The sub-compact Kia Rio is one of the most economical vehicles available in America today. The Rio’s true-entry level price and highway gas mileage figures in the mid-thirty mile per gallon (MPG) range make it the first choice for a growing number of budget-minded motorists.
The 2008 Rio is offered as a four-door sedan and a five door hatchback (known as the Rio5). Fitted with a 1.6 liter DOHC four cylinder engine that produces 110 horsepower (HP) and 107 foot pounds of torque, the front-wheel-drive Rio is equipped with either a five-speed manual or an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission, each with overdrive.
While the US-spec Rio’s gas mileage ratings are impressive, there’s a whole lot more to come.
Abroad, the Rio can be equipped with a 1.5 liter common rail turbodiesel engine, producing 108.6 HP and 173.3 foot pounds of torque, with a 0-62 mile per hour time of 11.5 seconds. The European turbodiesel hauls down 49.6 urban / 68.9 extra urban miles per British gallon … that equates to roughly 41 city / 57 highway here in the States.
Kia is developing a hybrid version of the Rio, as well. When the rubber finally meets the road, the hybrid Rio just might be the least expensive hybrid available …
Need a four wheel drive with the best gas mileage? Get ready to downsize. None of the best gas mileage four wheel drives (4WDs) are jumbo-sized sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
Simply put, the aerodynamics and vehicle weight of the bulkiest SUVs cause gas mileage to suffer, leading to many a painful transaction at the pump. The trick is to get small(er), lighter, and more slippery. Credit Subaru for getting the ball rolling with popularizing economical 4WD drive passenger cars in the early days. Since 1997, every vehicle Subaru’s offered in America has been all wheel drive.
These days, it’s not just Subaru. There are plenty of four wheel drive choices that are neither truck nor SUV. And forget the notion of pint-sized economy cars. You’ll find a generous helping of 4WD luxury from manufacturers including Audi, Volvo, Cadillac, and Lexus … in fact, you’ll find many of their offerings in the 2008 list of best gas mileage four wheel drives.
Purists will gladly share that there’s a difference between four wheel drive and all wheel drive (AWD). And surely there is … but for a great many folks, it comes down to two simple questions: will it go in the snow and will I go broke feeding it?
At the other end of the spectrum, the little Suzuki SX4 delivers plenty of bang for the buck, by combining the best four wheel drive gas mileage with a low sticker price (for those who don’t just think miles per gallon … but miles per dollar.)
Along with its corporate cousins, the Ford Escape Hybrid proves the exception to the rule as the highest all around mile per gallon (MPG) four wheel drive vehicle. If you can’t get a great deal on an Escape Hybrid at your local Ford dealer, take a look at the Mercury Mariner Hybrid. And if you happen to live in Southern California, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid HEV might be an option … as long as you’re able to snag one of the 350 Tribute HEVs built for this test market.)
The Kia Sedona went into production in 1999 and was redesigned for the 2006 model year. While the Sedona’s gas mileage ratings are in step with the competition, at 16 city and 23 highway miles per gallon (MPG), fuel-efficiency is not the seven-seat Sedona’s biggest draw. Rather, it is the Sedona’s safety record and affordability that inspire a great many buyers. Kia proudly states that “the Sedona is the first and only minivan ever to earn both a 5-star crash safety rating” from the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and “be named “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.” (The Hyundai Entourage is based on the Sedona.)/p>
The 2008 Kia Sedona is equipped with a 3.8 liter V-6 that produces 250 horsepower (HP) and 253 foot pounds of torque. While a turbo-diesel is not currently available in US versions of the Sedona, an economical DOHC 2.9 liter CRDi turbo-diesel, producing a generous 343 foot pounds of torque is available abroad. To provide reassurance of the Sedona’s reliability and longevity, Kia provides a 10 year, 100,000 mile limited power train warranty and other significant warranties.
The Hyundai Entourage is based on Kia’s Sedona minivan and was introduced to America in the 2007 model year. The Entourage seats seven and achives gas mileage ratings of 16 city and 23 highway miles per gallon (MPG). Like the Sedona, the Entourage earned a class-topping 5-star crash safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was named a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The 2008 Hyundai Entourage is fitted with a DOHC 3.8 liter V-6 that produces 242 horsepower (HP). Hyundai provides a 10-year / 100,000 mile limited power train warranty, along with a 5-year / 60,000 mile new vehicle limited warranty, and a 7-year / unlimited miles anti-perforation warranty.
Thirty miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway isn’t too much to ask. As the chart below shows, the 30 MPG car isn’t a rarity in America these days. Alas, it’s not nearly as common as it was 25 years ago. Looking back at the lists of high MPG cars built in the early 1980s might be a surprise to some, for the lists were long and the fuel efficiency ratings were high. The 30 MPG car was not an oddity back then … it was more part of our nation’s mindset.
