Fueling cars is no small expense, but it’s an inevitable part of a vehicle’s ownership. With gas prices now reaching record highs—and the first where diesel has become more expensive than gasoline—fuel economy has once again become an important purchase consideration.
As a general practice, it’s still best to minimize unnecessary trips to cut down on fuel expenses. But as the economy opens up after two years of COVID-related restrictions, some aren’t just going up to Baguio for fun. Some have no choice but to use their cars as a means to mobility. It is, after all, still considered a personal “bubble.”
CarGuide.PH has been around since 2011, and in the decade since, we’ve been taking notes on the fuel economy of each car we’ve tested. Armed with that data, here are the Top 5 most fuel-efficient cars we’ve tested each year, and the sort of mileage you can expect from them on a regular day-to-day commute:
On a side note, you can also compare these real-world figures with fuel economy runs down by the Department of Energy in
2016
and
2017
.
2022 (so far)
Lexus NX 350h – 16.94 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
Mazda CX-30 AWD M Hybrid – 13.69 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
Toyota Raize 1.0 T – 12.1 km/L (Gas)
BMW 520i Luxury – 11.23 km/L (Gas)
Mazda BT-50 4×4 – 10.41 km/L (Diesel)
2021
Lexus IS300h Premier – 19.23 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
Honda CR-V 1.6 SX AWD – 15.5 km/L (Diesel)
Chevrolet Tracker 1.0 LT Redline – 14.92 km/L (Gas)
Nissan Almera VL N Sport – 14.92 km/L (Gas)
Lexus RX 450h – 13.88 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
2020
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – 12.65 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
Ford Territory Trend – 11.76 km/L (Gas)
Mazda CX-30 AWD Sport – 11.49 km/L (Gas)
Mazda2 1.5 Elite – 11.2 km/L (Gas)
Geely Coolray Sport – 10.98 km/L (Gas)
2019
Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 HEV – 20.83 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid – 17.24 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
Suzuki Jimny GL M/T – 11.62 km/L (Gas)
Mazda6 Diesel – 11.6 km/L (Diesel)
Honda Brio RS – 11.5 km/L (Gas)
2018
Hyundai Kona 2.0 GLS – 12.82 km/L (Gas)
Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL M/T – 12.5 km/L (Gas)
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 CVT – 12.04 km/L (Gas)
Peugeot 3008 GT Line – 11.49 km/L (Diesel)
SsangYong Tivoli XLV 4WD – 11.11 km/L (Diesel)
2017
Honda CR-V 1.6 SX AWD – 13 km/L (Diesel)
Toyota Vios 1.5 G CVT – 10.5 km/L (Gas)
BMW X1 xDrive20d xLine – 10.2 km/L (Diesel)
Mitsubishi Mirage GLS CVT – 10 km/L (Gas)
Honda Jazz RS – 9.7 km/L (Gas)
2016
Hyundai Tucson 2.0 GLS 2WD – 16.12 km/L (Diesel)
Mazda6 Diesel – 13.15 km/L (Diesel)
Toyota Innova 2.8 V – 12.5 km/L (Diesel)
BMW 420d Gran Coupe – 12.34 km/L (Diesel)
Peugeot 308 SW – 12.34 km/L (Gas)
2015
Toyota Prius c – 17.7 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
Suzuki Ertiga 1.4 GLX A/T – 14.9 km/L (Gas)
Toyota Hilux 2.4 G M/T – 13.88 km/L (Diesel)
Mazda3 2.0 Speed – 12.65 km/L (Gas)
Peugeot 301 1.6 HDI – 12.34 km/L (Gas)
2014
Hyundai Accent CRDi M/T – 19.60 km/L (Diesel)
Toyota Wigo 1.0 G M/T – 16.65 km/L (Gas)
Tata Manza Aura Diesel – 15.92 km/L (Diesel)
Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI M/T – 14.28 km/L (Diesel)
Mazda3 2.0 Hatchback – 14.08 km/L (Gas)
2013
-
Honda Insight* – 19.03 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
* – not sold to the public
BMW X1 sDrive118d xLine – 14.92 km/L (Diesel)
Honda CR-Z M/T – 14.7 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
Hyundai Accent CRDi M/T – 14.49 km/L (Diesel)
Hyundai Accent CRDi A/T – 13.33 km/L (Diesel)
Kia Rio 1.4 HB – 12.98 km/L (Gas)
2012
Toyota Prius c – 20.3 km/L (Gas-Hybrid)
BMW 118d Urban – 16.5 km/L (Diesel)
Toyota 86 M/T – 13.33 km/L (Gas)
Mazda CX-5 A/T – 12.43 km/L (Gas)
Honda City 1.5 E A/T – 12 km/L (Gas)
2011
Ford Fiesta 1.6 Sport – 11.95 km/L (Gas)
Honda Jazz 1.3 S A/T – 11.2 km/L (Gas)
Isuzu Alterra Urban Cruiser – 10.8 km/L (Diesel)
Nissan X-TRAIL CVT – 10.7 km/L (Gas)
Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 e-VGT CRDi 2WD – 10 km/L (Diesel)
Bonus round: if you want to know the worst cars in terms of fuel economy we’ve tested each year, here they are:
2022 (so far): MG ZS T (8.77 km/L, Gas)
2021: Kaicene CX70 1.5T (7.95 km/L, Gas)
2020: Nissan 370Z NISMO (5.52 km/L, Gas)
2019: Ford Expedition Max Limited (3.75 km/L, Gas)
2018: Nissan GT-R (4.90 km/L, Gas)
2017: Porsche 718 Boxster (4.85 km/L, Gas)
2016: Ford Mustang GT Premium (4.16 km/L, Gas)
2015: Subaru Outback 3.6R-S (5.5 km/L, Gas)
2014: Chevrolet Malibu LTZ (5.7 km/L, Gas)
2013: Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 4.0 V6 (5.7 km/L, Gas)
2012: Ford Expedition EL Limited (4.5 km/L, Gas)
2011: Mazda CX-9 AWD (5.2 km/L, Gas)
Keyword: Here Are The Most Fuel Efficient Cars In The Philippines From 2011-2022