10 Cars With The Highest Annual Fuel Costs According To The EPA

Summary

• Fuel consumption is key when buying a new car, with hybrid options offering savings over traditional ICE vehicles.
• The Bugatti Chiron tops the list for fuel costs, costing over $7,000 annually with a combined MPG of 9.
• Luxury cars like Rolls-Royce offer style and comfort but come with high fuel costs, averaging $4,900 a year to run.

With the recent news that gas prices have gone up, one of the top priorities for Americans when buying a new vehicle is how good fuel consumption is, not how fast or powerful the car is. As trends in the auto market lean towards hybrid cars thanks to their high available range and respectable combined MPG ratings, they are maybe the sensible choice for you, if you want a more economical car compared to some pure ICE vehicles, or don’t quite have the budget or inclination for a luxurious top of the range electric car.

Every year, the EPA creates a list of cars that boast the best fuel consumption figures, along with the average yearly cost of gas to run them. Models like the ever-frugal Toyota Prius sit unshaken at the top of its respective segment with a combined MPG rating of 57 MPG. According to Fuel Economy.gov, the super-efficient 2024 Toyota Prius will cost you $950 on average in gas a year, so compared to the average modern car, you have the potential to save $5,000 on average in fuel costs over 5 years of ownership. It is a great example of a frugal car for the gas-consumption-conscious driver.

But of course, as there is a list of cars with the best fuel consumption, there is also a list of cars in 2024 with the worst fuel consumption statistics. We have researched the list that the EPA has released, along with other sources, to bring you information about the 10 cars with the highest annual fuel cost in 2024. Cars, that, unless you don’t need to think about fuel costs, we would avoid. The list may not be a surprising one to you, but there is at least one car on it that you may not expect to see there compared to the other high-priced entries.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including EPA, Forbes, Fuel Economy.gov, CNN, CarBuzz, HotCars, and Car Edge. The following list of the top 10 cars with the highest annual fuel cost according to the EPA has been ordered from the most expensive out of the ten, to the least expensive.

10 2024 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $7,600

Though Bugatti has not released a price to the public, Forbes has suggested that the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport hypercar has a base price of $3.7 million. If you have money like that to spend on a car, then fuel prices may not really bother you. But, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport sits very comfortably at the top of the EPA’s list of cars with the worst fuel economy for 2024.

For the money spent though, you do get an incredibly fast, modern, prestigious, and head-turning hypercar that is automobile engineering at its most proficient.

Performance Specifications

According to Fuel Economy.gov, the 2024 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport can achieve a combined MPG rating of 9 MPG and will cost you over $7,000 in gas a year. Compared to the average modern car, which has an average combined MPG rating of 28 MPG, the Chiron SS will cost you an extra $28,250 in gas, or $12 every 25 miles in gas. It really is a hypercar for those with a seemingly endless budget.

Pros

• Lightning quick
• Very luxurious and prestigious
• An individual hypercar with everything going for it

Cons

• Astronomically high MRSP
• High running costs
• Spare parts costs can run into the 100s-of-thousands

9 2024 Ferrari Daytona SP3

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $5,250

With a starting price of $2.2 million, the 2024 Ferrari Daytona SP3 is an extremely prestigious hypercar that any gearhead would love to have in his or her collection. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that, and you have to be invited by Ferrari themselves to purchase one.

If you can ignore the elite standing of the Daytona SP3, you’ll love hearing that, for over a million dollars less than the Chiron Super Sport, it is less than a second slower to 60 MPH.

Performance Specifications

If you are lucky enough to make it to Ferrari’s buyers’ list, then be aware of the high fuel costs for this sleek machine. According to Fuel Economy.gov, it will cost you $8.79 to drive 25 miles, over $5,000 a year in gas, and $16,500 more over 5 years of ownership compared to the average modern car. The combined MPG rating for the 2024 Daytona SP3 is a lowly 13 MPG based on driving 15,000 miles a year.

Pros

• Very powerful V-12 sitting under the hood
• Simple and distraction-free cabin
• An extremely exclusive car

Cons

• By invitation only purchase
• Huge base MRSP which is likely to rise
• Basic interior

8 2024 Bentley Continental GTC

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $4,900

Bentley cars have always been synonymous with luxury and style. The 2024 Bentley Continental GTC is no exception and, with a hefty starting price tag of $276,000, you can expect a lot of luxury features in the form of upscale upholstery, a comfortable ride, lots of tech features, prestigious-looking exterior design, and a powerful V-8 engine featured in the base model.

