Fact #501: January 14, 2008
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 $4,500, while the two-seater model with the highest fuel economy gets 25 MPG with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,800.

The Midsize class has the greatest range in fuel economy, followed by compact cars, subcompact cars and SUVs. These four 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 2008 model year.

Supporting Information

Fuel Economy and Annual Fuel Cost Ranges for Vehicle Classes, 2008 model year

Vehicle Class	Lowest MPG in the Vehicle Class	Highest MPG in the Vehicle Class	Lowest Annual Fuel Cost in the Vehicle Class	Highest Annual Fuel Cost in the Vehicle Class
Two-Seater Cars	10	25	$4,500	$1,800
Minicompact Cars	12	26	$3,748	$1,732
Subcompact Cars	12	32	$3,748	$1,310
Compact Cars	11	42	$4,090	$1,000
Midsize Card	11	46	$4,090	$911
Large Cars	11	25	$4,090	$1,680
Small Station Wagons	15	31	$3,002	$1,357
Midsize Station Wagons	14	24	$3,213	$1,867
Minivans	18	19	$2,367	$2,209
Passenger Vans	14	14	$2,999	$2,999
Cargo Vans	14	17	$2,999	$2,470
Sport Utility Vehicles	12	32	$3,748	$1,310
Small Pickup Trucks	15	23	$2,801	$1,827
Standard Pickup Trucks	13	18	$3,460	$2,335
Note: Combined city and highway MPG estimates are used; these assume you will drive 55% in the city and 45% on the highway. Annual fuel costs assume you travel 15,000 miles each year and fuel costs $2.80/gallon for regular unleaded gasoline and $3.00/gallon for premium. Visit www.fueleconomy.gov to calculate annual fuel cost for a specific vehicle based on your own driving conditions and per-gallon fuel costs. Source: U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008 Fuel Economy Guide.

 

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