1. Ford Fusion Energi

• Well-equipped with features
• Quiet and comfortable at highway speeds
• High-quality interior materials
• Cabin offers plenty of room for adults

$36,595

The 2019 Ford Fusion Energi is sold in a single trim level, and there aren't any feature packages or stand-alone options available aside from a sunroof. While the Energi doesn't offer much in the way of customization, it's positively loaded with all the features you could want from a car in this price range.

The 2019 Ford Fusion Energi is one of the only midsize plug-in hybrid sedans on the market. Ford offers just one trim: Titanium. Don't worry, though. The Energi Titanium is loaded with all of the latest technology, safety and luxury features.

It's powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired to an electric motor and a 9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Total system output is 188 horsepower. This front-wheel-drive sedan can travel up to 26 miles on electric power alone, at speeds up to 85 mph. Charging an empty battery using a Level 2 charger should take about 2.6 hours.

2. Chevrolet Malibu

...$21,680 - $30,975

Strong fuel economy; competitive interior design and materials; handsome sheet metal; well priced for the equipment.

In crash testing carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu earned a perfect 5-star overall score. The sedan also earned the coveted Top Safety Pick designation from the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

While the Malibu Hybrid only offers basic safety features as standard equipment -- including side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and a backup camera -- optional safety items abound. The Malibu Hybrid boasts forward-collision warning with low-speed automatic braking, a blind spot monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear park assist, lane-keep assist and automatic high beams.

• Spacious interior with tall-person-friendly front seats
• Fuel-efficient Hybrid also has respectably brisk acceleration
• Responsive and intuitive 8-inch touchscreen interface
• Sporty handling around turns

3. Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi 110 Ecoflex

True MPG 56.3mpg From £15,6208

..This version of the Vauxhall Astra is the most efficient family car we've ever tested, averaging an impressive 46.4mpg in town and more than 73mpg on rural roads. If fuel economy is your top priority, but you also want good comfort, lots of equipment and a very reasonably purchase price, look no further.

Fuel economy aside, the engine does a decent job of making brisk progress. It’s by no means quick, but it's nippy enough to cope with A-road overtakes and long motorway jaunts.

The six-speed manual 'box is pretty slick, too, and the taller ratios keep the revs low at cruising speeds. However, you do need to work through the gears a bit more than on other Astra models if you want to get the most out of the engine because it feels a bit flat at low revs.

4. Honda Accord Gas mileage

...MPG: Up to 31 MPG mixed city/highway for gasoline

11,500 - $17,300

Accord Gas Mileage: Great All Around

Those are great figures for a midsize sedan. Fuel economy dips to as low as 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway for models with the stronger engine and the manual transmission.

• Engines are both powerful and fuel-efficient
• Interior is cavernous and fitted with upscale materials
• Sporty handling makes it fun to drive
• Many advanced driver safety aids come standard

5. Toyota Corolla Gas Mileage

...The 2020 Corolla XSE is also primed to be one of the best performing models out there in between trips to the gas station – it’s able to achieve a maximum of 29 miles per gallon in the city, 37 miles per gallon on the highway, and 32 miles per gallon combined. The 2020 Corolla will also have a 13.2-gallon gas tank to work with, equating to a highway range greater than 488 miles! That’s more than enough distance to cover all your adventures!

The 2020 Corolla XSE is also primed to be one of the best performing models out there in between trips to the gas station – it’s able to achieve a maximum of 29 miles per gallon in the city, 37 miles per gallon on the highway, and 32 miles per gallon combined. The 2020 Corolla will also have a 13.2-gallon gas tank to work with, equating to a highway range greater than 488 miles! That’s more than enough distance to cover all your adventures!

For the best fuel economy in the new Corolla line, we’ll be taking a look at its base XSE trim. This model features a 139-horsepower 1.8-liter Inline 4 engine, whose power is harnessed by a Continuously Variable Transmission that offers both Intelligence and Shift Mode. Combined with a low curb weight, all these allow the Corolla XSE to be nimble and athletic while still looking incredible.

