Used Compact Cars With the Best Fuel Economy

Buying a well-maintained used vehicle can be a smart move because it has gone though the most significant part of the depreciation cycle by the time it’s 5 years old. This means you’ll get many of the modern convenience and entertainment features found in brand-new models but at a lower price.

They were also designed and built recently enough that their performance in our tests—such as those for acceleration, braking, and fuel economy—is on a par with brand-new cars.

However, finding a new car or SUV can be a challenge. With the pandemic-related, global shortage of the chips needed for car safety and infotainment systems, shipments of new cars are often delayed or coming in at lower-than-expected volumes. This means supply is short and new-car dealers are charging a premium.

To help steer you to the best choice, we’ve assembled a list of the most fuel-efficient 5-year-old compact cars. All performed well enough in our tests to be recommended when new, and all have average or better reliability according to CR’s Annual Auto Surveys, where we ask CR members to tell us about what went wrong with their own cars.