Shopping For a Fuel-Efficient Car
By Philip Reed @ Edmunds.com
When you shop for your next car one of your top questions should be, "What kind of fuel economy does it get?" Gas prices are rising and many experts feel they will continue the upward trend indefinitely. Be prepared by making fuel economy your top priority.
Of course you will want to get a car that meets your other needs. Still, you may be surprised at how many different models are available that will provide good fuel economy and a long list of attractive features.
Selecting a Fuel-Efficient Car
One of your first stops should be to visit www.fueleconomy.gov where you can quickly see the mileage and emissions ratings of all the cars currently for sale. Edmunds.com also carries the EPA mileage figures on the "Specs" page of each vehicle. Keep in mind that the EPA system is somewhat outdated and "real-world" mileage could be lower. However, when comparing cars, the EPA figures are still a useful benchmark.
Another good starting point is two lists provided by Edmunds.com: Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars for 2006 and Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient SUVs and Pickups for 2006. If one of these vehicles doesn't catch your eye, consider the following general rules when searching for a car that delivers good fuel economy.....
CONTINUED HEREcourtesy edmunds.com
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Classic Auto
Group fuel
saving
vehicles:
updated
2/8/2007
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Model
|
EPA
Estimated
MPG
city/hwy
|
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Hybrid
Cars
|
|
Toyota
Prius |
60/51
|
|
Honda
Civic
Hybrid |
49/51
|
|
Toyota
Camry
Hybrid |
40/38
|
|
Ford
Escape
Hybrid |
36/31
|
|
Toyota
Highlander
Hybrid |
33/28
|
|
Lexus
GS
450h |
25/28
|
|
Lexus
RX
400 |
19/24
|
|
Compact
Cars
|
|
Volkswagen
Golf
TDI |
37/44
|
|
Volkswagen
Jetta
TDI |
36/41
|
|
Volkswagen
New
Beetle
TDI |
37/44
|
|
Toyota
Yaris |
34/39
|
|
Toyota
Corolla |
32/41
|
|
Scion
xA |
31/38
|
|
Honda
Civic |
30/40
|
|
Pontiac
Vibe |
29/34
|
|
Chevrolet
Aveo |
27/37
|
|
Ford
Focus
ZX4 |
27/37
|
|
Pontiac
G6 |
23/34
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Full-Size
Cars
|
|
Hyundai
Sonata |
24/33
|
|
Toyota
Avalon |
22/31
|
|
Toyota
Camry |
24/34
|
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Chevrolet
Impala
(V6) |
21/31
|
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Chevrolet
Malibu
Maxx
(V6) |
22/30
|
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Mercury
Milan |
23/31
|
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Ford
Fusion |
23/31 |
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Luxury
Cars
|
|
Saab
9-3 |
22/31
|
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Lexus
IS
250
|
24/32
|
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Sports
Cars
|
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Volkswagen
GTI
|
25/31
|
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SUVs
|
|
Chevrolet
HHR |
23/30
|
|
Toyota
RAV4
(2WD) |
24/30
|
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