A conscious car buyer mainly thinks about two things: a spacious cargo compartment and a good gas mileage. We made a list for those who want to combine these two factors.
We already posted about SUVs with 30 MPG and Better and Sedans with the Best Gas Mileage. Some of the mentioned vehicles are spacious enough to be on this list also. Main criteria include the overcome of 30 MPG mark and cargo volume no less than 22 cu. ft. behind the rear seat.
2016 Subaru Impreza Hatchback AWD
2016 Subaru Impreza Hatchback © Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd.
- Official Site
- MPG: City 28 / Hwy 37 (Comb 31)
- Cargo Volume: 22.5 cu. ft. (52.4 cu. ft. with rear seat lowered)
- Starting MSRP: $18,295
The new Subaru Impreza is an incredible car. It offers a decent fuel efficiency above the 30 MPG mark, a spacious cargo compartment (for a hatchback!), and with all this, a compact overall size. The price is also good.
2016 Honda HR-V 2WD
2016 Honda HR-V © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Official Site
- MPG: City 28 / Hwy 35 (Comb 31)
- Cargo Volume: 24.3 cu. ft. (58.8 cu. ft. with rear seat lowered)
- Starting MSRP: $19,215
This year’s Honda HR-V mini SUV looks like the triumphant return. It is inexpensive, fuel-efficient and spacious much like the Subaru Impreza.
2016 Ford C-MAX Hybrid FWD
2016 Ford C-MAX Hybrid © Ford Motor Company
- Official Site
- MPG: City 42 / Hwy 37 (Comb 40)
- Cargo Volume: 24.5 cu. ft. (52.6 cu. ft. with rear seat lowered)
- Starting MSRP: $24,170
The long-living Ford C-MAX is another example of a roomy hatchback that is very good at fuel efficiency.
2016 Toyota Prius Two Eco FWD
2016 Toyota Prius Two Eco © Toyota Motor Corporation
- Official Site
- MPG: City 58 / Hwy 53 (Comb 56)
- Cargo Volume: 27.4 cu. ft.
- Starting MSRP: $24,700
The Toyota Prius is awesome in many ways including the capacious trunk. The Two Eco model has the best values both in fuel efficiency and cargo volume amongst all standard Priuses.
2016 BMW 328d xDrive Sports Wagon AWD
2016 BMW 328d xDrive Sports Wagon © BMW AG
- Official Site
- MPG: City 30 / Hwy 40 (Comb 34)
- Cargo Volume: 27.5 cu. ft. (53 cu. ft. with rear seat lowered)
- Starting MSRP: $44,150
The first station wagon that made it to the list. While station wagons are spacious enough, they are not so fuel-efficient as we may want. So, BMW is among the minority that managed to combine both factors.
2016 BMW X3 xDrive28d AWD
2016 BMW X3 xDrive28d © BMW AG
- Official Site
- MPG: City 27 / Hwy 34 (Comb 30)
- Cargo Volume: 28 cu. ft. (63 cu. ft. with rear seat lowered)
- Starting MSRP: $42,450
Interesting that BMW’s SUV is cheaper than BMW’s wagon while it has a slightly larger cargo volume with a rear seat in place (and much larger if the rear seat is lowered).
2016 Toyota Prius v FWD
2016 Toyota Prius v © Toyota Motor Corporation
- Official Site
- MPG: City 44 / Hwy 40 (Comb 42)
- Cargo Volume: 34.3 cu. ft.
- Starting MSRP: $26,675
The Prius station wagon is more spacious than the standard Prius, of course. However, it is not so fuel-efficient. You have to decide what you need more: a capacious trunk or a better gas mileage. The price is almost the same.
2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD
2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid © Toyota Motor Corporation
- Official Site
- MPG: City 34 / Hwy 31 (Comb 33)
- Cargo Volume: 35.6 cu. ft. (70.6 cu. ft. with rear seat lowered)
- Starting MSRP: $28,370
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is the winner in both categories: with the rear seat in place and if it is lowered. In the latter case, it offers 70.6 cu. ft. of space comparable with some minivans!
