The best fuel economy cars around are hybrid autos, such as Toyota Prius or Honda's Civic. These are followed by the compact foreign autos such as the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, Mini Cooper, Nissan's Altima and even the luxury Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec diesel vehicle.
Toyota Prius has an EPA mileage rating of 48/45. That's 48 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 45 miles per gallon on the open road. I'd be pleased with that. Wouldn't you? The Prius mixes a normal 1.5 liter, 4-cylinder petrol-powered engine with battery technology and an electric motor. When you brake in slow traffic, the momentum that is normally neutralized in the brakes is utilized to boost the hybrid vehicle's battery bank.
The hybrid Honda Civic rates an EPA mileage score of 40/45 mpg and is powered by a 1.3 liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engine with an added electric motor. It looks exactly the same as the normal gasoline model Honda Civic (detailed below), except that has a badge which says Hybrid.
The regular Honda Civic shows an EPA rating of 26/34 miles per gallon (manual transmission) or 25/36 (auto transmission). This car is compact yet stylish and luxurious, and Honda really do know how to make this baby squeeze every centimeter of distance from every molecule of petrol that the car burns.
The Mini Cooper boasts an EPA mileage score of 28/37 miles per gallon (manual transmission) or 26/34 mpg (auto transmission). The first figure is for driving in city traffic. The second is on the freeways. This modern rebuild of the famous 1960s English "Mini" car is actually built by BMW these days. It is a tiny car with a surprising amount of room when you sit inside. And like the little Cooper S model of yesteryear, this puppy can accelerate and corner like a race car.
The legendary Toyota Corolla keeps on truckin' as a famously favorite, reliable and cheap to run car. It does 26 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway (with manual gears) and 27 mpg in city traffic and 35 mpg on the highway (auto version) by EPA figures. That's truly excellent fuel economy. Toyota's 2009 Corolla is not just affordable, it is comfortable to drive and to sit in.. And its reliability is legendary.
The Nissan Altima does an EPA 23/32 mpg (manual gearbox), 23/31 (auto transmision). Just like the hybrid cars mentioned earlier, it has got a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) which has no obvious gear changes - since it is making infinitely-small gearing changes as you drive. The Nissan Ultima is a mid-sized motor car with a 2.5 liter engine, and it squeezes every ounce of power out of it while delivering excellent fuel savings.
The Mercedes E320 Bluetec does a decent 23/32 mpg according to the EPA, and manages this with luxurious style inside and out, powered by a 3 liter V6 engine which makes you think you are sitting in an 8-cylinder car.
Fluctuating fuel prices and the global money crisis are both making American commuters to think twice over their big gas-guzzling automobiles. And while Japanese and Korean-made imported autos were cheap in looks and quality some decades back, that is no longer the case. The quality is top-notch these days and the fuel savings cannot be beaten. That's why it's high time to go and examine the best fuel economy cars on the market. At the moment, the top cars are pretty much all made in Japan, but this is sure to change in time.
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