Sensible sedans

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This article was published 27/11/2015 (3584 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Although today’s fuel prices are relatively low, one way families can reduce overall vehicle costs is to look for the most fuel-efficient car possible, which is why we pulled together the 10 most fuel-efficient new mid-size family sedans, based on Natural Resources Canada’s latest estimates. To better match what the majority of family-sedan buyers are looking for, we’ve left out the handful of plug-in hybrid or electric models and focused on vehicles that are available new today, whether they are 2015 or 2016 models:

 

10: 2016 Subaru Legacy 2.5i — 7.9 L/100 km

Crossover buyers take note: The only family sedan on our list with traction at all four wheels is the $23,495 (not including freight and pre-delivery inspection fees) four-cylinder, gas-powered 2016 Subaru Legacy 2.5i. While you can get the Legacy with a six-speed manual transmission, its fuel economy estimates (a combined 9.5 L/100 km) cannot match the $2,000-more-expensive version, with its continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), rated at and 9.0 L/100 km in the city, 6.5 on the highway and 7.9 combined.

 

9: 2016 Mazda6 GX — 7.6 L/100 km

The four-cylinder gas engine Mazda6 is arguably the most fun-to-drive family sedan you can buy, but it can also be quite miserly at the pumps. Mainly thanks to its regenerative braking system, the more expressive 2016 Mazda6 GT is the more frugal model, with a combined 7.3 L/100 km estimate. However, the $27,825 base model Mazda6 GX, when equipped with the optional six-speed automatic transmission, is still competitively rated at 8.8 L/100 km in the city, 6.1 on the highway and a combined rating of 7.6.

 

8: 2016 Honda Accord LX — 7.6 L/100 km

One of the big reasons the Honda Accord has been so popular for so long is its low operating cost. While the gas-electric $29,990 2015 Accord Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient family sedan you can buy, the $4,540-less-expensive (and refreshed) 2016 Accord LX gas-only version with the optional CVT is also no glutton at the pumps. The entry-level four-cylinder Accord four-door is rated at a parsimonious 8.6 L/100 km in the city, 6.4 on the highway for a combined rating of 7.6.

 

7: 2015 Nissan Altima 2.5 — 7.6 L/100 km

The thoroughly refreshed 2016 Nissan Altima is not in Canadian showrooms just yet. But the $23,798 base model 2015 Altima 2.5 represents good value against its pricier Mazda and Honda rivals with an identical combined 7.6 L/100 km fuel economy estimate. Unlike the Mazda6 or Accord, you don’t have to pay extra for an autobox; all 2015 Altimas come with a CVT as standard gear. Combined with its four-cylinder gas engine, the Nissan family sedan is rated at 8.7 L/100 km in the city and 6.2 on the highway.

 

6: 2016 Mazda6 GT — 7.3 L/100 km

Although you have to pay for the top model, the $34,725 Mazda6 GT is a wonderful combination of luxury, driving pleasure and fuel economy. A six-speed manual is standard, but when the autobox with the same number of gears is married to the GT’s exclusive i-Eloop technology (a brake energy regeneration system that powers headlights, climate control, audio system and other electrical equipment), you get the better 8.2 L/100 km city, 6.2 highway and combined 7.3 ratings.

 

5: 2016 Kia Optima Hybrid — 6.3 L/100 km

Like the Mazda6 sedan, the Kia Optima has always catered to the drivers in the family. And the $30,095 2016 Optima Hybrid continues to be the most fuel-efficient model in the lineup. While the gas-only versions of the 2016 Optima have been redesigned, the gas-electric hybrid version is a carry-over 2015 model. As such, it doesn’t benefit from the newer technology seen in the third-place 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Still, the Optima Hybrid’s 6.6 L/100 km city, 5.9 highway and combined 6.3 estimates are still impressive.

 

4: 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid — 5.7 L/100 km

Offered as a hybrid since 2007, the Camry was one of the first gas-electric family sedans you could buy. Although new competition has bumped the $29,085 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid from the top spot, it still remains a good choice if you are looking for great fuel economy in a family sedan. Extensively updated for 2015, the 2016 Camry Hybrid continues with its excellent 5.5 L/100 km city, 6.0 highway and 5.7 combined estimates.

 

3: 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid — 5.6 L/100 km

With estimates of 5.9 L/100 km city, 5.3 highway and 5.6 combined, the redesigned-for-2016 $29,629 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid gets a fuel-economy leg up on its Toyota family sedan rival. To achieve these fuel economy gains, the Sonata Hybrid uses a 2.0-L direct-injected four-cylinder gas engine (mated to a six-speed autobox) instead of the previous model’s Atkinson-cycle 2.4-L unit. The total system output rating is down slightly from 199 to 193 hp.

 

2: 2016 Ford Fusion Hybrid — 5.5 L/100 km

Aston Martin is working on an electric version of its Rapide four-door sedan. But until that super-luxurious, super-efficient sedan arrives, why not take a look at the $28,749 Ford Fusion Hybrid, a very frugal family sedan with Aston Martin looks at 1/10th the price. Nipping the rival Sonata Hybrid for second place on our list, the gas-electric version of the Ford family sedan comes standard with a CVT and is estimated to sip fuel at a rate of 5.4 L/100 km in the city, 5.8 on the highway for a combined 5.5.

 

1: 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid — 5.0 L/100 km

If you’re looking for the best estimated fuel-economy ratings in a mainstream family sedan, look no further than the $29,990 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid. While the gas models of the refreshed 2016 Accord get new styling and optional safety features, the new 2016 hybrid models have not arrived in Canadian showrooms yet. That said, Accord powertrains are carried over, with all hybrids getting a CVT as standard kit, so don’t expect big gains over the 2015 Accord Hybrid’s excellent 4.7 L/100 km city, 5.3 highway and 5.0 combined ratings.

 

— Postmedia Network Inc. 2015