Cars are an essential part of many people’s lives. But vehicles aren’t cheap, and they likely won’t get any cheaper. This is true when it comes to owning a car, too, as gas prices have been creeping up. That’s why now more than ever, it’s a good time to buy a car with great gas mileage. However, a car doesn’t have to be a hybrid or EV to be fuel-efficient.

The Hyundai Accent’s gas mileage is an impressive 36 mpg

According to Car and Driver, the Accent is the smallest car in Hyundai’s lineup, and that definitely helps its gas mileage. On top of that, Hyundai improved the 2021 Accent’s engine. It now has a 1.6-liter inline-four. That engine pairs with a continously variable transmission to improve the Accent’s fuel economy by 4 mpg. 

That said, this engine swap wasn’t all good. It also cut the Accent’s power output by 10 hp. It now makes 120 hp, but to be fair, the Accent was one of the slowest cars before this change anyway. In any case, the Accent gets 33 mpg in the city, 41 mpg on the highway, and 36 mpg combined.

However, the Honda Civic and Kia Rio also get the same gas mileage. But the difference is that the Accent has a lower MSRP than the Civic and Rio. The Accent starts at about only $16,000, making it $1,000 cheaper than the Rio and $4,000 cheaper than the Civic. 

The Hyundai Elantra is highly fuel-efficient with 37 mpg

Although the compact Hyundai Elantra is larger than the subcompact Accent, it actually gets slightly better gas mileage. The 2021 Elantra also has a 1.6-liter inline-four paried with a CVT, but it produces 147 hp. Still, the Elantra gets 33 mpg in the city, 43 mpg on the highway, and 37 mpg combined. However, the Elantra is larger and, thus, a bit more expensive than the Accent. 

The 2021 Elantra starts at about $20,600, but it offers plenty for the price. Sure, it isn’t fast car thanks to its powertrain, but its interior looks higher-end than its MSRP lets on. Plus, the Elantra offers plenty of infotainment and safety features. And the Limited trim kicks things up a notch with fun and weird features. 

The Mitsubishi Mirage boasts the best gas mileage with 39 mpg

The Mitsubishi Mirage — the only car in this top 3 that isn’t a Hyundai — is a rare car in the American market. Sure, it’s tiny and weak, but it’s also highly affordable and fuel-efficient. This makes the Mirage a great pick for folks who need a functional ride but don’t need to do much else with their car. The Mirage achieves its stellar gas mileage partially because of its size, but also because of its engine. 

This miniature Mitsubishi hatchback packs a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine making a mere 78 hp. Unsurprisingly, its 0-60 time is an abysmal 12.8 seconds.

But it boasts impressive fuel economy. The Mirage gets 36 mpg in the city, 43 mpg on the highway, and 39 mpg combined. According to Car and Driver, this makes the Mirage the “most fuel-efficient nonhybrid car available.”

In addition, the Mirage starts at only about $15,500. This means you could save quite a bit of money in the long run, even compared to other fuel-efficient cars.