Shelf order · Midsize Station Wagons
Most efficient
Most efficient
midsize station wagons
26 models ranked on the EPA's own combined figure — no manufacturer claims, no road tests, no paid placement. Topped by the Toyota Prius v at 41 MPG.
Ranked on the test sheet, best first
| # | Model | Combined | Fuel/yr | Per mile | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Prius v | 41 MPG | $1171 | $0.078 | 2012–2017 |
| 2 | Ford Focus Station Wagon | 26.5 MPG | $1811 | $0.121 | 2000–2007 |
| 3 | Mercedes-Benz E450 4matic All-Terrain (wagon) | 25 MPG | $1920 | $0.128 | 2021–2026 |
| 4 | Volkswagen Passat Wagon | 25 MPG | $1920 | $0.128 | 1990–2010 |
| 5 | Volvo V90CC B6 AWD | 25 MPG | $1920 | $0.128 | 2022–2026 |
| 6 | Volvo V90 CC AWD | 24 MPG | $2000 | $0.133 | 2017–2021 |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz AMG GLB35 4matic | 23 MPG | $2087 | $0.139 | 2021–2026 |
| 8 | Nissan Murano AWD | 23 MPG | $2087 | $0.139 | 2003–2026 |
| 9 | Nissan Murano FWD | 23 MPG | $2087 | $0.139 | 2005–2025 |
| 10 | Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA45 4matic | 22 MPG | $2182 | $0.145 | 2016–2023 |
| 11 | Mercedes-Benz E350 4matic (wagon) | 22 MPG | $2182 | $0.145 | 2006–2016 |
| 12 | Kia Rondo | 21.5 MPG | $2233 | $0.149 | 2007–2012 |
| 13 | Subaru Legacy Wagon AWD | 21.5 MPG | $2233 | $0.149 | 1992–2007 |
| 14 | Audi A6 Avant quattro | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 1999–2011 |
| 15 | Saturn LW300 | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 2001–2005 |
| 16 | Volvo V70 FWD | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 1998–2010 |
| 17 | Saab 9-5 Wagon | 20.5 MPG | $2341 | $0.156 | 1999–2005 |
| 18 | Volvo V70 AWD | 20.5 MPG | $2341 | $0.156 | 1998–2007 |
| 19 | Mercedes-Benz E320 (Wagon) | 20 MPG | $2400 | $0.160 | 2000–2005 |
| 20 | Volkswagen Passat Wagon 4motion | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 2000–2008 |
| 21 | Lexus RX 300 | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1999–2003 |
| 22 | Lexus RX 300 4WD | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1999–2003 |
| 23 | Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (wagon) | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 2007–2013 |
| 24 | Audi RS 6 Avant | 16 MPG | $3000 | $0.200 | 2021–2026 |
| 25 | Rolls-Royce Cullinan | 13 MPG | $3692 | $0.246 | 2019–2027 |
| 26 | Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge | 13 MPG | $3692 | $0.246 | 2020–2027 |
Current model-year figures, $3.20/gal fixed JUL 2026, 15,000 miles a year. Electric models are rated in MPGe and are not directly comparable on fuel cost.
SOURCE·US EPA fuel-economy test data·FUEL ASSUMED AT $3.20/GAL FROM JUL 2026·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How this is worked out
- Start from the EPA combined figure for the model year — a laboratory test cycle run to a fixed procedure, not a road result. Where a year sold several engines or drivetrains, the trims are averaged and the trim count is printed beside the row so you can see how much averaging is behind it.
- Fix a pump price. This site keeps one reference price, $3.20 a US gallon, fixed JUL 2026 and printed next to every dollar figure it produces. It is an assumption with a date on it, not a quote — put your own price in.
- Fix an annual distance. Every annual figure on this site uses 15,000 miles a year, roughly the US average. A cost per year with no stated distance is not a number, it is a mood.
- Divide distance by economy for gallons, multiply by price for the year's fuel, divide price by economy for one mile. The per-kilometre line is that last figure divided by 1.609344 — the same money, in the unit most of the world drives in.
- Stop there. No depreciation, no tyres, no insurance, no servicing. This is the fuel line of the ledger and it is labelled as one; depreciation usually dwarfs everything on it.
gallons/yr = miles/yr ÷ MPG fuel $/yr = gallons/yr × $/gal cost $/mi = $/gal ÷ MPG cost $/km = cost $/mi ÷ 1.609344
The full method, the licence note, and what a test figure cannot tell you →
