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  • The 2022 Kio Rio hatchback saves fuel and adds space
  • Hyundai’s Accent returns excellent fuel economy on the highway
  • Mercedes-Benz offers a luxury subcompact bargain with AWD

Subcompact sedans are the workhorses of the American transport system. People use cars like the 2022 Hyundai Accent to get from one place to another while spending as little money as possible. Obviously, one of the best ways to do that is by sipping fuel. Gas prices continue to rise, and TrueCar has put together a list of the most gas-friendly sedans for nearly every budget.

What subcompact sedan has the best MPG rating?

A red 2022 Hyundai Accent subcompact sedan shot from the front 3/4
The new Accent | Hyundai

We’ll start with dessert first. The 2022 Hyundai Accent is a subcompact sedan that manages to sip gas like nothing else on TC’s list. It’ll manage a whopping 41 mpg on the highway, and a shockingly high 33 mpg in the city. That’s especially impressive given the stop-go traffic common in modern cities. It’s also where a car’s fuel economy is at its worst.

However, just because the subcompact sedan’s gas mileage is good doesn’t mean you’ve got to suffer while saving money, and the Accent also lost its manual transmission in favor of better fuel economy. There’s three trim levels starting at $17,670, and each offers some niceties that’ll help suffering through that city traffic be a little more bearable. That includes goodies like Android Auto, Carplay, and some level of cruise control (depending on trim). Finally, Hyundai’s warranty coverage is some of the best in the business, so if you do break down, you’ll be covered.

The 2022 Kia Rio is a good car with better gas mileage

A blue 2022 Kia Rio shot from the front 3/4 on a city street
The Rio is the thriftiest sedan in the segment | Kia

To continue that warranty train of thought, the 2022 Kia Rio is another subcompact sedan with a killer warranty. Makes sense, as both are the same brand (a-la Honda and Acura), and offer a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. If you look closely, you’ll start to see some similarities between the two cars, especially around the A and B pillars. Again powered by a 1.6L, FWD layout, the 2022 Kia Rio manages the same MPG as the 2022 Hyundai Accent, at 33 city and 41 highway.

However, the most critical difference between these two cars is the inclusion of a hatchback body style for the Rio. In the subcompact sedan segment, space is obviously at a premium. Having a hatchback is far and away the best way to eliminate this space issue. Plus, like the Accent, Carplay and Android Auto are standard. The Rio is one of the cheapest cars on the road, and also starts in roughly the same price bracket at the Accent, at $17,145.

A 2022 Mercedes-Benz A Class is a luxury sedan worth buying

A Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan shot from the 3/4 angle at an auto show
The new Mercedes A Class | Sjoerd van der Wal via Getty Images

If you’ve got some more cash to burn, you’re in luck, because Mercedes-Benz also has their take on the thrifty subcompact sedan segment. With a higher starting price of $35,000 the A Class offers far more luxuries than either of the above models and also offers AWD. You’ll pay the AWD price for fuel economy though, with the A Class returning 25 city and 35 highway. There’s also a decidedly un-thrifty AMG A 35 for those that could give a damn about gas prices. We’d recommend the Rio hatchback, as it certainly helps to assuage the space issues common in this segment at a bargain price.

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