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. (By the way, you can reduce exterior maintenance on your car by keeping it covered. Here are a variety of Honda car covers, courtesy of CarCovers.com.)
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.
7 thoughts on “Most Fuel-Efficient Cars Still the Prius and Honda Civic”
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
Thanks, Rose!
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.
In this time of energy crisis, we really need cars that are fuel efficient. Thanks for giving us the heads up mate!
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.
Candlelight! I love it too. And little lamps in the corners of rooms instantly cozies it up. To get more various candles. Visit: http://www.reasonablegifts.com
glad to find this information. I have always had great experiences in Honda dealers and it is great to find out that they are making some of the most efficient cars out there as well
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