10 Toyotas that Get 30 mpg—or a Whole Lot More

The comparatively low gas prices of recent months may have slowed some customers’ interest in fuel economy, but Toyota efforts to boost fuel economy are proceeding apace. For example, the company has debuted two more brand-new high-efficiency high performers for the 2016 selling season—a next-gen Prius and the first RAV4 hybrid—and that’s not counting the low-volume Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. Which we’re not counting here because it’s launching with strictly limited availability. Moreover, Toyota dealers also can deliver a gas-only RAV4 that touches 30 mpg, while the automaker’s youth and luxury brands, Scion and Lexus, have a bevy of +30 mpg entries of their own. So simply be aware, these are best of the brand’s fuel-economy stars, not the only ones.

1) 2016 Toyota Prius

The all-new 2016 Toyota Prius, of course, isn’t merely the most fuel-efficient car from Toyota, it’s the most fuel-efficient car in the country—just like the last one was. Now in its fourth generation, the redesigned Prius has raised ye olde bar for EPA ratings once again, this time to 54 mpg city/50 mpg highway/52 mpg combined. That represents increases of 3 mpg/2 mpg/2 mpg over the 2015 model, and as you might have guessed, that’s not the only area in which the next-gen Prius exceeds the benchmarks of its predecessor. Toyota also touts a “higher level of driving performance”—although output specs for the 2016 Prius powertrain have yet to be revealed—and the automaker further promises a Prius Eco that will reach 58 mpg city/53 mpg highway/56 mpg combined. Notable as well is the increased level of available safety features, highlighted by a fairly comprehensive Toyota Safety Sense P package.

2) 2016 Toyota Prius c

The nimble size of the 2016 Toyota Prius c makes it ideal for urban drivers, as does the fact that it does its best work, efficiency-wise, in that kind of setting: Per the EPA, the Prius c is good for grades of 53 mpg city/46 mpg highway/50 mpg combined. Additionally, despite a footprint that’s a bit smaller than that of a traditional subcompact, the Prius c actually provides enough interior volume to be classed as a compact by the EPA, thanks to 87.4 cubic feet of passenger space and a 17.1-cubic-foot cargo hold. Naturally, owners can fold down the car’s 60/40-split rear seats for even more room for gear and goods. Toyota also serves up a robust range of standard features for the Prius c, starting with an Entune Multimedia bundle, and will bring out a Persona Series Special Edition for 2016 that will be restricted to 1,500 units.

3) 2016 Toyota Prius v

The 2016 Toyota Prius v maintains the slippery, aerodynamic shape of all Prii, but the difference-maker here has to do with cargo space. The Prius v can furnish up to 67.3 cubic feet of it, which is noticeably more than small crossovers like the Kia Sportage and Chevy Trax, to name just two. Toyota designers also deployed some nifty storage solutions in the cabin, such as dual glove boxes, a generously sized bin built into the center console and under-seat storage beneath the second row. Moreover, like the other Prii, the versatile v version shows off a well-equipped entry model with a standard Entune infotainment setup, backed by a variety of available premium cues that include LED headlights and a panoramic moonroof made of lightweight resin. The Prius v then complements the strong fuel economy numbers of its siblings with its own EPA line of 44 mpg city/40 mpg highway/42 mpg combined.

4) 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid

With this generation relying on a new, three-trim lineup to reach more customers, the 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid continues as the best selling car among the hybridized mainstream midsize sedans. In the leadoff position is the Camry Hybrid LE, with EPA marks of 43 mpg city/39 mpg highway/41 mpg combined, 200 total horsepower that’s 22 horses more than in a standard Camry, and enough torque to travel from 0-60 in 7.6 seconds. This year, though, customers also can choose the athletically oriented Hybrid SE or the upscale Hybrid XLE. The former is fitted with a distinctive, aggressive style pack, a sharpened suspension, and a retuned program for the vehicle stability control system. In the XLE, upgrades run to a 7-inch Entune multimedia system, app-based navigation, heated leather-trimmed seating and a backup camera. On the other hand, fuel efficiency slips slightly, falling to 40 mpg city/38 mpg highway/40 mpg combined.

5) 2016 Toyota Corolla

With the 2016 Toyota Corolla we leave the hybrid ranks for a time, yet owners can still see EPA-estimated fuel efficiency ratings as high as 30 mpg city/42 highway/35 mpg combined in the LE Eco trim. Customers who want to maximize mpg ratings do have to pay attention to the details, however, since that peak EPA performance only comes in the entry model of the Eco variants, of which there are three; the better equipped LE Eco Plus and Premium post EPA ratings of 30/40/34. It’s further worth noting that the Eco team’s extra efficiency is bolstered by 140 horsepower—8 more than in the standard Corolla. Also, in addition to the Eco setup, combining a 1.8-liter engine and CVT, the Corolla crew offers three other basic powertrain configurations, with a six-speed manual (28/37/21), a four-speed automatic (27/36/31) and a CVT (29/38/32).