Performance Specifications

Higher trim models of the Continental GTC boast a very impressive W-12 engine which, though it is very powerful, the most powerful Bentley has ever created, is a real gas-guzzler. According to Fuel Economy.gov, the Bentley Continental GTC can achieve a combined MPG rating of 14 MPG and will cost you nearly $5,000 a year in gas, or $8.16 every 25 miles.

Pros

• Luxury is the word
• Beautiful looking car
• Not as expensive as others on the list to buy

Cons

• Incredibly high running costs
• Heavier and slower than other powerful engined cars
• The trim that features the most powerful engine will set you back at least $400,000

7 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon Aero

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $4,900

The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon Aero is an all-American sports car with high performance and driving specifications. But, not a lot of gas-saving promise. Fuel Economy.gov has said that it will cost you $85 to fill the tank but will only get you on average 259 miles down the road. Each year, the Z06 Carbon Aero will cost you nearly $5,000 in fuel due to its low combined MPG rating of 14 MPG and, over 5 years, an extra $14,750 compared to the average modern car.

Performance Specifications

Without adding the Carbon Aero package, the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is still a beast of a dependable mid-engine American sports car that, thanks to its athletic prowess, can achieve some rapid 0-60 MPH times. The base trim of the 2024 Corvette Z06 starts at $112,700, whilst adding the Carbon Aero package will add between $8,000 to $11,000 to the price, but you will benefit from the addition of light-weight carbon fiber dive plains, front and rear carbon fiber splitters, and a high-wing spoiler.

Pros

• Light with an insane powertrain
• A menace, but still road-legal
• Demon on the track

Cons

• High MRSP
• Not very practical
• Costly repairs and parts

6 2024 Rolls-Royce Ghost

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $4,900

There is no denying that you would see a 2024 Rolls-Royce Ghost rumbling down the street towards you. It is a full-size luxury car that exudes class and a certain je ne sais quoi. The interior is plush and adorned with hand-stitched leather upholstery, whilst the exterior gently reminds others on the road that it is a prestige machine. To own one, though, you will certainly need a full-sized wallet. Before even mentioning the hefty starting price tag of way over $300,000, the 2024 Ghost is no eco-machine.

Performance Specifications

Partly due to the heavy curb weight, partly due to the thumping great turbocharged V-12 under the long hood, the 2024 Rolls-Royce Ghost can only achieve a combined MPG rating of 14 MPG. This means you are spending $8.16 per 25 miles of driving and over $14,000 more in gas compared to other cars on the road. But at least you are doing it in extreme style and comfort.

Pros

• Extremely luxurious car
• Plush interior design
• Exclusive car to own

Cons

• Heavy curb weight of 5,445 LBS
• Slower than other high-priced luxury cars
• High MRSP of $354,750

5 2024 Rolls-Royce Phantom

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $4,900

Another high-end and luxurious British car has made it to the list of cars with the worst fuel consumption for 2024. The 2024 Rolls-Royce Phantom weighs a whopping 5,754 lbs and is 227 inches in length. It is not a small car in any way imaginable, and it does offer a spacious amount of rear and front legroom for a comfortable ride. The weight and large displacement V-12 ensures that the Phantom can only achieve a meager combined MPG rating of 14 MPG.

Performance Specifications

Boasting a tamer 0-60 MPH speed than others on the list but still costing thousands of dollars a year in gas, the 2024 Phantom is a luxury full-sized car for the super-wealthy who are maybe not fussed about face-melting speeds or huge top speed ability. Showcasing the same amount spent on gas per 25 miles as the Rolls-Royce Ghost on our list, the Phantom is the more expensive and maybe more prestigious out of the two. If you had to be picky that is.

