Best used cars for fuel economy

With the national economy and elevated gas prices having a real impact on American households, it is more important now than ever for car buyers to look at the complete cost scenario when choosing a model. Consumer Reports analysis shows that on a typical new car, depreciation accounts for 46 percent of the owner costs over a five-year period. Depreciation is greatest in the first years. If saving money, not just fuel, is your true goal, then consider buying used.

Pre-owned vehicles have already gone through the initial period of rapid depreciation. By focusing on a nearly-new model, say 2-3 years old, you can find a vehicle that offers comparable fuel economy, performance, safety, and reliability as a new car, often with some transferable warranty coverage remaining.

With a lower transaction price, sales tax, and insurance, used cars can be more affordable to purchase and own. Of course, buying used can put a larger, better-equipped model within your budget, but if fuel economy is your driving motivation, then consider these frugal choices.

The cars below are the most fuel-efficient models available in their price range and many have performed well in our tests. Other fuel efficient cars, such as the Mini Cooper, command a premium, thus cutting into the money saving. The fuel economy numbers come from our measurements using a precision flow meter and are rounded to the nearest mile per gallon (mpg). CR's overall mileage is calculated from equal portions of city, expressway, and rural roads.

Under $10,000	Overall mpg
2000 Honda Insight (manual)	51
2001-02 Toyota Prius	41
2000-05 Toyota Echo	38
1998-2002 Chevrolet Prizm	32
1998 Mazda Protegé LX	32
1998-2000 Toyota Corolla LE	32
1998-2001 Acura Integra LS (manual)	32

$10,000-$20,000	Overall mpg
2004-06 Toyota Prius	44
2001-03 Toyota Prius	41
2006-07 Honda Civic Hybrid	37
2003-05 Honda Civic Hybrid	36
2007 Honda Fit Sport (manual)	34
2007 Toyota Yaris Liftback (base, manual)	34

There are a number of used cars that have excellent fuel economy, plus are affordable and reliable such as the Chevrolet Prizm, Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Echo, and Toyota Yaris. Note that these days, any hybrid will be hard to find, and therefore, retail prices may be above the official value. Also, keep in mind that the older cars on this list may lack common safety features such as ABS and side-curtain airbags. Check out our complete list of the most fuel-efficient used cars and the best and worst used cars. Plus see our Guide to Green Driving for more information on fuel economy and alternative fuels. When you’re ready to make a purchase, see our used car buying guide for advice on choosing the right used car for you, selling your old car, and getting the best price.

—Liza Barth and Jeff Bartlett

For more information on saving fuel see our reports on how to get the best gas mileage and where to find the cheapest gas. 

Comments

[R.J.]

Very interesting reading all of these blogs. I have a 1990 Honda CRX HF, the car has 135k on it and still gets 45-47/mpg on an average day of driving and as good as 50's with nice easy highway driving. The car is 18yrs old and gets better mileage than these overpriced so called hybrids, and yes I also looked at the Smart car in Canada with the small diesel engine, they do get super mileage, but like the blogger above stated there not available in the states. So tell me, whats wrong with the system? Our government is obviously in bed with oil company's and the big automotive industry. But since the government mandates what vehicles are safe for you the buyer, your stuck with what they pick. Maybe i'm just confused. Can someone clear things up?

[Jim Curtz]

Pre-owned vehicles have already gone through the initial period of rapid depreciation. By focusing on a nearly-new model, say 2-3 years old, you can find a vehicle that offers comparable fuel economy, performance, safety, and reliability as a new car, often with some transferable warranty coverage remaining.

Jim Curtz

[Texas Direct Auto]

Its just like the movie coming out that has Greg Kinnear Flash of Genius he invented the intermittent wiper that was a super huge idea but he got screwed by big business and big economy by Ford.

Engineers can make the cars that will run on cheaper alternatives than gas and crush the MPG that we are all paying today but it seems as though they are silenced or dissappear when they do the extraordinary.. why is that.. its time to take leaps and bounds in the automotive industry dont you think.. just let them do their thing and then we can all get our flying cars sooner..

[Twift1]

Any way, whatever one can have opinion but such information really helps one do the review before their investment.

[twift1]

Its a decent and quite logical advice, the extent of gas prices has forced the consumer to bent down upon their choice.

[Golfkurs]

The sad thing is that I own and drive a 37 year old Fiat 128 that gets better gas mileage than all but the top three. The original Honda CVCC of 1976 got close to 50 mpg. A 45 year old Fiat 500 will get 50 mpg. There is no need for some technological breakthrough here, just make the cars lighter and use smaller engines.

Why limit yourself to a brand new car (yes, a 2 year old car is essentially new)? Too bad most of the US population knows so little today that they are afraid of having an older car.

[Cheap cars]

I think The SFE uses Ford’s 292-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8 engine, made more frugal by tires with low rolling resistance and a rear axle ratio tailored for fuel economy at the cost of slower acceleration.

==>> Mirinda

[pshdsa]

I pass a GM lot every day. I never see a soul there. There are no browsers on the lot looking at the models. Neither are there hopeful salesman anywhere to be seen. Yet this lot has vast rows of cars and trucks. It is a huge lot and there are hundreds of vehicles there. Nobody comes to buy. Yet what keeps the customers away in droves? It is the cost. Cars and trucks are way too overpriced. They may get a few who decide with their eyes and not with their pocket books, but most of us will stick with what we have instead of taking out a mortgage to buy something new. It is actually more cost effective to have our cars repaired and overhauled than pay the exhorbitant fee for a new car or truck. Who can afford the price of these new vehicles?