Top Picks for Fuel-efficient Cars

01/09/2007

by John Rockhold,
Mother Earth News Managing Editor
January 9, 2007


MATTHEW T. STALLBAUMER


Among the 2006 and 2007 lineups of new cars, there are improved perennial standouts, a growing number of hybrids and a crop of affordable, fuel-efficient small cars.

Choosing the “greenest” vehicle for your needs is an important — and empowering — decision. Whether it’s eschewing a car for a bike and/or public transportation; picking a small, gas-sipping car for your daily commute; or trading in the gas-gulping SUV for an efficient sedan or minivan that still has room for the whole family, going green can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year at the pump. You’ll also make a significant difference for the environment, and be a powerful force for positive change.

Perhaps most exciting are three new cars that are small but practical, and fuel-efficient without high price tags: the Honda Fit, the Nissan Versa and the Toyota Yaris. Their prices range from about $12,000 to $16,000; their miles per gallon stats reach into the high 30s.

Longtime favorites for reliability and fuel economy — the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla — are as good as ever, if not better. Ditto for the best-selling hybrid Toyota Prius; in its wake automakers are improving hybrids and developing new models. Honda put new spark into its Civic Hybrid, and Toyota hybridized the best-selling family car in America, the Camry. Both have earned rave reviews.

For more, check out Affordable Cars, Fantastic Fuel Economy from the December/January 2007 issue of Mother Earth News.