Cars with Best Gas Mileage
With the rising price of gasoline, the search for cars with the best gas mileage has taken on even greater importance than ever before. What are the cars with the best gas mileage?
The Environmental Protection Agency of the United States Government has tested the efficiency of automobiles for many years now. These EPA gas efficiency ratings, expressed in both city driving and open highway driving miles per gallon figures have served as a guideline for buyers whose interest in economy was a consideration when shopping for a car. The cars with the best gas mileage ratings were quick to use their lofty status as an advertising tool. This has made most consumers aware of the EPA efficiency ratings.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently changed the method that their testing was conducted and the change resulted in overall lower EPA figures. The change and the lower rating might have caused some concern with consumers already worried about higher gas prices, but the change was merely in testing procedure and was intended to get more accurate figures. The cars are not performing with less efficiency; it only means that the figures are less optimistic and more realistic. The actual mileage that you get depends on a number of other factors. A poorly maintained car, for example, will not even approach the EPA rating in actual practice.
It does not come as a surprise that hybrid cars are topping the best mileage list. The hybrid technology combines an electric motor with a gasoline engine. The problem with an electric car has always been recharging. Everyone remembers jokes about their range limits due to the length of the power cords, but the hybrid idea uses a gasoline motor to recharge the electric power source as the car is running or to provide power when the batteries are low. Obviously, sharing the load reduces gasoline demand and puts the hybrids way up on top of the best EPA gas mileage lists.
For 2008, the three leaders in overall mileage efficiency are the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Nissan Altima Hybrid. Most lists, however, will break down the list by vehicle type and often vehicle size. A person looking for a luxury car will be concerned with the luxury cars with the best gas mileage and will not see a Prius as an option regardless of its figures. By the way, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (diesel) tops the luxury car list with marks of 23 city/32 highway mpg.
There is little doubt that cars with the best gas mileage will continue to get buyer interest as gasoline prices continue to spiral upwards. The importance of mpg figures will spur the auto makers into producing more efficient vehicles. At the present time, the poor ratings of so many popular vehicles has made the cost of cross country driving prohibitive for many people and car transport almost a less expensive option even for people with the time and inclination to drive themselves. Of course, there is always another side and for the very rich or the very unconcerned, there is a choice between the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Bugatti Veyrom which share the honor of least efficient cars being sold. They manage a mere 8 miles per gallon.