10 Diesel Cars With the Highest MPG

While diesel-powered cars remain rather slow-selling in the U.S., they are in huge supply in Europe and sell well. Many Americans still view diesel cars as miniature school busses that rap-tap down the road at a lumbering pace.

Thanks to recent advancements in sound insulation and exhaust tuning, the sound of a diesel engine is now nothing like it was years ago. Additionally, recent turbocharging technology and other performance-enhancing upgrades have led to some impressively powerful and responsive diesel engines. On top of their increased performance capabilities and reduced noise, modern clean-diesel engines are also easier on the environment and get hybrid-like fuel-economy numbers.

To help you better realize just what diesel power has to offer, we have compiled a list of the 10 most fuel-efficient diesel cars on the market today.

2015 Audi A6 3.0 TDI (Credit: © Audi USA)

10. 2015 Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro

Starting out our list of the top-10 most fuel efficient cars is a large luxury rig from Audi. The 2015 A6 3.0 TDI quattro checks in with EPA-estimated ratings of 24 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 29 mpg city. In the world of super-efficient hybrids, these numbers may seem sub-par, but in a midsize luxury car, these ratings are rather impressive.

The 3.0-liter TDI engine powering this luxo-rig is far from a rap-tapping school bus engine too, as it produces 240 horsepower between 3,500 and 3,750 rpm, and 428 pound-feet of torque between 1,750 and 2,250 rpm. This power travels through an eight-sped Tiptronic transmission on its way to all four wheels, via Audi’s quattro AWD system. This drivetrain affords this fuel-efficient luxury sedan a 0-to-60-mph sprint of just 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 130 mph.

As one can expect, the 2015 Audi A6 3.0 TDI quattro is not a cheap car, as it bases at $58,700 for the Premium Plus trim, while the Prestige trim bases at $62,500.