Consumer Reports Says This Toyota Car Has Some Of The Best Real-World Gas Mileage

It's easy to underestimate just how much money you could spend daily driving a car with bad fuel economy — especially if you're in one of the states with the highest gas prices. To put things into perspective, the Federal Highway Administration reports licensed American drivers traveled about 13,700 miles on average in 2023. Using the U.S. Energy Information Administration's data, gasoline prices have stayed around $3 to $4 per gallon on average from 2024 to early 2026. Therefore, if you drive a reasonably popular car like a gas-powered Jeep Wrangler — a vehicle that gets between 19 and 21 miles per gallon in combined fuel economy — you could feasibly burn around 650 to 720 gallons of fuel per year. That comes out to between roughly $2,000 to $2,900 annually, or well over $10,000 in five years.

Now, if your driving needs call for a vehicle like a Jeep or large truck, gas may seem like a necessary expenditure. But if you prioritize fuel economy over most other features, hybrid sedans can be a versatile and cost-effective option for many drivers. Consumer Reports (CR) tested 2026 hybrid cars to find out their real-world fuel economy, and the results make a pretty compelling case for the class. Sitting near the top of that list is the 2026 Toyota Camry, which now comes standard as a hybrid across its entire lineup. Toyota advertises that the base LE trim can reach up to 51 miles per gallon in combined driving, while Consumer Reports' real-world testing of the same model approached roughly the same ballpark at 48 miles per gallon.

Toyota lists the Camry's base LE model at $29,300, which is pretty reasonable in a market where Kelley Blue Book says the average new vehicle transaction price reached $49,353 in February 2026. And since every 2026 Camry already comes with Toyota's hybrid powertrain, drivers won't need to spend extra to maximize their vehicle's fuel economy. While it's still not cheap enough to rank on CR's list of the best cheap cars, a new Camry is still priced competitively for a midsized sedan: A direct rival like the 2026 Honda Accord Sport Hybrid starts at a considerably higher $33,795.

The amount you'll save on gas isn't negligible either. If you're driving the American average of 13,700 miles per year, you'll only burn through about 285 gallons of fuel annually based on Consumer Reports' performance review. At an average of $3 to $4 per gallon, you could expect to spend roughly $856 to $1,141 on gas each year. Compared to truck SUVs, which the Environmental Protection Agency reports average 25.7 miles per gallon for 2024 model years, you could save $800 to $1,000 annually on fuel alone. In five years, you could have saved enough money to cover a solid down payment on your next car — or at the very least wipe out a major repair bill.