Most Fuel-Efficient Cars Still the Prius and Honda Civic

Despite all the green cars I saw on display at the North American International Auto Show, I came away convinced that if you want to buy a really eco-friendly vehicle, the highly fuel-efficient Prius and Honda Civic Hybrids are still your best bet.

Here are a few comparisons of gas-saving vehicles in case you're in the market for a car right now. Mileage estimates are taken from the federal www.fueleconomy.gov.

Sedans

• Toyota Prius (left) - 48 mpg city/ 45 mpg hwy (some drivers report getting as much as 56 mpg on the hwy; some drivers report getting as "little" as 35 mpg in the city -- which still outperforms most other models)

• Honda Civic Hybrid (right) - 40 mpg city/ 45 mpg hwy

• Camry Hybrid Sedan 33 mpg city/ 34 mpg hwy (some drivers report getting as much as 42 mpg on the highway
• Toyota Corolla 28 mpg city/ 37 mpg hwy
• Toyota Yaris 29 mpg city/ 36 mpg hwy  (manual transmission)
• Saturn Aura Hybrid Sedan  24 mpg city/ 32 mpg hwy

Mini Vans (still no gas-saving hybrids available; the companies are focusing their fuel-efficiency initiatives on sedans and SUVs)

• Honda Odyssey - 17 mpg city/ 25 mpg hwy

• Dodge Caravan - 17 mpg city/ 24 mpg hwy
• Toyota Sienna - 16 mpg city /21 mpg hwy

SUV Hybrids (from an environmental point of view, there's no point in considering non-hybrid SUVs, all of which get less than 20 mpg, and many of which squeak by with a measley 10-15 mpg)

• Ford Escape Hybrid  29 mpg city/ 29 mpg hwy (right)
• Saturn Vue Hybrid 25 mpg city/ 32 mpg hwy
• Toyota Highlander  27 mpg city / 25 mpg hwy

Compare any of these to the best-selling Ford F-150 FFV 4WD pick-up truck. This gas guzzler gets a paltry 13 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the hwy. And if you use the E-85 ethanol blend so many of the car makers are talking up, the fuel efficiency of the F-150 drops significantly: to 10 mpg in the city and 12 mpg hwy.

To compare other cars you may be considering, visit www.fueleconomy.gov.

To see the most fuel-efficient vehicles by class, visit http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/class-high.htm.

To take a peek at the new green cars you can consider buying in 2010, read the rundown at EcoGeeks.

Comments

[Jim Farrell]

Diane, great Blog Post with informative details on the best Fuel Efficient Cars.

I just did a Podcast Episode and Blog Post on
Fuel Efficient Cars - Still the Smart Buy?

This was for a dealership in Madison, NJ - I did some research prior to the interview and came away very impressed with Honda and its committment to having green cars. Would love to have you leave a comment with your opinion.

http://blog.business-bits.com/?p=18

http://www.timbremedia.com/businessbitswithjimfarrell/fuelefficientcarsstillthesmartbuy.aspx

Keep up the great work.

Jim Farrell

[Diane MacEachern]

Thanks, Rose!

[Pedal Ride on Car]

It's always great to see the milage comparisons promoted as a reminder of what you are getting into before you make that next vehicle purchase. Why anyone would buy a huge pickup to drive around town? I just don't get it and I like trucks just like the next guy.

[john walter]

That's excellent news iam thinking of buying a car which is more efficient in terms of fuel consumption & performance thanks for the article and hope to see new articles soon

[Diane MacEachern]

Of course, the real question is, do you need a car at all? Can you walk distances less than a mile, use a bicycle, car pool, join ZipCar? There are many ways to get where we want to go without driving ourselves there.

[Camo Truck Seat Covers]

In this time of energy crisis, we really need cars that are fuel efficient. Thanks for giving us the heads up mate!

[advantage toyota]

Glad to hear that the Honda Civic and Toyota Prius are very dependable on economic factors on fuel. I am now choosing between the two models for my first car.