The cheapest cars in America to fill up

As gas prices hover near $4 a gallon nationwide, there aremore than 20 SUVs and trucks that cost more than $100 to fill up. But, there are almost 30 cars that cost less than $50 to refuel. We crunched the numbers and found the cheapest cars in America to fill up.

The cars that cause the least pain at the pump are almost exclusively small cars. The largest fuel tank in the group is 12.7 gallons. These tend to also be rather fuel-efficient cars, going beyond limiting pump-price shock by minimizing true operating costs. Consequently, the driving range for these vehicles is relatively long, stretching from 394 miles for the Kia Soul to 655 for the Toyota Prius.


To make these calculations, we started with almost 300 vehicles in our current test ratings, then multiplied the fuel capacity against the current nationwide average fuel costs, according to the Energy Information Administration. The results put 29 models under the $50 threshold. Regular gasoline prices edged up two cents this week, bumping two models off the list that would have made it last week.

If you're looking to minimize pain at the pump, then these vehicles warrant a closer look. But, be sure to emphasize fuel economy, rather than fill-up cost, to reduce your long-term operating costs. In fact, go one better by looking at the total owner costs, including depreciation, maintenance, repair, insurance, and other factors. All this information is available on the model pages by clicking on the vehicle names below.

Make & Model	Fuel type	Fuel capacity	Range	Cost to fill
Smart ForTwo Passion	Premium	8.7	382.8	$36.45
Chevrolet Volt	Premium	9.3	332	$38.97 + $1.50 electricity
Fiat 500 Sport	Regular	10.5	441.0	$41.37
Fiat 500c Pop	Regular	10.5	441.0	$41.37
Honda CR-Z EX	Regular	10.6	477.0	$41.76
Honda Fit (base)	Regular	10.6	413.4	$41.76
Honda Fit Sport (manual)	Regular	10.6	392.2	$41.76
Honda Insight	Regular	10.6	477.0	$41.76
Scion xD (base)	Regular	11.1	421.8	$43.73
Scion xD (base manual)	Regular	11.1	444.0	$43.73
Toyota Yaris LE	Regular	11.1	455.1	$43.73
Kia Rio EX hatchback	Regular	11.3	418.1	$44.52
Kia Rio EX sedan	Regular	11.3	440.7	$44.52
Mazda2 Sport (manual)	Regular	11.3	452.0	$44.52
Mazda2 Touring	Regular	11.3	429.4	$44.52
Nissan Versa sedan SV	Regular	11.3	452.0	$44.52
Hyundai Accent GLS	Regular	11.4	513.0	$44.92
Hyundai Accent SE (manual)	Regular	11.4	456.0	$44.92
Lexus CT 200h Premium	Regular	11.9	559.3	$46.89
Suzuki SX4 Tech hatchback	Regular	11.9	368.9	$46.89
Toyota Prius IV	Regular	11.9	654.5	$46.89
Toyota Prius V Three	Regular	11.9	559.3	$46.89
Chevrolet Sonic LT	Regular	12.2	463.6	$48.07
Chevrolet Sonic LTZ (manual)	Regular	12.2	475.8	$48.07
Ford Fiesta SES hatchback (manual)	Regular	12.4	520.8	$48.86
Ford Fiesta SE sedan	Regular	12.4	558.0	$48.86
Ford Focus SEL hatchback	Regular	12.4	483.6	$46.89
Ford Focus SE sedan	Regular	12.4	533.2	$48.86
Nissan Juke	Premium	11.9	368.9	$49.86