Top 10 Pocket Friendly (Mileage) Cars

“Good things come in small packets …” this line suits perfect to current situation, as crude oil prices hits hard, small cars packed with the latest hybrid technology remain the best choice, if one is seeking a new vehicle that can extract the most out of each unit of this precious and increasingly pricey commodity: fuel.

Every year U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes fuel economy estimates for most new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. though vehicles with gross vehicle weight above 8,500 lbs. are excluded.
This ranking helps consumers to know truth behind the claims made by carmakers and help them make informed choice while making a purchase.

This year Toyota Prius lead the rankings follwed by Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Nissan Altima Hybrid. Top four slots being occupied by the hybrid cars clearly indicate the future ahead.

The five-seat Toyota Prius is rated top on the list and provide a mileage of 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway. 110 horsepower is produced 1.5-liter 4-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor together.

Pickup trucks, vans, luxury cars or large sedans rank are not able to make up in the top ten and Japanese cars rule the rankings, across the chart and Ford Escape Hybrid (shown in left) & Mercury Mariner Hybrid are the only vehicles from U.S.-based automakers in the top ten.

Most of the vehicles with the ten best fuel economy ratings are small cars, but there are some larger car options as well, Camry Hybrid being one of them Camry Hybrid is a midsize sedan with a spacious interior and a gas-electric hybrid system that produces a V6-like 187 horsepower while rated at a combined 35 mpg by the EPA. Other exceptions to small car trend are Ford Escape Hybrid and its Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Mazda Tribute Hybrid siblings. This trio of SUVs each achieves an impressive combined 32 mpg, while the AWD versions still do well at 28 mpg combined.

Toyota Yaris is rated as the top-ranked non-hybrid vehicle for 2008. It provides mileage of 32 mpg, the Yaris provides a roomy, versatile interior in a rather inexpensive package. The Honda Fit provides a similar offering while rated just slightly lower at 31 mpg combined.

Top 10 fuel-efficient vehicles for 2008, based on EPA fuel economy data for combined city and highway driving are:

Format : Model (City / Highway / Combined … all figures in mpg)
1) Toyota Prius(48 / 45 / 46)
2) Honda Civic Hybrid (40 / 45 / 42)
3) Nissan Altima Hybrid (35 / 33 / 34)
4) Toyota Camry Hybrid (33 / 34 / 34)
5) Ford Escape Hybrid 2WD (30 / 34 / 32)
Tie
Mercury Mariner Hybrid 2WD (30 / 34 / 32)
Tie
Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD (30 / 34 / 32)
6) Toyota Yaris – Manual (29 / 36 / 32)
7) Toyota Corolla (28 / 37 / 31)
8) Honda Fit (28 / 34 / 31)
9) Nissan Versa (27 / 33 / 29)
Tie
Scion xD (27 / 33 / 29)
10) Hyundai Accent (27 / 32 / 29)

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

There are no models with diesel engines on the list of top ten for 2008. Reason behind that is that diesel fuel has changed in the U.S. to an Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) and most of the diesel vehicles Volkswagen Jetta TDI, New Beetle TDI, and Golf TDI etc. are being re-engineered to work with this new fuel, and are on a sales hiatus stateside.
The new Volkswagen diesels are due early next year, with fuel economy numbers expected above 50 mpg. In the coming year, a number of new diesel models should arrive that can run cleaner and more efficiently thanks to this new fuel.

Source : MSN Auto

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