Cars That Get at Least 24 Miles Per Gallon

For many consumers, the cost of fuel and/or environmental concerns make fuel economy a major factor in selecting a car to drive. The pressure is on manufacturers to produce cars with the best possible gas mileage. The Environmental Protection Agency evaluates vehicles each model year to provide consumers with approximate city and highway gas miles per gallon (MPG). According to the 2010 Fuel Economy Guide, numerous vehicles now get at least 24 miles per gallon in city driving and even better mileage on the highway.

MINI Cooper

Most versions of the 2010 MINI Cooper (both hardtop and convertible) have 1.6 liter four-cylinder engines with overhead cams and six-speed transmission, automatic or manual. Safety features include antilock braking and front and side airbags on both driver and passenger sides. The Fuel Economy Guide rates the automatic transmission at 25 MPG city/33 MPG highway, with the manual transmission getting slightly better numbers. According to MINIUSA.com, the 2011 models boast at least 28 MPG fuel economy in the city.

Ford Focus

This compact four-door sedan has a 2.0 liter, inline four-cylinder engine with sequential multi-port fuel injection, front-wheel drive, anti-lock braking and front and side airbags for both driver and passenger side. It's available with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, with about the same estimated fuel economy for either version. The 2010 Focus is rated at 24 MPG city and 34 to 35 MPG for highway driving; the 2011 models have a slightly improved fuel economy at 25 MPG city.

Hyundai Elantra

The 2010 Hyundai Elantra comes in three versions (GLS, SE and Blue), and all three versions get reasonable fuel economy. A 2.0-liter, inline four-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive, six interior airbags and anti-lock braking are standard for all versions. Additionally, the Elantra features a tire pressure monitoring system, and the SE model offers traction control. The GLS and SE are four-speed automatic, while the Blue is a five-speed manual transmission. All 2010 Elantras have a fuel economy of 26 MPG city, and at least 34 MPG on the highway.

Nissan Versa

Several models of Nissan get better than 24 MPG, but all versions of the 2010 Versas do quite well with fuel economy. Versas have four-cylinder engines with either 1.6-liter or 1.8-liter capacity, have front-wheel drive and are available with four-speed automatic, five- or six-speed manual or continuously variable transmissions. Safety features include front and side airbags and four-wheel anti-lock braking. City fuel economy estimates range from 24 MPG for the automatic to 28 MPG for the continuously variable transmission. Fuel economy is about the same for 2011 models.

Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid vehicles (vehicles that combine traditional combustion engines with electric power) are generally more expensive, but they are specifically designed for greatly improved fuel economy. Hybrid vehicles of any size are likely to get fuel economy well above 24 MPG; most get at least 35 MPG in the city, and the Toyota Prius gets as much as 51 MPG in the city. Interestingly, most hybrids get better fuel economy in the city than on the highway.