 | $2,462 |
Fuel economy by brand
Averaged across everything a brand has offered since 1984, so a long history of trucks drags the figure down. Read it as a line-up profile, not as engineering skill.
| Brand | Combined mpg | City / Highway | Fuel per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | 118 / 108.9 | $338 | |
| Fiat | 49.7 / 50.5 | $774 | |
| Mini | 32.5 / 39.2 | $1,094 | |
| Hyundai | 31.4 / 36.3 | $1,160 | |
| Volvo | 29.4 / 34.4 | $1,239 | |
| Kia | 29.2 / 33.9 | $1,247 | |
| Scion | 28 / 33.3 | $1,280 | |
| Honda | 26.9 / 33.8 | $1,302 | |
| Volkswagen | 25.1 / 32.1 | $1,386 | |
| Mitsubishi | 24.8 / 29.7 | $1,449 | |
| Suzuki | 24 / 29 | $1,471 | |
| Subaru | 23.8 / 29.9 | $1,471 | |
| Nissan | 24.1 / 29.3 | $1,477 | |
| Toyota | 24.4 / 28.7 | $1,477 | |
| Mazda | 23 / 29.3 | $1,512 | |
| Genesis | 22.8 / 28.8 | $1,536 | |
| Audi | 22.2 / 29.3 | $1,555 | |
| Lexus | 22.5 / 27.7 | $1,574 | |
| Alfa Romeo | 21.1 / 29.5 | $1,587 | |
| Saturn | 20.8 / 29.4 | $1,600 | |
| Acura | 21.1 / 27.9 | $1,627 | |
| BMW | 20.6 / 28.5 | $1,641 | |
| Mercedes-Benz | 20.5 / 27.1 | $1,670 | |
| Chevrolet | 20.6 / 26.9 | $1,677 | |
| Porsche | 20.6 / 26.6 | $1,677 | |
| Ford | 20.9 / 26.1 | $1,684 | |
| Pontiac | 19.2 / 27.9 | $1,714 | |
| Buick | 19 / 27.2 | $1,745 | |
| Cadillac | 19.3 / 26.1 | $1,770 | |
| RAM | 18.3 / 25 | $1,846 |
MPG is a number. Dollars per year is the answer.
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How we count
Fuel-economy figures come from EPA fueleconomy.gov — the same laboratory numbers printed on the window sticker. We don't adjust them; real-world consumption depends on how and where you drive.
What we add is money. Yearly cost assumes 12,000 miles at $3.20 a gallon — change either and the ranking stays, only the size of the bill moves. Cost per mile is the same figure divided out, useful when comparing a commute against a weekend car.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good mpg figure?
Today the average across all rated cars is 23.8 mpg combined, and new models average around 34. Anything above 30 is frugal for a petrol car; hybrids sit in the 40s and 50s.
Have cars really been getting more efficient?
Not steadily. Average economy fell from 21.5 mpg in 1984 to about 19.1 by the mid-2000s as buyers moved into trucks and SUVs, then climbed to today's 34.3. The curve is a V, not a slope.
Does the EPA figure match real life?
Rarely exactly. EPA ratings are laboratory tests, standardised so cars can be compared with each other. Real consumption depends on how and where you drive, and is usually somewhat worse.
How much does fuel actually cost per year?
At 12,000 miles and $3.20 a gallon: about $1,920 for a 20 mpg truck, $1,280 for a 30 mpg sedan and $768 for a 50 mpg hybrid.