OwnRate: what a car really costs to run
What a car really costs to run — EPA fuel cost, MPG/MPGe, EV vs gas, and 5-year cost to own.
OwnRate shows the real running cost of 70 popular US cars, SUVs and trucks using EPA fuel-economy data. For each model you get its combined MPG (or MPGe for EVs), the EPA estimated annual fuel cost, electric range and tailpipe CO2, plus a transparent 5-year cost-to-own estimate. The cheapest cars to run here cost about $550/year in fuel (Tesla Model 3); a thirsty full-size truck can top $3,650/year. Fuel prices for the calculators come from the EIA.
Source: EPA / DOE FuelEconomy.gov vehicle data. Data as of June 2026.
Featured vehicles
38 MPG · $1,650/yr fuel · Hybrid
Tesla Model 3137 MPGe · $550/yr fuel · Electric (EV)
Ford F-150 (gas)20 MPG · $3,100/yr fuel · Gas
Toyota Corolla34 MPG · $1,850/yr fuel · Gas
Honda CR-V (gas)30 MPG · $2,100/yr fuel · Gas
Tesla Model Y138 MPGe · $550/yr fuel · Electric (EV)
What you can look up
- All 70 vehicles — 37 gas, 11 hybrid, 3 plug-in hybrid and 19 electric models.
- Cheapest cars to run by EPA annual fuel cost.
- Most fuel-efficient cars by MPG.
- Best EVs by efficiency (MPGe) and electric range.
- Fuel-cost calculator, EV-vs-gas break-even and 5-year cost-to-own tools.
- EV-vs-gas and rival comparisons side by side.
Cheapest cars to run (EPA annual fuel cost)
| Vehicle | Type | Efficiency | EPA fuel cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | Electric (EV) | 137 MPGe | $550 |
| Tesla Model Y | Electric (EV) | 138 MPGe | $550 |
| Tesla Model S | Electric (EV) | 124 MPGe | $600 |
| Chevrolet Bolt EUV | Electric (EV) | 115 MPGe | $650 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 6 | Electric (EV) | 121 MPGe | $650 |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | Electric (EV) | 113 MPGe | $650 |
See the full cheapest-to-run ranking →
Most efficient electric vs gas/hybrid
Top EVs (MPGe)
| EV | MPGe | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | 138 | 321 mi |
| Tesla Model 3 | 137 | 363 mi |
| Tesla Model S | 124 | 410 mi |
| Hyundai Ioniq 6 | 121 | 316 mi |
| Chevrolet Bolt EUV | 115 | 247 mi |
Top gas/hybrid (MPG)
| Vehicle | MPG | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Elantra Hybrid | 54 | Hybrid |
| Toyota Prius (hybrid) | 54 | Hybrid |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | 52 | Hybrid |
| Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) | 52 | Plug-in hybrid |
| Honda Accord Hybrid | 48 | Hybrid |
From the blog
The most fuel-efficient cars in 2026: hybrids top the MPG list near 54 MPG, while EVs lead on MPGe. Full ranking with EPA annual fuel cost.
2026-06-20 EV vs gas: when does an electric car actually pay off?An EV pays off once its lower running cost covers a higher purchase price. Here's the break-even math, with real EPA fuel-cost numbers.
2026-06-18 How much does it cost to drive 1,000 miles?Driving 1,000 miles costs about $43 in an efficient EV, $63 in a Prius, $100 in a Corolla and $170 in a full-size truck, at June 2026 prices.
2026-06-16 Cheapest cars to own in 2026 (running cost + total cost)The cheapest cars to own in 2026 by running cost: efficient EVs and hybrids lead, with annual fuel bills from $550. Plus why depreciation matters more.
2026-06-14 Hybrid vs gas: how much do you really save per year?A hybrid typically saves $450–$800 a year in fuel over the gas version of the same car. Here are real EPA numbers for popular models.
2026-06-12 The true 5-year cost of owning a Toyota RAV4A 5-year look at owning a Toyota RAV4: fuel, maintenance, insurance and depreciation — and how the hybrid version changes the math.
2026-06-10Where the data comes from
Per-vehicle fuel economy, EPA estimated annual fuel cost, electric range and tailpipe CO2 are from the EPA/DOE FuelEconomy.gov dataset (US public domain). The illustrative fuel prices used by the calculators are US national averages from the EIA for gasoline and electricity. The 5-year cost-to-own figures combine the EPA fuel cost with clearly-documented maintenance, insurance and depreciation assumptions — see the methodology. Estimates, not advice.