Cars With Best Gas Mileage

While buying a new car, one doesn’t always go for flash over economy. With fuel prices all set to rise in the next few years, more and more consumers are opting for better fuel efficient cars. Some of the cars with the best gas mileage include the 2008 Toyota Prius, the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid and the Scion IQ.

The term “mileage” refers to the number of miles a car can travel per gallon of gasoline. It varies from car to car and is affected by various factors including idling time, carrying excessive weight, and driving at high speeds.

Toyota Prius

By popular consent, the car which gives the best mileage is the 2008 Toyota Prius. Giving 46 miles per gallon, this car is in high demand in the United States. One of the reasons for its advanced fuel efficiency is the fact that it uses an electric motor at start up which saves a lot of fuel. It also comes equipped with a 1.8 liter petrol engine. Its four-cylinder engine yields 134 horsepower and it boasts an acceleration of 0-60 mph in 9.8 seconds.

Honda Civic Hybrid

Another car that made it high on the list is the Honda Civic Hybrid. This environmentally friendly vehicle gives a combined mileage of 42mpg. Unlike most other hybrid vehicles, it is almost indistinguishable from a gas-powered vehicle. It comes second in the list of top selling hybrid vehicles in the US. Competing with it is the Honda Insight that also gives 41mpg. However, while the former is more spacious, the latter is more economical.

The Lexus CT 200h also gives around 42mpg and combines both comfort as well as fuel efficiency to bring you a magnificent product. This hybrid hatchback has a 4-cylinder engine and can give up to 134hp.

Giving a mileage of 39 mpg, the Ford Fusion hybrid also won the award for North American Car of the Year in 2010. Featured regularly on Best Green Cars lists also, the Ford Fusion hybrid has a powerful engine. It is also better-priced when you compare it to the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid that also gives 39mpg. Both cars give 191hp, but the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is more stylish than the Ford Fusion.

The Smart Fortwo, that owes its name to the number of passengers it can seat, is also featured high on the list. Now in its second generation, it gives a mileage of 36mpg. It also has a diesel-powered variant available in Europe. The Smart Fortwo is not a hybrid vehicle, but instead runs on a 3-cylinder gasoline engine. Its power output is low, however, yielding only 71hp.

Volkswagen Jetta

The 2009 version of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI also made the list. Giving a mileage of 30 in the city and rising to 41 on the highway, its combined fuel efficiency is 34mpg. This diesel powered family vehicle was named for the “Atlantic Jet stream”. It gives 110 hp and at least 40mpg in both the manual and automatic transmission models.

All the cars listed above give the best gas mileage when compared with their counterparts. The fact that most of the cars on the list are hybrid vehicles is unsurprising as these kinds of cars have proven time and again their worth in terms of fuel efficiency.