6 Sports Cars With the Best EPA-Rated Gas Mileage

Fast on the street but not furious at the pump

The saying that no one buys a sports car for fuel economy isn’t exactly true. There are some owners who couldn’t give a lick about how much gas their steed guzzles, but it’s always good to save a little money at the pump, even if your driving habits err on the spirited side most days. After all, that’s what a sports car is for. If you want a car that’s fun without punishing you at the pump, it’s good to know that there are several 2025 sports cars with genuinely strong EPA numbers. Here are five of the most efficient ones for sale today.

2025 Honda Civic Si – 31 mpg combined 

The 2026 Honda Civic Si ($30,995) isn’t the most powerful Civic, but it provides serious fun with superb efficiency. The fact that it gets 31 combined EPA fuel economy is proof that you don’t need a hybrid or a huge budget to get efficiency and smiles per mile. Its 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and mandatory 6-speed manual combine for superb levels of fun and the kind of efficiency typically reserved for less thrilling fare. We love the fact that you can’t even get an automatic transmission in the Si. That means Honda wants you to connect with the car and the road.

The Si boasts a light curb weight of just over 2,900 pounds, sharp steering, and taut handling. It also comes with firmer suspension, a limited-slip differential, and a short-throw shifter for endless thrills. On the downside, the Si asks for premium fuel to extract the best performance (though you can use regular without harming the engine), and the manual-only setup means your efficiency depends on your right foot.

2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata – 29-30 mpg combined 

There’s no other way to put it: the Miata is the legend in this set. The 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata ($29,830) is the best-selling roadster in history and an icon of sporty budget thrills. With so little mass to move, the 2.0-liter four posts 29–30 mpg combined, depending on soft-top vs. RF and paired transmission. Whatever configuration you choose, the result is driving thrills galore.

The 2,600+ pound featherweight Miata helps keep fuel consumption down, and its punchy 181-horsepower naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine is responsive and eager without drinking gas like a muscle car. Okay, so you have to give up passenger space, trunk space, and a tech-forward cabin, but you’ll have a smile on your face mile after mile. To maximize fuel efficiency, keep the top up and stay with all-season rubber.

2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI – 29-30 mpg combined 

Not many efficient and affordable sporty cars get four doors and the ability to operate as a family sedan, but the 2025 Jetta GLI ($33,745) wins in all of these areas. Whether you choose a manual transmission or the dual-clutch automatic, you’ll get 29 mpg for the manual and 30 for the automatic. You’ll have to back off the throttle in order to hit those numbers, but it’s nice to know the GLI will reward self-control with solid efficiency.

The GLI’s tall top gears, slippery drag coefficient of just 0.26, and the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder help at highway speeds. When you’re not autocrossing it (yes, it can do that), it serves as a wonderful family sedan with 37.4 inches of rear legroom and 14.1 cubic feet of trunk space.

2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI – 27 mpg combined 

Quicker and more youthful than the gentlemanly Jetta GLI, VW’s hot-hatch icon is still efficient compared with many rivals. The 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI ($32,445) delivers 27 mpg combined, but reviews have determined that it can easily beat this number in real-world conditions. The turbocharged four-cylinder provides a healthy 241 horsepower and launches to 60 mph in a scant 5.6 seconds. Sadly, the 6-speed manual is gone, with the 7-speed dual clutch automatic providing shifting duties. It is, however, remarkably efficient given its performance focus.

The GTI isn’t spartan inside, either. The sporty and handsome cabin gets truly supportive sport seats, a big 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, and real physical buttons (no more haptic controls) on the steering wheel. Standard safety features include automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The triple threat of driving fun, serious safety, and solid fuel efficiency makes this sporty hatchback a win across the board.

2025 Ford Mustang EcoBoost –  26 mpg combined

The 2025 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Fastback ($32,320) isn’t a car you’d think was efficient at all, but its turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost remains a top fuel-sipper in the lineup at 26 mpg combined. You will, however, have to sacrifice the Performance Package and summer rubber to get there. It’s not that much to give up, though, because the EcoBoost ‘stang will hit 60 mph under 5 seconds. The downside is that you can only get a 10-speed automatic on the 2025 EcoBoost Mustang.

Standard feature highlights include LED projector headlamps, LED sequential taillights, configurable DRLs, automatic high beam control, a 13.2-inch capacitive color touchscreen with SYNC 4, a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, dual zone automatic climate control, a flat-bottom steering wheel, launch control, rear parking sensor, and a lane keeping system.

2025 Subaru BRZ – 25 mpg combined

The 2025 Subaru BRZ’s ($33,210) automatic variant delivers 25 mpg in combined driving, while the manual’s combined 22 mpg is lower but still competitive among sporty, non-hybrid cars. The fact that you can drive it at highway speeds and still get more than respectable mpgs is the icing on this sports car cake. You’ll have to give up some engagement by getting the automatic, but it all depends on your priorities.

The BRZ is lightweight for a coupe, with a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-4 that’s efficient under moderate loads. Its gearing and aerodynamic tweaks help too, but it is, after all, a sports car at heart, and the BRZ’s standard limited-slip differential aids when you want to maximize traction under hard driving. The fact that you can enjoy rear-wheel drive dynamics while saving on gas money means you get the best of both worlds.

Final thoughts

These efficient sports cars are a win-win for owners who want to thrash them when the opportunity presents itself, while achieving good fuel economy with more subdued driving. The surprises here are the muscled Mustang Ecoboost and the miserly Civic Si, but each one represents excellent performance with efficiency that will surprise, not a combination you see every day. It’s nice to know you don’t have to make sacrifices to get both.