Photo by Toyota

6) 2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid

The 2016 Toyota Avalon lives in near-luxury limbo, positioned somewhere between the solidly mainstream models that make up most of the rest of the brand and the premium entries of the automaker’s dedicated lux division, Lexus. Thus, while the Avalon does wear the Toyota badge, its range-topping Limited trim—available with hybrid and traditional powertrains alike—boasts standard content that includes multi-stage heated and ventilated front seats upholstered in perforated leather, with the driver enjoying 10-way power adjustability and the rear seats also heated. The Avalon also checks in with standard infotainment technologies like wireless phone charging and audio enhanced by nine JBL GreenEdge speakers, supported by an available Toyota Safety Sense P portfolio of driver-assistance measures that bundles automatic high beams, dynamic radar-enabled cruise control, a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and automatic braking, and lane departure assistance. The tale of the tape according to the EPA: 40 mpg city/39 mpg highway/40 mpg combined.

Photo by Megan Green

7) 2016 Toyota Yaris

No, the 2016 Toyota Yaris doesn’t deliver the industry’s most advanced transmissions. The sole choices on the menu are a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. But because those gearboxes are mated to a relatively efficient 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and encapsulated in a subcompact-sized car, it can at least crack the 35-mpg barrier. With the DIY transmission, the Yaris is rated at 30 mpg city/37 mpg highway/33 mpg combined, and those highway and combined numbers are nudged downward by a single mpg with the four-speed autobox. Toyota goes retro with the car in another way, too, and this time to customers’ benefit because the Yaris is the only mainstream subcompact to still sell a three-door hatchback; so agile that its turning circle is a class-leading 31.5 feet, the three-door hatch is joined on the roster by a five-door edition for added versatility.

Photo by Toyota

8) 2016 Toyota Camry (four-cylinder engine)

Drivers of a certain vintage may recall when a compact was considered fuel efficient for exceeding 30 mpg in highway driving. Today, a number of standard midsize sedans are at 31 mpg combined, and some are closing in on 40 mpg highway. And while the 2016 Toyota Camry isn’t one of them, it does turn up EPA estimates of 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway/28 mpg combined with its four-cylinder engine and remains the best-selling car in the country. That’s not likely to change anytime soon, either, especially since Toyota also has launched a 2016 special edition for the Camry. As a fresh take on the industry’s top seller, the upgraded Camry is designed to capture more customers with a new Blue Streak Metallic exterior finish, 18-inch machine-finished wheels with painted gloss-black accents and an exclusive cabin theme. (Note that the 2016 Toyota Camry Special Edition is available in Blizzard Pearl as well.)

Photo by Megan Green

9) 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

Perhaps the most refreshing things about the thoroughly refreshed 2016 Toyota RAV4—for environmentally conscious customers, anyway—was the automaker’s decision to finally adapt its high-efficiency hybrid technology for its highly popular compact crossover. Results include EPA ratings of 34 mpg city/31 mpg highway/33 mpg combined for the RAV4, making it 2 mpg more efficient in combined travel than the only other hybrid crossover in its class. Toyota engineers also leveraged the vehicle’s new powertrain to implement a sophisticated electronic, on-demand all-wheel drive system that uses an electric motor to drive the rear wheels—but only if conditions require extra traction. In other driving scenarios, the RAV4 operates as a traditional hybrid, with a 2.5-liter internal-combustion engine, a nickel-metal hydride battery pack and another electric motor working together to power the front wheels. Crossover customers also can expect the RAV4 Hybrid to share all of the many updates of the rest of the revised lineup.

10) 2016 Toyota Camry (V6)

Take everything folks love about the 2016 Toyota Camry and then swap its standard four-cylinder powerplant for a fired-up V6 and guess what? You still end up with EPA marks of 21 mpg city/31 mpg highway/25 mpg combined. But now you also get the advantage of 268 horsepower, 248 lb.-ft. of torque and, in the Camry’s SE and XSE trims, paddle-shifters for the car’s six-speed automatic transmission. Drivers who demand naturally aspirated power also should keep in mind that the latest Camry competitors from the likes of Chevy, Ford, Hyundai and Mazda don’t even offer V6 options.