Fuel Efficient Cars

If you’re out shopping for fuel efficient cars, you might be feeling just a little bit squeezed right about now. Too many auto dealers are doing what too many dealers do … charging what the market may bear by adding thousands of dollars to the sticker price of the most economical models. It might not be fair, but it’s a reality. Fuel efficient cars are flying off the lots and until the factories catch up with the change, price gouging can be expected.

The good news is that we have three decades of used fuel efficient vehicles to fall back on.

When looking back at the list of the most economical vehicles of the last 25 years, you’ll see three marquees show up with the greatest consistency: Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen. While General Motors put in a fair showing in the past, it’s been more than five years since the demise of the Saturn SL and SC dropped GM out of the top ranks of cars rated at 40 miles per gallon (MPG) or higher.

The market for used Geo Metros is red hot. These Suzuki-built econo-boxes are proven high-MPG performers, with tiny three- and four-cylinder engines that deliver excellent gas mileage. If you’re in the market for a Metro, be sure to keep an eye out for its corporate cousins, the Suzuki Swift and Pontiac Firefly … they’re essentially the same car, with different badging.

Among the newest fuel-efficient cars, the Mini Cooper stands apart from the crowd with truly superb handling. In a recent review of the Mini Cooper Clubman, we blew past the official gas mileage estimates, scoring a remarkable 44.7 MPG on the highway.

Most Fuel Efficient Cars: 1999-2008

Most Fuel Efficient Cars: 1989-1998

Most Fuel Efficient Cars: 1984-1988