EPA city/highway mileage: 27/37 (manual), 27/34 (automatic)
Though most of the cars on this list are imports, that doesn't mean the domestics don't built fuel-efficient cars -- though it's no coincidence that the fuel-efficient Focus was largely designed by Ford's European division. The Focus compares favorably to Japanese compacts in terms of fuel efficiency, particularly in manual-transmission form, plus it's brimming with personality and enjoyable to drive.
Read more: Ford Focus test drive and review