15 Cars That Get Better MPG Than Their EPA Estimates

Over the years, we've tested our fair share of vehicles, ranging from SUVs to subcompacts and everything in between. With fuel economy one of the main purchasing decisions thanks to rising gas prices, many consumers want to know that their vehicle is going to give them the numbers they want to see. However, some people want the car they want even if it only gets 6 miles to the gallon. We've gathered the top 15 models we've tested that have significantly surpassed their EPA estimates. Whether it's an automatic or manual, SUV or sedan, you might be surprised at just how good these numbers really are.

Kicking off our list is the 2013 Honda Fit Sport. This hatchback is known for its impressive interior space and competitive EPA mileage rating. As it sits, the manual variant offers a rating of 27/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined, and while those numbers are impressive for a car of this size, you shouldn't take those numbers at face value. During our Real MPG testing, we achieved slightly higher numbers that may prompt more customers to purchase this compact hatchback. Our results were over 3 mpg better for each category, giving us a Real MPG rating of 30.6/37.4/33.3 mpg city/highway/combined. Not bad, Honda. Not bad.

The Ford Fiesta is one of those models known for its good fuel economy in large part because of itsEcoBoost engine(the Fiesta SFE model is pictured here). However, it seems that every Fiesta variant achieved better fuel economy during Real MPG testing than what the EPA estimate states. The SE, ST, and Titanium models all received much better fuel economy than what the EPA claims, but the biggest discrepancy rests with the Titanium's numbers. Looking at the EPA's claim, the 2014 Ford Fiesta Titanium equipped with a manual transmission should get 27/38/31 mpg city/highway/combined, but our Real MPG numbers were 32.7/39.6/35.5. That highway claim is close to the actual mpg, but the city and combined numbers were very conservative.

The second Ford model to make the list is the 2014 Ford Focus. Like the Fiesta, multiple variants managed impressive fuel economy figures during Real MPG testing. The SE equipped with a manual transmission is rated at 26/36/30 mpg city/highway/combined, but our tests showed that this model gets 31.3/41.9/35.3 during real-world driving. At more than 5 mpg off per category, those EPA numbers seem to be rather low. However, theFocus Titaniummodel equipped with an automatic achieved nearly 3 mpg better all-around than the estimates. The EPA estimated the mpg at 26/37/30, but we got 29.1/39.2/32.9. These conservative numbers could be because Ford came under pressure a few years ago for incorrect estimates, as these models were out during that period.

Kia's lineup has always had decent fuel economy figures and packed in a large amount of features for a relatively small price tag compared with the rest of the segment, and the2014 Kia Optimais no different. With an EPA-estimated 23/34/27 mpg city/highway/combined, it offers competitive mileage for the segment. However, Real MPG mileage shows that once again, the EPA has been rather conservative with their rating. We managed to get 28.5/36.4/27 mpg during testing, which could potentially give the Optima the highest-rated mpg in the segment, excluding hybrid variants.

Mazda's Skyactiv technology has helped models across its lineup receive better fuel economy than many of its competitors, but surprisingly, the Real MPG numbers stay close to the EPA estimates. The2014 Mazda3with an automatic transmission had an estimated 30/41/34 mpg rating, whereas our tests showed the numbers to be 30.4/45.8/35.8 mpg. The only real bump is on the highway, but the 2014 Mazda3 GT with a manual offered even better numbers. The EPA estimated this model at 29/41/33, but Real MPG testing gave us 32.5/41.1/35.9 mpg, which is almost better than the standard Mazda3.

The 2014 Mini Hardtop models had some issues when it came time for the EPA to run its mileage tests. BMW's original estimates showed that the2014 Mini Hardtop Cooper Swith a manual transmission would get 25/38/29 mpg city/highway/combined, but the EPA found that those numbers were overstated. After its own testing, the EPA gave this model a rating of 24/34/28 mpg. However, in our Real MPG tests, we achieved almost all-around higher figures at 29.5/37.9/32.7 mpg. It looks like BMW wasn't that far off with its estimates, some even understated.

Cadillac hasn't been the best when it comes to fuel economy figures, but it is also not the worst, coming in mid-pack depending on the segment. The2014 Cadillac CTShas two variants that have surpassed their EPA estimates during our Real MPG tests. The EPA gave the standard CTS with an automatic transmission a rating of 18/27/21 mpg, but our figures looked a little different. At 18.4/31.8/22.7 mpg, the Real MPG figures aren't enough to make a huge difference unless driving mainly on the highway. The2014 Cadillac CTS V Sport, however, improves by nearly 3 mpg in all categories. The EPA estimate came in at 17/25/20 mpg, but our tests showed 19.9/27.4/22.7 mpg.

