Ten best fun, fuel-efficient cars

EPA MPG estimates:
28 city/37 highway/32 combined (manual)
26/34/29 (automatic)
Premium fuel

The MINI is proof that if you keep things small, you can do great things while burning very little gasoline. Thanks to its diminutive size and light weight, the MINI Cooper derives plenty of acceleration from its tiny litte 1.6 liter engine. Think the MINI Cooper is too mini? No worries -- the long-wheelbase Cooper Clubman gets the same fuel economy as its shorter stablemate. And while the base-model Coopers are the fuel-sippin' champs on this list, the turbocharged Cooper S and Cooper S Clubman models aren't far behind: Equipped with a manual transmission, they boast the same fuel economy estimates as the non-turbo Cooper does with an automatic.

EPA MPG estimates:
27 city/32 highway/29 combined (manual)
24/33/28 (automatic)
Regular fuel

Wait, don't close your browser just yet -- hear me out on this one. While the Accent SE shares its 110 horsepower engine with lesser Accents, it gets unique tuning for its suspension and steering systems. Enter John Krafcik, Hyundai's VP of product planning and the man responsible for signing off on the SE's handling. John owns a Porsche 911 and a Caterham, so he knows how a car should drive -- and he made sure that know-how rubbed off on the Accent SE. I tried the Accent SE out on a racetrack, and while it was a bit pokey on the straightaways, I was amazed by how agile, stable and composed it felt in the curves.

EPA MPG estimates:
24 city/35 highway/28 combined (manual)
24/33/28 (automatic)
Regular fuel

Say what you will about the new Focus' bizarre styling or its 8-year-old platform -- the Focus is still one of my favorite cars to drive. Not just because it handles well -- though it does -- but because it has something so many econoboxes lack: character. Driving the Focus on a twisty road is like running with a puppy: It's hard to tell which one of you is having more fun. And The Focus is cheap to buy and cheap to fuel, which means you and your Focus can go out running as often as you like.

EPA MPG estimates:
22 city/30 highway/25 combined (manual)
Premium fuel

Ever since Chevy turned development of their SS models over to the GM Performance Division, we've seen some very impressive cars wearing the Super Sport badge, the and the 260 hp turbocharged Cobalt SS is the latest. Though many turbo engines are heavy drinkers, the Cobalt's direct fuel injection system delivers surprisingly good fuel economy, while skillful engineering has all but eliminated turbo lag and torque steer. Suspension and braking are beefed up and tuned for people who take their corners seriously. Honda owners may sneer at it on the street, but the Cobalt SS is a great choice for weekday commuters who spend their weekends on the racetrack.

EPA MPG estimates:
20 city/29 highway/24 combined (manual)
22/29/25 (automatic)
Premium fuel

Owning a Volkswagen GTI is like having your own personal amusement park ride. The 200 hp 2-liter turbo engine features direct fuel injection for snappy response and gets great gas mileage. As engines go, it's an absolute gem. Best fuel economy comes with the automatic, which isn't actually an automatic -- it's VW's Direct Shift Gearbox, a clutchless self-shifting transmission that delivers superior economy and performance compared to the standard 6-speed manual. (For more on how DSG works, go here.) Steering and suspension do their jobs just as well as the powertrain, so the GTI is a guaranteed smile-generator on the twisty bits.

EPA MPG estimates:
20 city/29 highway/24 combined (manual)
22/29/25 (automatic)
Premium fuel

Pretty much everything I've said about the Volkswagen GTI applies to the Audi A3 2.0T. The two cars share most of their mechanical bits, including the stellar 2.0T engine and DSG automatic transmission, and their EPA fuel economy estimates are identical. Compared to the GTI, the Audi A3 is a bit bigger, a bit more mature, quite a bit more luxurious and quite a lot more expensive -- but it's no less fun to drive, and that's what this list is all about.

EPA MPG estimates:
21 city/29 highway/24 combined (manual)
Premium fuel

The Civic Si is one of my all-time favorite sporty cars, and yet I steadfastly avoid driving it for fear of losing my license. The trick with the Civic Si is to drive it like you hate it -- keep the revs right up near the redline and it will pull like crazy while singing a glorious tune. The Civic Si's limited-slip differential eliminates many front-wheel-drive performance bugaboos, while its flyweight feel and expertly-tuned suspension make it an absolute animal in the turns. Think of it as a can of Red Bull with seats.

EPA MPG estimates:
22 city/27 highway/24 combined (manual)
20/27/23 (automatic)
Premium fuel

Everyone should own a convertible at least one in their life, and convertibles don't get much more fuel efficient than the Mazda Miata. Nor do they get much more enjoyable -- the Miata is so agile that it seems to respond to your brain waves rather than the steering wheel. Mazda's been selling the Miata for nearly twenty years, and despite two complete redesigns, they've never changed the basic formula -- and yet the car is still an enthusiast's favorite. What does that tell you?

EPA MPG estimates:
21 city/27 highway/23 combined (manual)
Regular fuel

"Weight is the enemy of performance." That was the philosophy of Lotus founder Colin Chapman. Mr. Chapman is gone, but his way of thinking lives on in the Lotus Elise. At 1,975 lbs, the Elise weighs only about 170 lbs more than a Smart Fortwo -- which means it can derive true supercar performance (0-60 in under 5 seconds, top speed 150 MPH) from a modest 1.8 liter Toyota-sourced engine. The engine is so modest, in fact, that it doesn't require premium fuel -- it runs on regular. And with less mass to change direction, the Elise is as good in the curves as it is on the straights.

EPA MPG estimates:
20 city/29 highway/23 combined (5-speed manual)
19/28/22 (6-speed manual)
19/26/21 (automatic)
Premium fuel

Lotus isn't the only fuel-efficient exotic on the market. Porsche's two-seat Boxster also has a healthy respect for today's gas prices. While it's no slouch in the straights -- 2.7 liter six-cylinder, 245 hp, 0-60 in under 6 seconds -- the real magic comes in the curves, where the Boxster's well-balanced mid-engine layout seems to perform miracles -- no matter how hard you hammer it, it's difficult to break the Boxster's composure. Oh, and did I mention that it's a convertible, or that it's the most affordable car in the Porsche showroom? Yep, looks like I did.