Thursday, September 11, 2008

Best Gas Mileage Cars - Not The Ones You Thought?

by Leona Allen


The best mileage cars aren't necessarily the ones you might think of. Along with the Toyota Prius hybrid, are a few. We don't think of as top fuel efficient vehicles.

With gas prices soaring to all-time highs, and very little relief in sight, there are very few alternatives to ease the strain on our wallets. We can drive less, find ways to improve our gas mileage and go further for the same amount of money, or look for alternatives such as hybrids or even bio diesel.

The best gas mileage cars are invariably the newest models, and few of us are driving brand new vehicles. Buying a new car because it saves money on gas defeats the purpose.

The $21,100 Toyota Prius is the current top performer, with a Combined EPA estimate of 42 mpg. In addition to the Prius it Toyota's Corolla, the Honda Civic hybrid, and the Mini Cooper. Surprisingly, the Toyota Altima is on the Top 10 list.

While many of the top gas mileage cars this year are ones that might come to mind right away, like the hybrid Toyota Prius, some aren't so obvious.

Few people are predicting that oil will stabilize anytime soon. That means that the price of gas probably won't stabilize anytime soon either. The one benefit, if it can be called a benefit, is that people are a lot more cognizant of their energy and gas consumption.

While the price of gas continues to rise, we can do the things that improve our overall gas mileage. If it isn't possible to drive the best gas mileage car, we should make an effort to keep our tires properly inflated, tires and brakes in alignment, and our engines tuned up regularly.

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