The Best Gas Mileage for Mid-Sized Cars

Looking to buy a new car requires reviewing a list of needs: price, capacity, performance and amenities for drivers and their passengers. Frugal consumers will also want to minimize their fuel bills, and among mid-sized cars as classified by the Environmental Protection Agency, there are several fuel-sipping options. Led by the Toyota Prius, here are five mid-size cars with highway mileage above 30 MPG.

Toyota Prius

Even though the Prius began as a compact car, its gas mileage didn't suffer as it grew in size in recent years, offering drivers 51 MPG in city driving and 48 MPG on the highway. Prospective owners will note the Toyota's distinctive styling when compared to the rest of the Japanese automaker's line, but the Prius is the leader in fuel efficiency not just for its class, but all production cars in the U.S.

Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid

Underpinned by the same chassis and engine combinations, the mid-sized Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan both offer hybrid four cylinder engines that provide 41 miles per gallon in city driving and highway gas mileage of 36 MPG. While the Milan is designed to be slightly more upscale than the Ford, both offer a variety of features, including a graphical display that grows leafy images to promote driving techniques that save fuel.

Nissan Altima Hybrid

The Altima's ratings for gas mileage are similar no matter the driving conditions, with 35 MPG available during stop-and-go traffic and a few miles less on the highway at 33 miles per gallon. Like the two sedans from the Ford family, the Altima hybrid may be attractive to buyers looking for a more conventional styling married to a fuel-efficient hybrid platform.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

Rounding out the mid-size sedans now available with hybrid powertrains, the Toyota Camry actually offers nearly identical gas mileage when compared to the Altima and even ekes out one more mile per gallon on average for highway cruising. Although it gets 33 MPG in the city, the difference between it and other choices in efficiency may not be as strong as other features.

Nissan Versa

The No. 5 entrant among the best mid-sized cars for gas mileage is the Nissan Versa, the only member of the group that doesn't use a hybrid technology. Its 34 MPG highway rating is as good as the Camry Hybrid and better than the Altima, although the Versa only gets 28 miles per gallon when traveling city streets. In addition to not being a hybrid, it may also stand out by offering a wagon variant not available among the Ford, Mercury or Toyota models.