The Faster Lane

Get better mileage, or else! That’s the U.S. government’s mandate to automakers, who must raise the average car’s fuel efficiency to 54.5 m.p.g. by 2025–a whopping 100% increase over existing standards–to curb oil consumption. The quickest fix: Start thinking smaller. Minicars naturally guzzle less gas, and their makers are experimenting with next-gen batteries and engines (for example, the 1.5-L model powering the Prius C) to drive m.p.g. rates even higher. “There’s great creativity in the auto industry right now,” says Eddie Alterman, editor in chief of Car and Driver magazine. It’s a good thing too, because getting SUV-obsessed Americans to go small will require some whiz-bang innovation. Here are the new cars revving up for that challenge.

22 m.p.g.*

SUBARU BRZ

The much hyped mini sports car has a top speed of 143 m.p.h., although its paltry–by comparison, at least–m.p.g. figure won’t be a game changer. Available now

26 m.p.g.

CHEVROLET SONIC

The Sonic, which debuted last summer, is working wonders for GM: a record 8,251 were sold in March, up 4% from the month before. Available now

30 m.p.g.

FIAT 500

Italy’s biggest automaker has re-entered the U.S. with a vengeance (see: ads featuring Jennifer Lopez and Charlie Sheen), so expectations are high for its first electric vehicle (EV), which will cost roughly $35,000. Available summer 2013

36 m.p.g.

TOYOTA SCION IQ

This four-passenger EV has won raves for its highway handling. The one downside: a $16,000 price tag, which is pretty steep for a car that’s just 10 feet long. Available now

41 m.p.g.

FORD C-MAX

Ford bills its C-Max model as “the Prius fighter”–though it’ll have to post a pretty low price point to offset that rumored 41 m.p.g., which is much lower than the mileage for Toyota’s new hybrid. Available this summer

53 m.p.g.

TOYOTA PRIUS C

Within three days of its launch, America’s most affordable hybrid (which goes for $19,000) had sold more than 1,200 units–a white-hot start for any car. Available now

123 m.p.g.

HONDA FIT EV

Plug-ins have long struggled in the U.S., but this model’s specs could change the game. It helps too that one reviewer wrote that it was like “a Fit on Viagra.” Available this summer (West Coast only)

*All m.p.g. estimated for city driving