7. 2012 Ford Focus: 219,907 Cars Through October 2012
Not only does Ford’s current Focus look great and drive well, it also sips fuel in a very frugal manner. A base 2012 Focus, equipped with the 2.0-liter I-4 and a five-speed manual, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg in the city, and 36 mpg on the highway.
Add the automaker’s six-speed dual-clutch automatic, and that EPA rating grows to 28/38 mpg, respectively. Interestingly, that same transmission, fitted with Ford’s SelectShift function, causes that rating to slip back to 27/37 mpg.
Like many other compact cars, the Focus is offered in a special fuel economy-centric package. The Focus SFE, as Ford calls it, makes use of the same four-cylinder engine and six-speed dual clutch transmission, but manages to increase its EPA rating on the highway by two mpg thanks to aerodynamic tweaks.