Pros

• Very comfortable and stylish
• Very powerful engine under the hood
• Epitome of luxuriousness

Cons

• Huge starting MRSP of $490,000
• Costly running and repair bills
• Though arguably more plush, there are cheaper alternatives that are faster, such as the Bentley Continental GTC

4 2024 Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $4,900

Attached to the huge MRSP of $391,000 for the luxurious 2024 Rolls-Royce Cullinan is a less-than-inspiring combined MPG rating of 14 MPG. That is an average of 12 MPG around the city, if you can fit it down some of the narrower streets, and 19 MPG on the highway. Whichever way you look at it, the Cullinan costs a lot in fuel to run.

Performance Specifications

Though slower than other Rollers, the Cullinan costs the same in gas per 25 miles as the Ghost and the Phantom on our list. There are nearly endless customization options for the Cullinan, from your choice of interior inlays and interior leather design to the exterior paintwork. But as standard, you will receive the height of Rolls-Royce luxury in a model that is slightly different compared to others in their line-up due to its unique design and powertrain option.

Pros

• Rolls-Royce luxury
• Comfortable inside
• High-end finished exterior

Cons

• Rolls-Royce price-tag
• Slower than some other similarly priced luxury cars
• Very big; 72 inches in height and 790 inches in width

3 2024 Aston Martin Valour

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $4,900

The 2024 Aston Martin Valour, though it shares the same pedigree as the Bentleys and Roll-Royces on our list, cannot blame its weight for its lower-than-average combined MPG rating, as its body is made nearly entirely from carbon fiber. It has its ridiculously powered powertrain to blame, not that we are complaining though.

Performance Specifications

Combining what we love about retro-motoring, retro-stylings, and modern technology, the 2024 Aston Martin Valour is a fantastic way for Aston Martin to say goodbye to pure ICE sportiness. With the news they are going to work closely with Lucid to create sporty, high-end electric cars, we can’t really blame them for going out with such a powerful last hoorah with the Valour.

If you are one of the lucky ones who have already bought a Valour, Fuel Economy.gov has said that you can only expect a combined MPG of 14 MPG, and it will cost you $8.16 in gas every 25 miles of driving.

Pros

• It features a manual transmission
• Looks every part as classy as expected
• A real driving enthusiast’s model to celebrate 110 years of Aston Martin

Cons

• The MRSP is $1,000,000!
• Only 110 were built and they have all been sold
• Very expensive to repair

2 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $4,550

For a car that is priced at $93,495, the 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is by far the cheapest on the list, but it is still high up on the list of cars with the worst fuel economy for 2024.

The EPA has said that the 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing can achieve a combined MPG rating of 15 MPG. On average, this will cost you $7.62 per 25 miles and $13,000 in fuel over 5 years of ownership. With a range of only 255 miles, it does fall a long way short compared to some gas-powered cars that can achieve a range of over 500 miles from a single tank.

Performance Specifications

But, like the Aston Martin on the list, the Blackwing may be forgiven for the low combined MPG rating as it is likely that this sporty and luxurious sedan will be one of the last RWD manual four-door sports cars. Cadillac has a long and varied heritage of awesome cars, but will likely be saying goodbye to this sporty configuration due to changing trends in the auto market. So, this powerful sports sedan may cost a lot to run, but it may be the last of a dying breed.

Pros

• A great all-American sports car
• Features a manual transmission as standard
• Practical thanks to being designed with four doors

Cons

• Expensive to run
• The top trim is $42,000 more expensive than others in the Cadillac V lineup
• Will likely increase in second-hand price because of its status

1 2024 Bentley Continental GT

Average Annual Fuel Cost: $4,050

Designed by Bentley to appeal to a younger audience compared to their previous models, the Bentley Continental GT has been a very successful model for them with tens of thousands of them sold. This year’s edition is just as luxurious and prestigious.

Boasting a very powerful engine under the hood, highly customizable interior and exterior design, plush additions, and everything you would expect from a Bentley, the Continental GT is the most frugal of the 10 cars with the worst fuel economy for 2024, with a combined MPG rating of 17 MPG, costing you on average $6.72 per 25 miles and $10,500 in gas over 5 years.

Performance Specifications

Compared to the likes of other full-size cars like the super-frugal 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, which has a combined MPG rating of 50 MPG, the 2024 Bentley Continental GT is lacking somewhat, but you do get an awful amount of luxury despite the expensive fuel costs and high MRSP of $242,700.

Pros

• Very luxurious
• Very fast considering its weight of 5,011 lbs
• Highly customizable

Cons