If you’re looking for a new car and want to save money by exploring some more fuel-efficient options, take a look below at our list of the 10 best fuel-efficient cars in Canada for 2024. Note this isn’t a straight list ranking the 10 most fuel-efficient vehicles on sale, period. Rather, these choices represent what we feel are the best all-around vehicles on the Canadian market from among those that offer the best fuel economy.
Gas prices in Canada have come down in most of Canada, but they are still running at higher levels than we’ve historically enjoyed. Fuel-efficient and eco-friendly vehicles that allow you to maximize your fuel consumption are here to stay and will become more important than ever as governments seek to reduce passenger vehicle emissions.
This list includes gas-powered non-hybrids and conventional hybrid vehicles only, but if you’re interested in delving into the expanding world of plug-in electric vehicle options, check out our articles on the best plug-in hybrid cars and electric cars.
The 10 Best Fuel-Efficient Cars in Canada
- Ford Maverick Hybrid
- Honda Accord Hybrid
- Hyundai Elantra Hybrid
- Kia Niro Hybrid
- Kia Sportage Hybrid
- Lexus ES 300h
- Mitsubishi Mirage
- Toyota Camry Hybrid
- Toyota Corolla Hybrid
- Toyota Prius
Ford Maverick Hybrid
The Blue Oval’s pint-sized pickup truck, the Ford Maverick, made a big splash when it arrived in 2022. It comes in gas-only and hybrid powertrains, and the latter pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor to produce 191 horsepower, sent to front-wheel drive (FWD). (An all-wheel drive (AWD) drivetrain is an option, but it’s offered only with the gas engine.) While the Maverick Hybrid has swapped places with the EcoBoost version and is no longer the entry-level truck, its starting price isn’t significantly higher. The 2024 Ford Maverick EcoBoost starts in Canada at a price of $34,795, while the 2024 Ford Maverick Hybrid starts at $35,295. (All prices include destination charges and fees.) Fuel consumption ratings for the hybrid rank at 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 7.1 on the highway, and 6.4 combined. With its 52.2-litre fuel tank, this means the Maverick Hybrid can go more than 800 kilometres on a single fill. This combination of fuel efficiency and truck functionality means this might be the right-sized truck city and suburban dwellers have been waiting for.
Ford Maverick Hybrid Review
Honda Accord Hybrid
Hybrid compact cars are less common, which is a shame, but there are a handful of great examples kicking around. One is the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, which uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine and an electric motor to produce a combined output of 139 hp. Power is sent through a six-speed automatic transmission, all while returning a fuel economy rating of 4.8 L/100 km in city driving, 4.5 on the highway, and 4.7 combined. With those figures, the Elantra Hybrid is one of the top 3 most efficient cars you can buy without a plug. The 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid starts in Canada at a price of $33,256. (If you’re shopping for a used vehicle and want something similarly efficient, consider the discontinued Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid.)
Honda Accord Review
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid
It’s less common to see hybrid compact cars, which is a shame, but there are some great examples kicking around. One of those is the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid (and indeed another is the discontinued Hyundai Ioniq hybrid), which uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine and an electric motor to produce a combined output of 139 hp, sent through a six-speed automatic transmission, all while returning a fuel economy rating of 4.8 L/100 km in city driving, 4.5 on the highway, and 4.7 combined. With those figures, the Elantra Hybrid is one of the top 3 most efficient cars you can buy without a plug. For 2023, pricing starts at $29,299 before fees when you select the Elantra Luxury and add on the hybrid powertrain.
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Review
Kia Niro Hybrid
The Kia Niro entered a new generation for 2023 and continues to be sold in hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and full battery electric variants. In hybrid guise, the new Kia Niro Hybrid comes with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine and electric motor that combine to produce 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. With ratings of 4.5 L/100 km in city driving, 4.4 on the highway, and 4.4 combined in its most fuel-efficient version with 16-inch wheels, the Niro Hybrid has a driving range of nearly 950 kilometres and takes the top spot as Canada’s most fuel-efficient hybrid. Pricing for the 2024 Kia Niro Hybrid starts in Canada at $33,183.
Kia Niro Hybrid Review
Kia Sportage Hybrid
Apart from pickup trucks, the compact SUV is the best-selling body style in Canada. And among those, the Kia Sportage Hybrid and its closely related cousin, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, are the easiest small crossovers to recommend in hybrid form. We’ve given the Sportage the edge here over the Tucson for its more approachable styling, slightly better fuel efficiency, and lower entry-level price point. On the fuel consumption side, the Sportage Hybrid uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor to produce 177 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, sent through a six-speed automatic transmission to all-wheel drive. Fuel economy is rated at 6.1 L/100 km in city driving, 6.3 on the highway, and 6.2 combined. Two hybrid trims are available, the EX Hybrid and SX Hybrid. In Canada, the 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX starts at a price of $39,483, while the 2024 Kia Sportage SX Hybrid starts at $46,183.
