Fuel Economy and Annual Fuel Cost Ranges for Vehicle Classes

The graph below shows the range of the lowest and highest fuel economy for each vehicle class, along with the lowest and highest annual fuel cost (in parentheses). For example, the two-seater model with the lowest fuel economy gets 10 miles per gallon (MPG) with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,200, while the two-seater model with the highest fuel economy gets 36 MPG with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,084.

The midsize class has the greatest range in fuel economy, followed by compact cars, two-seater cars, subcompact cars and SUVs. Except for two-seater cars, these vehicle classes all contain hybrid models which greatly extend the range of their respective classes. Consumers interested in purchasing a vehicle in one of these vehicle classes have a great deal of choice in terms of fuel economy, while consumers interested in vans have little or no choice concerning fuel efficiency in the 2010 model year.