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Here at About.com Cars, our philosophy is that one shouldn’t teamwork up comfort, safety and enjoyment just to save fuel. That’s why this isn’t just a by-the-numbers list of cars with the best fuel terseness. Instead, the About Cars assess drivers and I are pleased to today our list of cars we ponder are the creme-de-la-creme of fuel-savers. Here they are, in alphabetical order.

1. Ford FocusPhoto Aaron GoldEPA city/highway mileage: 24/35 (manual), 24/33 (mechanical)

Though most of the cars on this list are imports, that doesn’t mean the domestics don’t built fuel-efficient cars — granted it’s no coincidence that the fuel-efficient Focus was large designed by Ford’s European discord. The Focus’ fuel economy trails a bit compared to Japanese compacts, but it’s cheap to buy, brimming with disposition and enjoyable to oblige.

Ford Focus review2. Honda FitImage HondaEPA city/highway mileage: 28/34 (manual), 27/34 (automatic Base), 27/33 (automatic Sport)

The Fit is one of several minicars to hit American (and Canadian) streets in recent months, but few, if any, do such a good job of divvying up seat between front seats, back seats and shipment bay. Thoughtful engineering gives the Fit gobs of personal wait, including room someone is concerned tall drivers, and it delivers excellent sustain economy in the real world, not just on paper.

Honda Fit review3. Honda CivicPhoto Liz KimEPA city/highway mileage: 26/34 (manual), 25/36 (automatic), 40/45 (cross-breed)

When it comes to squeezing every last inch of motion out of a drop of gasoline, no rhyme does it like Honda. The Civic ties the MINI Cooper on the title of (deep breath) most economical non-hyrbid car with an automatic transmission on this list — an amazing feat considering the Civic’s acres of interior room and loud complement of safety features. And if that isn’t enough, Honda offers a hybrid version of the Civic — as well as the super-green Civic GX, which runs on natural gas and requires no gasoline at all.

Honda Civic review
Honda Civic Hybrid review4. Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETECPhoto Aaron GoldEPA city/highway mileage: 23/32

The E320 BLUETEC is one of the only diesel-powered passenger cars sold in the US. Some people flat meditate on diesels are evil-smelling, smokey and slow, but I punt if everyone in the US got the chance to test-drive a Mercedes E320 BLUETEC, demand on diesel cars would go through the roof. With its 3-liter V6 powerplant, the E320 BLUETEC offers the passing power of a V8 with the fuel economy of a compact sedan — pretty impressive for a car this big and luxurious. With a price premium of only $1,000 over the gasoline-powered version and significantly better fuel economy, the E320 BLUETEC just makes sense.

Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC review5. MINI CooperPhoto Aaron GoldEPA city/highway mileage: 28/37 (manual), 26/34 (automatic)

The MINI Cooper has already earned a stature for being fun to drive and remarkably huge considering its pint-sized interior. In 2008, MINI introduced the extended-wheelbase Cooper Clubman that has more room — most of it concentrated in the back seat — and is rightful as fuel efficient. The base-model Cooper is the fuel-economy champ, though even the turbocharged hot-rod Cooper S and Cooper S Clubman are tuneful fuel-efficient, a big astonish considering how nimble they are.

MINI Cooper Clubman review6. Nissan AltimaPhoto Aaron GoldEPA New Zealand urban area/highway mileage: 23/32 (enchiridion), 23/31 (CVT robot)

The four-cylinder Nissan Altima’s EPA fuel estimates are fetching of a small crate, but the Altima is anything but small. And the four-cylinder version is anything but gutless — it has a big 2.5 liter engine that packs a health 180 lb-ft of torque. Best yet, it uses a continuously variable automatic transmission, which wrings more power out of the machine than a conventional automatic while scoring fuel economy correspond to to a manual. A great choice for those who scarcity a mid-size transport and are looking to save money on provoke. (And for those who don’t have kids, the Altima is also available as an attractive coupe.

Nissan Altima review

7. Nissan SentraPhoto Aaron GoldEPA city/highway mileage: 24/31 (manual), 25/33 (CVT automatic)

Common wisdom says that if you want the best fuel economy you should buy a car with a manual transmission. That’s not place anymore; many automatics get similar or better fuel frugality than their manual counterparts (see the Honda Civic, above). But the Nissan Sentra takes goes one to take action futher with its continously-variable automatic transmission (CVT). The CVT Sentra not only gets fuel economy than a manual, it also feels more powerful — plus it comes wrapped in a roomy and substantial compact sedan that’s easy to live with.

Nissan Sentra review8. Toyota Camry HybridImage ToyotaEPA burg/highway mileage: 33/34

When America’s best-selling car adapts hybrid technology, you know it’s here to stay. Unlike the Prius, the Camry presents an altogether conventional driving experience. Its bigger (2.4 liter) engine and conventional tires, sum total other factors, yield fuel economy that’s tone down than a Prius, but a darn sight better than regular Camrys — and it’s so transparent you can effortlessly forget it’s a hybrid.

Toyota Camry Hybrid review9. Toyota CorollaPhoto Aaron GoldEPA city/highway mileage: 26/35 (manual), 27/35 (automatic)

With all those hybrids in the Toyota folks, not to mention the hybrid version of its arch-nemesis, the Honda Civic, it’s easy to forget that the Corolla is a remarkably economic car in its own right, even in automatic guise, provided you stick with the smaller 1.8 liter engine. Completely redesigned for 2009, the advanced Corolla is large, well trimmed out, affordable, and unbelievably reliable — plus it boasts fuel economy correspondent to or greater than numerous subcompacts. Impressive!

Toyota Corolla review10. Toyota PriusPhoto Aaron GoldEPA mileage: 48/45

The Prius will be remembered as the car that put hybrids on the map. But even if you put fuel economy aside, the Prius is still a great car. The hatchback density makes it excessively practical, and the Buck Rogers internal is a nice variation from the standard car up-country that’s both futuristic and easy to get used to. Expect real-world fuel economy of round 45 MPG, which is pretty darn adroit for a car this roomy.

Toyota Prius review