Kia Sportage Review
Lexus ES 300h
There are two hybrid brands that many Canadians turn to by default. One is Toyota thanks to vehicles like the Prius and RAV4 Hybrid, and the other is Lexus. For the latter’s part, the ES 300h hybrid mid-size sedan is one of the most fuel-efficient luxury vehicles on the market, particularly with a conventional hybrid powertrain (which Lexus likes to call a self-charging hybrid). The 300h is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and electric motor combo that produces 215 horsepower while burning only 5.5 L/100 km in city driving, 5.2 on the highway, and 5.3 combined. Since it’s a Lexus, you can also expect lots of standard features and a level of interior quality to match Audi and BMW. In Canada, pricing for the 2024 Lexus ES 300h starts at $57,136.
Lexus ES 300h Review
Mitsubishi Mirage
Now that the Chevrolet Spark and Kia Rio have been discontinued, the title of Canada’s most affordable new car has officially passed to the Mitsubishi Mirage. This mini subcompact hatchback is also this country’s most fuel-efficient car powered by gasoline alone. The diminutive 1.2-litre three-cylinder, non-turbo engine rolls the Mirage around on 78 hp, while sipping 6.6 L/100 km in city driving, 5.6 on the highway, and 6.2 combined with the continuously variable (CVT) transmission. That beats one of the Mirage’s main rivals, the Nissan Versa, by a half litre per 100 kilometres. Note the previously available manual transmission has been cancelled for 2024. It’s far from the most powerful vehicle on this list, but it’s an option at a rare price point for buyers on a serious budget. It also comes with a 10-year powertrain warranty, which is the longest on the Canadian market. The 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage has a starting price in Canada of $19,481.
Toyota Camry Hybrid
It’s no surprise that nearly half of the top 10 best fuel-efficient vehicles in Canada come from Lexus or Toyota. The Toyota Camry Hybrid is one of three vehicles on this list wearing the Toyota badge and shares its platform with the Lexus ES 300h we mentioned above. The Camry Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient of an extensive line-up for the mid-size sedan and comes in four different trim levels. The 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and electric motor create a combined 208 horsepower, and the base LE grade consumes 4.9 L/100 km in city driving, 4.8 on the highway, and 4.9 combined, while other grades average 5.3/5.0/5.1. A new generation of Toyota Camry is launching for the 2025 model year, so bear that in mind if you’re shopping for a 2024 version. The 2024 Toyota Camry Hybrid starts in Canada at a price of $35,905.
Toyota Camry Hybrid Review
Toyota Corolla Hybrid
There aren’t a whole lot of hybrid compact sedans on the market, but the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is one of them. This gives the Corolla a serious fuel efficiency advantage over its long-time rivals such as the Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta, and Mazda 3. AWD was introduced for the 2023 model year and remains standard on most trims in Canada. ts 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine and electric motor combo generate 121 horsepower. Without AWD, the LE consumes 4.4 L/100 km in the city, 5.1 on the highway, and 4.7 combined. Add AWD to the LE and those numbers become 4.6 city/5.4 hwy/4.9 combined, while the SE and XSE AWD grades come in at 5.0/5.7/5.3. Unfortunately, the hybrid powertrain is only offered with the sedan body style, while the Toyota Corolla Hatchback is sold with the less-efficient gas-only powertrain. Pricing for the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid in Canada starts at $29,705 with FWD and $31,205 with AWD.
Toyota Corolla Hybrid Review
Toyota Prius
We round out this list with the perennial go-to for fuel-efficient hybrid driving: the Toyota Prius. This isn’t the humdrum Prius of old, though: the new generation launched for 2023 came with a sporty new look and greatly improved drive dynamics. It employs a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that combines with two electric motors to produce 150 horsepower and 139 lb-ft of torque, a 60-percent increase over the previous version. AWD is standard for us here in Canada, and with it the Prius averages 4.8 L/100 km in the city, 4.7 on the highway, and 4.8 combined. Those gas mileage figures are good enough to keep the Prius within the top 5 most fuel-efficient vehicles sold in Canada with no plug and the only vehicle with AWD to land within that window. The 2024 Toyota Prius carries a starting price in Canada of $40,365.
Toyota Prius Overview