6. Audi A4 Ultra Gas mileage

...Miles per gallon: 30 mpg

How much will it cost: $37,400

In its most basic configuration, the Audi A4 returns 30 mpg in a combined cycle, 27 mpg in the city, and 34 mpg on the highway. Achieving those figures requires front-wheel drive, Audi’s time-tested Quattro all-wheel-drive system inevitably lowers efficiency. But even with power going to two wheels, the A4 is one of the most tech-savvy small luxury sedans around.

The EPA estimates the front-wheel-drive 2020 A4 will earn 27 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. The latter number increases by 1 mpg from the previous model year when the Audi was rated at 34 mpg highway. The 2020 A4 with Quattro all-wheel-drive is rated at 24 mpg city and 32 highway

7. Hyundai Ioniq Gas mileage

...Miles per gallon: 58

How much will it cost: $23,200+

I know what you’re thinking: isn’t a hybrid supposed to get great fuel mileage? You’re right, but the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid does it better than the rest, and the cheapest configuration is also the most efficient. It returns 57 mpg in the city, 59 mpg on the highway, and 58 mpg in a combined cycle in its Blue trim. Hyundai achieved this by making it relatively basic; it’s not available with a sunroof, heated front seats, leather, or a rear cargo cover.

I know what you’re thinking: isn’t a hybrid supposed to get great fuel mileage? You’re right, but the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid does it better than the rest, and the cheapest configuration is also the most efficient. It returns 57 mpg in the city, 59 mpg on the highway, and 58 mpg in a combined cycle in its Blue trim. Hyundai achieved this by making it relatively basic; it’s not available with a sunroof, heated front seats, leather, or a rear cargo cover.

Infiniti Q30 1.5d

From £19,6717

..But that's not necessarily a great thing, because the Q30 does little to improve an average donor car. ... The Q30 engine range is bookended by a 1.5-litre diesel returning 68.9mpg - which in fairness is very economical, albeit very slow - and a 2.0-litre turbo petrol with a 7.2-second 0-62mph sprint.

On the handling front, surprisingly good; the steering is well weighted and linear, and there’s remarkably little body roll considering the height of the Q30. You imagine it would wallow like a dizzy hippo but this isn’t the case.

Alternative styling

Competitive performance and refinement

Rounded ride

9. Volkswagen Golf 1.0 TSI 110

True MPG 49.7mpg

This version of the Golf has now been superseded, although you can still buy new versions from stock. And if you can get a good deal, we wouldn't rule it out, because it blends a comfortable ride with class-leading refinement and a spacious and classy interior. In addition, this frugal 1.0-litre petrol engine is perfectly suited to town driving and accelerates with reasonable urgency thanks to its turbocharger.

The performance levels are just as good and perfectly suit the Golf if what you mostly do is daily commuting and urban driving. On the motorway, you do notice the slight lack of torque that a larger capacity engine would typically possess, but it is far from underpowered. The six-speed manual gearbox feels great to use and has a very positive action to every gear change. Some keener drivers may long for better weighting from the steering, though for most the setup will feel perfectly suited the car.

Venture away from smooth black tarmac and the Golf retains all of its composure. The suspension setup is comfortably one of the best-tuned in the segment and this is one of the features that make the Golf feel more like a premium car. It soaks up surface imperfections with ease and just as importantly suppresses a great deal of road noise at the same time. Even on the larger optional 18-inch alloy wheels there is plenty of comfort on rural roads.

10. Seat Leon 1.0 TSI 115

True MPG 53.1mpg

This is the first of two appearances on this list for the Seat Leon. We've found its turbocharged 1.0-litre engine to be ideally suited to city streets and reasonably punchy on faster roads, but it's not as refined as some of the more powerful four-cylinder petrol engines on offer. It is, however, very economical.

Predictably, the interior’s transformation is no less subtle than elsewhere. Most notable is the latest generation of infotainment tech, available with 5.0in or 8.0in touchscreen displays, depending on trim level. We tested it in its larger format, which comes as standard from SE Dynamic and above. The system sensibly replaces its unsightly physical buttons with one ‘home’ function one that brings up an onscreen menu. This is much tidier, but it loses its rotary dial controller, too, which makes zooming in and out of the sat-nav map a little more tedious.