Top 13 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars
Those worried about ballooning gas prices can whittle their weight, keep their tires properly inflated and avoid long idles.
Or they can head to a Toyota dealer and ask about the Yaris.
The $11,350 subcompact is the most fuel efficient in its class, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It gets 29 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. Drivers paying $3.51 a gallon can expect to pony up $1,648 a year if driving 15,000 miles.
Other wallet-friendly vehicles include the Honda's Civic Hybrid ($1,253 a year), the MINI Cooper ($1,751 a year) and the smart fortwo convertible ($1,555 a year).
Small cars like these have scored big among buyers looking for a way to control rising gas prices; over the last year, the average cost of a gallon has risen more than 60 cents.
Thursday, automakers reported higher sales of small cars. Sales of the Ford Focus, for example, increased 32% last month and made up a third of Ford's passenger car sales.
Overall vehicle sales, however, have plunged. Chrysler reported a 29% drop, General Motors 23% and Ford 19%. Toyota's sales fell 4.5%, and Honda's and Nissan's both dropped 2%.
But small cars aren't the only options available to cost-conscious drivers.
Wallet-Friendly Wheels
Those unable to give up their need for speed might steer toward the Audi TT Coupe. The four-cylinder, two-liter sports car takes only premium gas but will set you back only $2,154 a year, according to the EPA's measures.
Growing families have a couple options. The Volkswagen Passat Wagon gets 21 mpg in the city, and 29 on the highway. That will cost parents $2,333 a year. The Ford Escape Hybrid SUV gets an enviable 34/30 mpg city/highway for a $1,648 yearly outlay.
While hybrids like the Ford Escape are good options for some, experts say an analysis of your actual driving needs is the best way to maximize your fuel economy.
"If your commute includes a lot of highway driving, then a car with a manual transmission or diesel engine is much better than a hybrid," says David Champion, director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Division. But "if you commute through heavy traffic, then go with a hybrid."
What's more, not all hybrids and high-mileage vehicles are going to be worth the savings in fuel. A hybrid SUV might save buyers as much as 25% in gas, but those savings are likely to be eclipsed by a massive price difference over comparably priced SUVs. The Ford Escape is a fairly affordable SUV at $19,140, but the hybrid version costs an additional $7,000.
The same principle also applies to traditional cars. Toyota's wildly popular Corolla gets a solid 32 average mpg compared with Chevy's Cobalt, which only gets 25. Over the course of a year, the average fuel savings for a Corolla is $525, but the Cobalt can cost up to $4,000 less for the 2008 model. So unless you plan on keeping the Corolla for eight years, buying on the sole basis of fuel economy doesn't make much sense.
Top Tips
If you're not ready to buy a new car, fuel efficiency can be increased with a few common-sense measures. Weight from the number of passengers or a cluttered trunk is a major consideration, though it tends to be more important in the city. Too often, aerodynamics play a part since drivers leave roof racks on cars lose as much as six mpg as a result.
But according to experts, the most significant impact on fuel efficiency is the way you drive.
"Driver behavior is far and away the biggest impact on fuel efficiency," says Philip Reed, a consumer advice editor an for automotive Web site. "Acceleration is the greatest factor wasting energy, gas and polluting. But in most traffic situations accelerating isn't going to get you there any faster."
