Most fuel efficient AND affordable vehicles on the market

Many people might be forced with a tough decision in the near future. They have a car they need to replace, and would like to purchase a hybrid of electric car but can't afford it. If I were to to lose a car due to breakdown or other reasons, I defnitely wouldn't mind a hybrid to start saving at the pump, however with Honda Civic hybrids starting at $23,235, its a little bit out of my price range right now. Until hybrids and other fuel efficient vehicles are available at lower pricing many people will be left out of this new trend in car buying.

So what if you have to buy a car, can't afford a hybrid, and maybe gas has now hit $4.00 a gallon, what should you do? What I have done is basically assumed my Cobalt is about to breakdown (which hopefully doesn't happen for many, many years), and it is too expensive to repair properly and I am forced to buy a new car. I am assuming in our current multi-tasking society than a manual transmission is out of the question. I have also chosen option packages that include AC, power windows and locks, but nothing too extreme like sport tuned suspension or a sunroof. I also have chosen not to upgrade above the base model engine as those models with larger engines have worse gas mileage. I have compiled a list of the best nice, cheap vehicles, that also get a very nice gas mileage so you won't be kicking yourself the next 5+ years everytime you have to stop at the pump.

For example, if you have the money, the Civic Hybrid is a great car for fuel efficiency. However, according to the national average fuel consumption it would take 12+ years before you caught up to the Chevy Cobalt in price. This eliminates many of the most fuel efficient vehicles, most of which are foreign, hybrid or electric, and a lot more money. I have included the Civic hybrid and Toyota Prius on the bottom of my list so you have a point of reference in comparison. But for the most part this list is designed for the blue collar worker not wanting a $400+ a month car payment in order to save a couple bucks a week on gas.

Make/model Price** mpg city/highway est. yearly fuel expense*

Chevy Aveo 5Dr LS $12,580 23/32 $1,790

Toyota Yaris 5Dr $14,260 29/35 $1,502

Kia Rio LX 4Dr $14,290 25/35 $1,604

Hyundai Accent SE 3Dr $14,575 24/33 $1,660

Chevy Cobalt 2Dr $15,030 22/31 $1,790

Ford Focus SE 2Dr $15,075 24/33 $1,660

Pontiac G5 2Dr $15,390 22/31 $1,790

Toyota Corolla CE 4Dr $16,435 26/35 $1,604

Nissan Versa 4Dr CVT $16,365 27/33 $1,604

Nissan Sentra 4DR CVT $16,375 25/33 $1,660

Kia Spectra EX 4DR $16,520 24/32 $1,721

Hyundai Elanta SE 4Dr $17,225 25/33 $1,660

Toyota Matrix 5Dr $17,980 25/31 $1,721

Honda Civic LX 2Dr $18,195 25/36 $1,604

Toyota Prius 4DR ECVT $22,985 48/45 $1,009

Honda Civic Hybrid $23,235 40/45 $1,107

*approxamate number based off of www.fueleconomy.gov

**all prices based of of Chicago, IL zip code

You can save some additional cash by getting less amenities and driving with a manual transmission, but for the most part, if you purchase a car off this list you're definitely getting your best value per dollar while saving some spending money on gasoline. I also can't vouch for the quality of some of of those makes and models, its definitely best to do as much research as possible before purchasing/leasing a car. Also usually the cheaper vehicles don't have as much in styling. I personally drive a Cobalt SS and think it is a very good balance of power, speed and efficiency but I recommend test driving your favorite few cars before deciding which vehicle is right for you.