FuelFacts

2006 Toyota Prius MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

46
MPG combined (48 city / 45 hwy)
$1,239
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 2006 Toyota Prius good on gas?

At up to 46 MPG combined, the 2006 Toyota Prius is better than average for a Midsize Cars — that class averages about 23.0 MPG across 5,710 EPA-tested versions, so it's a good pick on fuel for its size.

Real-world MPG vs the EPA number

The EPA figures above come from a standardized dynamometer test, not the open road — real-world MPG typically runs a bit lower depending on your driving, climate and terrain. That's true of every car on this site, old or new.

This 2006 model was originally EPA-tested under the pre-2008 2-cycle method, which didn't account for highway speeds over 60 mph, air-conditioner use, or cold starts. When EPA overhauled the test for model year 2008, city ratings fell by about 12% and highway by about 8% on average industry-wide — and EPA retroactively adjusted every 1984-2007 rating to the stricter standard so old and new cars could be compared fairly. The MPG above is already on that modern scale — the window sticker on this car when it was new likely showed a higher, pre-2008-method number.

At today's AAA national average price — $3.80/gal for regular gas as of 2026-07-05 — the most efficient trim runs about $1,239/year (roughly $103/month, about $8.26 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 326 gallons a year. We don't estimate a cost-per-fill since exact tank size isn't in the public EPA dataset, but the per-100-mile figure scales to any tank. Current national average gas prices →

2006 Toyota Prius trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
1.5L 4-cyl, CVT automatic, FWDREGULAR46$1,239

2006 Toyota Prius specs

What the EPA test-car listings record for this model year — every combination sold is a row in the trims table above.

Engine options1.5L 4-cyl
TransmissionCVT automatic
Drive typeFWD
EPA body classMidsize Cars
FuelRegular

Other years of the Toyota Prius

2010 Toyota Prius2009 Toyota Prius2008 Toyota Prius2007 Toyota Prius2005 Toyota Prius2004 Toyota Prius2003 Toyota Prius2002 Toyota Prius

Similar cars (Midsize Cars)

2006 Mercedes-Benz E320 Cdi2006 Kia Optima (2006 New Model)2006 Chrysler Sebring 4 Door2006 Dodge Stratus 4 Door2006 Lexus GS 300/GS 4302006 Saab 9-5

Cars that take premium · Cheapest cars to fuel · Where fuel grade depends on the trim · Fuel guides

1 trim(s) · EPA FuelEconomy.gov data retrieved 2026-07-24 · fuel prices AAA national average as of 2026-07-05.