The Chevrolet Camaro is pure muscle car, and when driven aggressively, fuel economy can definitely suffer. Surprisingly, two different variants of the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro had better Real MPG than the EPA estimates. The popularCamaro SSwith a manual transmission and RWD came with a rating of 16/24/19 mpg, but we saw numbers of 17.6/27/20.9 mpg during our tests. A 1-3-mpg boost is pretty good for a vehicle like this. Even the2014 Camaro ZL1with an automatic offered around the same increase, with the EPA giving it a rating of 12/18/14 mpg, which is more what we'd expect from a high-performance muscle car. However, we managed to get 12.7/20.1/15.2 mpg. It may not be as significant of an increase as other models on this list, but for this model, it sure is.

We've all heard how the Toyota Prius gets amazing fuel economy, and with an average rating of 50 mpg across most of the variants, it's rather impressive. Few models come close to these figures, especially at the Prius' price point. However, the 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-in has managed to get even more mpg than the EPA-estimated 51/49/50 mpg. When we tested this kitchen appliance on wheels, we saw 58.6/50.5/54.6 mpg in Real MPG tests. Nearly 60 mpg city is an achievement in and of itself, and we'll cut the Prius a little slack for this.

Audi has been improving its fuel economy ratings across its entire lineup with diesel variants, and although some of its sportier models seem to suffer when it comes to high mpg figures, the2015 Audi SQ5betters the EPA estimates by quite a margin. When we were behind the wheel, the Real MPG numbers came in at 20.8/29.4/24 mpg. For a sporty SUV, that's pretty decent. However, the EPA claimed that this model only achieved 17/24/19 mpg. It seems like the EPA is being rather conservative with their figures with so many models that have offered up similar 4-plus-mpg increases.

Manuals seem to continuously be more fuel-efficient than official estimates if our experience is anything to go by. Nine vehicles on this list feature a manual transmission and often have much better real-world figures than we would have thought. Such was the case for the2015 BMW M3. The EPA gave the twin-turbo, manual transmission, RWD M3 a rating of 17/24/19, which for that car seems decent. However, we managed 5-plus mpg better. During Real MPG tests, the 2015 BMW M3 achieved 24.2/28.5/25.9 mpg, which is better than some less powerful automatic sedans. If this isn't reason enough to keep the manual transmission technology around, we don't know what is.

Jaguar reinvented itself when it released the F-Type, with the styling moving further from the Ford years to create a product that was uniquely Jaguar. It didn't hurt that it is not only visually stunning but also fun to drive. But like most sports cars, fuel economy isn't the biggest concern when at the drawing board. The2015 Jaguar F-Type Rwith RWD achieved and EPA-estimated 16/23/18 mpg, which is par for the course in this segment. When we took it out and did our Real MPG tests, we saw significantly better numbers at 18.8/28.9/22.3 mpg. That nearly 3-plus-mpg bump could be the difference in a buying decision, and we'd say to go for it.

Continuing with the trend of high-performance vehicles, the2015 Subaru WRXis next on our list with two different variants, both equipped with a manual transmission. The WRX STI is popular with brand enthusiasts for a variety of reasons and may get another bump with its Real MPG numbers. The EPA rated the2015 WRX STIwith AWD at 17/23/19 mpg, and although those are perfectly respectable numbers, we achieved 21.6/24.9/23 mpg. Like the WRX STI, the 2015 WRX Turbo also had stronger Real MPG numbers against the EPA's 21/28/24 mpg rating. Our numbers were 25.6/29.4/27.2 mpg. The constant mpg discrepancies make it seem like we aren't driving these cars as hard as we should.

Subaru once again graces our list, but this time with a crossover. The2015 Subaru XV Crosstrekoffers the safety, capability, and a price that fans of the automaker have come to expect, but it also features much better gas mileage than the estimate. Featuring AWD and a CVT, the 2015 Crosstrek has an EPA estimate of 26/34/29 mpg, which is good for the segment. But our tests bump that number up even higher into the 30-mpg range with 33.9/35.6/34.6 mpg. That's almost 8 mpg better city, a slight bump for highway, and a 5-mpg bump combined. That would be enough for us to consider this over a competitor when looking at efficiency.

Last on our list is the2016 Scion iAprototype. This model recently made its official debut at the 2015 New York auto show, and just a few months later we had the opportunity to test it out. As the only 2016 model on the list, its EPA estimate may not be what the production version will achieve. The EPA figures for the all-new Scion iA are 31/41/35 mpg with a manual, which is right on target with the rest of the segment. But it wouldn't be on this list if it didn't show a good discrepancy with the official estimate. Our testing showed the iA delivered 35.4/43.3/38.6 mpg. If the production version gets revised mpg estimates, the 2016 Scion iA will be near the top of its segment.