Driven To High Gas Mileage Vehicles
High gas mileage vehicles come in many form factors, from the fuel efficient hybrids that everyone loves, down to the outrageous mini-bikes few people wouldn't want to be caught dead driving. No matter what your personal preference is, the fact remains that fuel efficient vehicles are here to stay. Without the switch to fuel efficient vehicles, automakers will find themselves drowning amongst a sea of upstarts that tout high gas mileage vehicles at affordable prices. Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, can still get away with 8 mile per gallon vehicles mostly because they cater to a clientele that aren't impacted by today's financial and energy situations. In the real-world, we're trading in our gas loving SUVs for the environment loving hybrids. It's a fair trade, right?
Cracking The Top 10 in Gas Mileage
The following are the top 10 vehicles for high gas mileage ratings. Topping the list, as usual, are the hybrid motor vehicles. By 2010, look for this list to take on a different form as hybrids are replaced by plug-in electric vehicles. Until then, here are the top 10 for high gas mileage.
Chart of Best Gas Mileage Vehicles
| Rank |
Make |
Model |
City MPG |
Highway MPG |
Average MPG |
| 1 |
Toyota |
Prius |
48 |
45 |
46 |
| 2 |
Honda |
Civic Hybrid |
40 |
45 |
42 |
| 3 |
Smart |
Fortwo Convertible |
33 |
41 |
37 |
| 4 |
Smart |
Fortwo Coupe |
33 |
41 |
37 |
| 5 |
Toyota |
Camry Hybrid |
33 |
34 |
33 |
| 6 |
MINI |
Cooper |
28 |
37 |
32 |
| 7 |
Toyota |
Yaris |
29 |
36 |
32 |
| 8 |
Toyota |
Corolla |
28 |
37 |
32 |
| 9 |
Honda |
Fit |
28 |
34 |
31 |
| 10 |
Nissan |
Versa |
26 |
31 |
28 |
Looking Beyond Hybrid Cars
For those looking to buck the trend of hybrids or those who just want to live outside the box, there are alternatives to the super-green hybrids. Motorcycles, those non-aerodynamic hogs of the road, often net their riders between 45 to 65 miles per gallon. Of course, engine CC's, dry weight, and riding styles can move that number up or down, but even some of the meanest and loudest Harleys will have high gas mileage (in comparison to traditional combustion cars and trucks). Going beyond motorcycles are the embarrassing, yet very fuel efficient, moped bikes! You can get as much as a whopping 100+ mpg while chugging around ever so coolly in your spiffy moped bike, cruising alongside your grandma! Actually, mopeds have come a long way in shaking the stigma of being ugly, underperforming bikes for the elderly. The best part about these ultra-high gas mileage bikes is the price. You can get a 100+ MPG moped for less than $3000 new and usually around $1000 used. It may not be the most glamorous, but it sure beats taking public transportation!
If you're willing to fork over the dough for a hybrid or suck up your pride and jump on a moped, you'll find yourself in good shape when it comes time to filling up at the pump. Either way you're going to have to make some compromises, but in the end your wallet will remain fat and your environment cleaner. Now go out there and get yourself a high gas mileage vehicle!