EPA city/highway mileage: 26/35 (manual), 26/34 (CVT automatic)
The four-cylinder Nissan Altima's EPA fuel estimates are becoming of a small car, 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 engine than a conventional automatic while scoring fuel economy similar to a manual. A great choice for those who need a mid-size car and are looking to save money on fuel.