Top Ten Most Fuel-Efficient and economical Cars Best to Buy

At one time in the summer of 2008, gas prices average around $4.50/gallon in the U.S. After the summer of 2008, gas prices plummeted down to $2.00/gallon and people were beginning to enjoy going out more. However, as of April 2011, the price is already $4.00/gallon and it is predicted that it will reach over $5.00/gallon within the next year or so.

The best ways to save money is not drive at all and just stay home, sit in front of your computer all day long! Most of us can't do that because we must drive to work and we live in a society where driving is a necessity. How many miles are you getting from a gallon of gas? There will be no expensive cars in this post and none of the cars here will reach 0-60 in 5 secs, but these cars will save you money on gas every year.

Fuel-efficient cars IN TEN YEARS

Best Gas Mileage Cars - Top 10 List:

1. Toyota Prius: 51 City/48 Hwy (50 Combined), Base Price: $23,050. 1.8-liter, with 4-Cylinder engine and 134 hp, 0-60 mph in 9.8 secs. The most fuel efficient car on the market is the Toyota Prius, also the most demanding car in the U.S. A small sedan, but roomy enough for 5 and it is perfect for those that drive over 100 miles a day to work. The 3rd Generation Toyota Prius model is on sale since 2009 and currently available for purchase at most Toyota dealers.

Toyota Prius

2. Lexus CT 200h:  43 City/40 Hwy (42 Combined), Base Price: $29,120. 1.8-liter, with 4-Cylinder engine and up to 134 hp, 0-60 mph in 9.8 secs. Why not have both luxury and fuel efficiency in one car? The Lexus CT 200h does just that by offering great gas mileage with a luxurious feel. Wow your friends and colleagues with a whopping 42 mpg in a Lexus.

3. Honda Civic Hybrid vs Honda Insight: Tie for third are the Honda cars, which both give an estimated combined 41 mpg. The Civic Hybrid has more room and cargo space, while the Insight is much more affordable.
Honda Civic Hybrid: 40 City/43 Hwy (41 Combined), Base Price: $23,950. 1.3-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 110 hp, 0-60 mph in 11.3 secs.

Lexus CT 200h

Honda Insight: 40 City/43 Hwy (41 Combined), Base Price: $18,200. 1.3-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 98 hp.

Honda CITY Insight

4. Ford Fusion Hybrid vs Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: In the fourth spot are two contenders from Ford Motors with each having a combined 39 mpg. These hybrids are packed with a powerful engine which give out 191 hp. The Fusion Hybrid is more affordable, while the MKZ Hybrid has more class and style.
Ford Fusion Hybrid: 41 City/36 Hwy (39 Combined), Base Price: $28,405. 2.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 191 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.4 secs.

Ford Fusion Hybrid vs Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: 41 City/36 Hwy (39 Combined), Base Price: $34,645. 2.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 191 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.2 secs.

Lincoln MKZ Hybri

5. Honda CR-Z or Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: Ranking in fifth place is a duel between the H companies; CR-Z and the Sonata Hybrid each has a estimated combined 37 mpg. Honda offers a sporty coupe at a comfortable price range while Hyundai offers a full sedan with great gas mileage.
Honda CR-Z: 35 City/39 Hwy (37 Combined), Base price: $19,345. 1.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 122 hp. 0-60 mph in 9.7 secs.

Honda CR-Z or Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: 35 City/40 Hwy(37 avg.) Base Price: $25,795. 2.4-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 206 hp. 0-60 mph in 9.2 secs.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid:

6. Smart for Two: 33 City/41 Hwy (36 Combined), Base Price: $10,990. 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder runs on high-priced premium fuel with only 70 hp. 0-60 mph in 12.8 secs. When is it too smart to save money? Small, affordable 2-seat coupe that has a small engine, capable of saving you a lot of money due to it low cost and 36 combined fuel efficiency. If you prefer style, go with the cabriolet model, a convertible version that start at $17,690.

Smart for Two

7. Volkswagen Jetta TDI & Golf TDI: Each Volkswagen car has a estimated combined 34 mpg and they both run on diesel instead of regular gasoline. The price for the Jetta and Golf are very similar and depending on your style, you can either go with the Jetta or the Golf.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI & Golf TDI

Volkswagen Jetta TDI: 30 City/42 Hwy (34 avg), Base Price: $22,995. 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine with 140 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.7 secs.

VOLKSWAGEN jetta TDI

Volkswagen Golf TDI: 30 City/42 Hwy (34 avg), Base Price: $23,225. 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine with 140 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.6 secs.

8. Ford Fiesta vs Hyundai Elantra: With an average 33 mpg, the Fiesta and Elantra are both affordable sedans starting at less than $15k. When trying to save money, fuel efficiency is not the only factor, buying a car that cost much less with fewer mpg is actually better than buying one with high mpg but costing you over $10k more.

Ford Fiesta SFE

Ford Fiesta SFE: 29 City/40 Hwy (33 Combined), Base Price:$14,420. 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine with 119 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.7 secs.

Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai Elantra: 29 City/40 Hwy (33 Combined), Base Price: $14,830. 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine with 148 hp. 0-60 mph in 10.5 secs.

9. Nissan Altima Hybrid: 33 City/33 Hwy (33 avg), Base Price: $26,800. 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine with 198 hp, accelerating from 0-60 mph in 7.5 secs. A midsize sedan made for the Nissan lovers; a bit sportier than most hybrids.

Nissan Altima Hybrid

9. Toyota Camry Hybrid: 31 City/35 Hwy (33 avg), Base Price: $26,675. 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder with 187-horsepower, reaching 0-60 mph in 7.7 secs. If you love the original Camry, then you should try the Camry Hybrid because it has better fuel economy and it can be a big saver after a few years.

10. Ford Escape Hybrid: 34 City/31 Hwy (32 Combined), Base Price: $30,110. 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder with 171 hp. The Ford Escape Hybrid is the most fuel efficient SUV in the world. It has better gas mileage than most passengers cars and at the same time, it can also performed heavy duty jobs.

Ford Escape Hybrid