- Used cars by model year
- MY2000–2026
Best Used Cars Over 40 MPG, by Model Year
Of the 27 model years from MY2000 to MY2026, every one has at least one model rated 40 MPG or better, and the best of them all is the Hyundai Ioniq (MY2022) at 59 MPG. In MY2000 only 1 reached 40 MPG; in MY2026 17 did.
Below, every model year lists its 5 most efficient models by combined MPG, so you can see what a used car of a given year can reach. Each name opens that model's page at the right year.
Top 5 per model year
One row per model year, newest first. The count is every model rated 40 MPG or better that year; the list shows the 5 with the highest combined MPG (ties are ordered by yearly fuel cost). Each model appears once per year.
How this club is built
Every line below is read from the club definition that produced the tables.
- Classes: every EPA class except special-purpose vehicles.
- Powertrains: Gas, Hybrid, Diesel.
- Membership: a model joins when one of its configurations has an EPA combined rating of 40 MPG or higher.
- One row per model (make and model) per model year: the configuration with the highest combined MPG is shown, with its trim, engine and drive named in the row. Ties share a rank, then the lower fuel cost comes first.
- Special-purpose vehicles, such as heavy-duty variants, are excluded.
- Electric vehicles are ranked separately (see the EV rankings): gas, hybrid and diesel MPG is never mixed with MPGe.
- Annual cost assumes 15,000 miles a year at the EPA rating and the dated national fuel prices stamped below; it is rounded to $10 and all differences use the rounded values.
- Counts start at MY2000 and run to MY2026.
- A club page is published only when at least 10 models qualify in the latest complete model year.
Data and period
- EPA ratings: fueleconomy.gov file of Sep 29, 2026
- Prices: EIA regular gasoline, U.S. average, Sep 2026 ($4.36/gal); residential electricity, U.S. average, Jul 2026 (18.3¢/kWh)
- 15,000 miles a year, 55% city and 45% highway
Frequently asked questions
What is the most fuel-efficient used car of MY2016?
The Toyota Prius at 56 MPG combined in MY2016; 12 models reached 40 MPG or better that year.
How many models were rated 40 MPG or better in MY2000 and in MY2026?
1 in MY2000 and 17 in MY2026, counted with the same EPA rule every year. The table above lists every model year in between.
Does this list cover used cars only?
It covers every model year since MY2000, so any of those years is available used today; the newest years are still sold new. Ratings are EPA label values for the year as built, not a measure of one car's condition.
Which MPG figure is used?
EPA's combined rating, which blends 55% city and 45% highway driving. It comes from standardized laboratory tests, so your results will differ with driving style, weather and load. See the methodology.
Are plug-in hybrids and electric cars included?
Where can I see the full rankings?
Open the most efficient cars, SUVs or pickups rankings, or all rankings.