“If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Saturday, April 12, 2008

The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicles

Next to safety, mileage should be another prime consideration. What use is a stylish car if it takes like $5,000 to drive it yearly from your house to work and back on an everyday basis? Unless you are a millionaire, you better check the mpg (miles per gallon) rating of your vehicle. You can check it online, or if you are going to a car dealership it should be placed on a sticker that is conspicuous enough to be seen by everyone, much like the one you can see on tacked onto a brand new refrigerator. That sticker is placed there by the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA to relay the scores a particular vehicle has garnered during standard emission testing and the likes, so it is fairly reliable. It helps to do research online as well so you can make an informed decision. But you should be warned that these are just rough estimates, and gas mileage is oftentimes dependent on how you drive and maintain your vehicle. If, for example, you make a lot of start and stops while you drive, you will be using more fuel than when you are driving without many stops. But what is good about the EPA estimates is that it gives you a background on how well a particular car is expected to perform, assuming of course that you drive it properly and you take care of it.

I searched the web for the safest and least safe cars to come out this year and last year, respectively, and I deemed it fitting to do the same here in my newest post. I found a list made by Dan Shapley in the The Daily Green of the 10 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicles. You can view the article by clicking here, or you can read on because I grabbed a few data from his comprehensive article.

The Toyota Prius Hybrid
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Midsize Car
Fuel Economy
City: 48 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $1.62
Per Year: $970
Annual Carbon Output:
4.0 tons

The Honda Civic Hybrid
No. 2 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Compact Car
Fuel Economy
City: 40 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $1.77
Per Year: $1,064
Annual Carbon Output:
4.4 tons

The Nissan Altima Hybrid
No. 3 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
Fuel Economy
City: 35 mpg
Highway: 33 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.19
Per Year: $1,314
Annual Carbon Output:
5.4 tons

The Ford Escape Hybrid
No. 4 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 SUV
Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 30 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.33
Per Year: $1,399
Annual Carbon Output:
5.7 tons

The Mazda Tribute Hybrid
No. 4 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 SUV
Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 30 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.33
Per Year: $1,399
Annual Carbon Output:
5.7 tons

The Mercury Mariner Hybrid
No. 4 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 SUV
Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 30 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.33
Per Year: $1,399
Annual Carbon Output:
5.7 tons

The Toyota Camry Hybrid
No. 7 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
Fuel Economy
City: 33 mpg
Highway: 34 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.19
Per Year: $1,314
Annual Carbon Output:
5.4 tons

The Toyota Yaris
No. 8 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Subcompact Car
Fuel Economy
City: 29 mpg
Highway: 36 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.33
Per Year: $1,399
Annual Carbon Output:
5.7 tons

The Toyota Corolla
No. 9 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
Fuel Economy
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.40
Per Year: $1,444
Annual Carbon Output:
5.9 tons

The Honda Fit
No. 10 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Small Station Wagon
Fuel Economy
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 34 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.40
Per Year: $1,444
Annual Carbon Output:
5.9 tons

The surprising thing is, three SUVs make it to the top ten. That makes the 2008 line-up of vehicles very impressive. So if you still want to own a family car, you can opt for an Escape, Tribute or a Mariner. Make a wise choice.

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