This Car Has The Hands-Down Best Gas Mileage In 2026 According To US News & World Report

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the price of gasoline rose 40.5% from May 2025 to May 2026. With the national average hovering around $4 in June of 2026, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), fuel costs may be hitting the wallets of many American drivers quite hard. More budget-conscious car owners are switching from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles (EVs) in hopes of saving money long term. But those looking to avoid range anxiety and other disadvantages associated with fully-electric cars could still save on gas by getting the most fuel efficient gas-powered car of 2026: a Toyota Prius.

In March 2026, U.S. News & World Report gathered a list of the cars with the best gas mileage, and the 2026 Prius came out on top. Rated at 57 miles per gallon for combined city and highway driving, it beat out the runner-up Hyundai Elantra Hybrid by three extra miles per gallon. Further supporting U.S News & World Report's assessment, the Prius was also ranked the No. 1 most fuel-efficient hybrid car by Consumer Reports.

To put the potential savings you can get by driving a 2026 Prius into perspective, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports the average car from the 2024 model year achieved 27.2 miles per gallon. At 57 miles per gallon, the Prius is over twice as fuel efficient as much of its competition, which suggests many drivers could easily halve their gas spending by switching to this Toyota that's also perfect for retirees.

The Department of Energy expects 72% of EV charging to happen at homes and workplaces by 2030, with the other 28% happening at more expensive public charging stations. Based on Q2 2026 data on residential, commercial, and public charging prices provided by the EIA and AAA, that blended charging setup works out to roughly 25 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Assuming you drive 15,000 miles a year, a Toyota Prius will cost you about $1,053 per year to fuel at $4 per gallon. EV fuel efficiency is often measured in kilowatt-hours used per 100 miles. Edmunds reports that more efficient EVs can use around 25 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles on the lower end, while heavier vehicles can use over twice that amount in the same distance. At 25 cents per kilowatt-hour, an EV using 28 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles will cost about the same as a Prius over the course of a year. However, many mainstream EVs exceed that energy usage considerably. For comparison, the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV with front-wheel drive uses 31 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles when used for combined driving. Meanwhile, the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV uses 34 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles. At 15,000 miles driven annually and 25 cents per kWh, these EVs will cost anywhere from $1,163 to $1,283 per year — hundreds more than what a Prius could rack up over the same time period.