If you're reading all this stuff and wondering "wow, alternative fuel tech is great and all, but are there any *normal* cars that receive good mileage and are fun to drive?" Edmunds lists one possible answer: the Mini Cooper S. Their long-term test model is rated at 26 mpg city, 34 highway, and 29 combined. That's not bad for a 172 hp, turbocharged car that will "rip off 0-60 sprints in the mid-sixes whenever the mood strikes."

Those are the same exact MPG numbers as a base Honda Civic with a 5-speed manual. They're also better than the Corolla, the Focus, the Mazda 3, and countless other economy cars that don't perform as well. The tester in question managed 37 mpg once while driving on a flat highway with no traffic. Plus, the base Mini gets an even better (and more consistent) rating of 28/37 mpg with a 6-speed manual transmission.