This Years Top Fuel Economy Vehicle Leaders

Provided By: CarInsurance.com 
Last Updated: Saturday, March 14, 2009

With the ever increasing price of gasoline and diesel fuel everyone is asking how to find a fuel efficient vehicle. The answer is to determine the vehicle type that you need and then research its fuel economy. You can do your research at the dealership by comparing the miles per gallon listed on the window sticker or save yourself time and learn about it online at Fueleconomy.gov where get the statistical data for the current year.

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The government site of Fueleconomy.com contains information from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The site is full of useful information for any US driver. It gives information on alternative fuel, hybrid vehicles, how to be energy efficient, gas mileage tips and especially important for this article - a fuel economy guide.

Keep in mind that the EPA has changed the way it estimates miles per gallon (MPG). Starting in model year 2008, estimates reflect the effects of:

• Faster Speeds & Acceleration
• Air Conditioner Use
• Colder Outside Temperatures

These “real conditions” estimates of MPG means that the tests lower MPG estimates for most vehicles however they give a more accurate idea of what type of mileage a vehicle will get. The actual mileage you will get still varies from these tests numbers since it will be based on your driving habits, traffic conditions and other factors.

The 2009 model year fuel economy guide was recently released and it contains information to help car buyers choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets their personal needs. The guide provides both fuel economy estimates and annual fuel cost estimates for specific cars as well as ranges for vehicle classes.

Each vehicle in this guide has two fuel economy estimates:

1. A city estimate that represents urban driving, in which a vehicle is started in the morning (after being parked all night) and driven in stop-and-go traffic
2. A highway estimate that represents a mixture of rural and interstate highway driving in a warmed-up vehicle, typical of longer trips in free-flowing traffic

These fuel economy estimates are based on laboratory testing. All vehicles are tested in the same manner to allow fair comparisons.

This Guide provides fuel cost estimates for each vehicle. The estimates are based on the assumptions that you travel 15,000 miles per year (55% under city driving conditions and 45% under highway conditions) and that fuel costs $1.84/gallon for regular unleaded gasoline and $2.07/gallon for premium. Cost-per-gallon assumptions for vehicles that use other fuel types are discussed at the beginning of those vehicle sections. The fuel costs were determined in advance to allow time for printing fuel economy labels and the Guide and thus likely do not reflect current fuel prices.

The list below names the vehicles that were found to have the highest fuel economy in the most popular vehicle categories. Remember that though the EPA and DOE have found the following vehicles to be the most fuel-efficient for their class, most vehicle models come in a range of engine sizes and trim or option lines which can result in different fuel economy values than what is listed. The miles per gallon mpg listed are for city and highway travel as stated.

Car classification/ Model / Transmission Type / MPG (City/Highway)

Passenger Cars -

Two-seater:

• Pontiac Solstice manual 19/28
• Saturn Sky manual 19/28

Mini-compact:

• MINI Cooper automatic 25/34
• MINI Cooper manual 28/37

Subcompact:

• Toyota Yaris automatic 29/35
• Toyota Yaris manual 29/36

Compact:

• Honda Civic Hybrid automatic 40/45
• Volkswagen Jetta manual 30/41

Midsize:

• Toyota Prius automatic 48/45
• Nissan Versa manual 26/31

Large Cars:

• Hyundai Sonata automatic 22/32
• Honda Accord manual 22/31

Minivan -

Minivans:

• Mazda 5 automatic 21/27
• Mazda 5 manual 22/28

Trucks -

Small pickup trucks:

• Toyota Tacoma 2WD automatic 19/25
• Ford Ranger 2WD manual 21/26
• Mazda B2300 manual 21/26

Standard pickup trucks:

• Chevrolet Silverado 15 hybrid 2WD automatic 21/22
• GMC Sierra 15 Hybrid automatic 21/22
• Dodge Dakota 2WD manual 16/20
• Mitsubishi Raider manual 16/20

Sport Utility Vehicles -

SUVs:

• Ford Escape Hybrid FWD automatic 34/31
• Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD automatic 34/31
• Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD automatic 34/31
• Jeep Compass 2WD manual 23/28
• Jeep Compass 4WD manual 23/28
• Jeep Patriot 2WD manual 23/28
• Jeep Patriot 4WD manual 23/28

If you are currently in market for new vehicle, the fuel economy guide can help you look up and compare the various vehicles you are thinking of purchasing by using their “Find and Compare Car” section. If you are not stuck on a certain vehicle yet but know the class of car that you want then instead you can find the fuel economy leaders in various vehicle categories.

Typically, manual transmission vehicles are found to get higher fuel economy than automatics however in general it is not that great so if you really want an automatic the savings likely will not sway you to buy a stick shift. If you are planning on buying an auto with a certain transmission make certain when looking at the mpg number that it is for the transmission type you want.

This fuel economy guide put out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy to help car buyers choose the most fuel efficient vehicle that meets their needs so make use of it and help save some money in fuel costs in tough economical times. A full edition of the guide can be found online at fueleconomy.gov for you to read through online or print out.

Thank you for reading about this years top fuel economy vehicle leaders... Please see if we can save you money with a car insurance quote!

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes. It should not be interpreted as a recommendation to buy or sell any insurance product, or to provide financial or legal advice. This information is provided for information purposes only.

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