im getting close to 50mpg on a 1996 plymouth neon, just by changing my driving habits. less brakes more coasting in neutral ect....

Yay! Mine's on the list! Although, my '99 Toyota Corolla only gets about 27 mpg. I wonder where they got those numbers.

@purplesun: All about how you drive it; my '01 Integra LS gets anywhere from 23 - 41 mpg, entirely based on what I'm doing with it.

Hooray for the Corolla. I had two, and they both got in the mid 30s on mileage, and I was very sad when they were both ruined in accidents that were not my fault. I'd have bought another, except I needed a station wagon.

That said, the Matrix and Vibe are really Corollas with different body styles. True story. I couldn't find them in my price range when I was looking (because I was paying cash), but if you like Corollas, consider those cars as options if you need space to haul stuff.

My problem with corollas is that I can't fit in them comfortably, and there's no way that someone will be able to fit in the seat behind me.

As much as I love my Subaru Forester (it is a tank in snow, which you may have heard we get a lot of in NH), I really wish I had gotten a Corolla instead. I had the pleasure of driving a Corolla rental car when my Forester was being fixed up after being broken into and absolutely love it.

Or you could buy a brand new Chevy Aveo (complete with that nice, brand new car warranty) for less than 10K and still get about 30-35 mpg.

pffttt, overall fuel economy is a myth for hybrids. i know a few people who owned (yes owned and sold) because they didn't live up to the hype. they said they were good for city driving but as soon as you got them on the highway, they suck back the gas.

IMHO, get a yaris/echo for the best fuel economy and reliability.

The Protege LX is an excellent car when you factor in the 1.8L engine and the fact that you reliably get over 30 mpg for the run through the fuel tank. I have an '02 Protege LX. Great car and ubiquitous on the used-car market.

Ha! My 91 CRX gets 40-42 on the highway and it's a crappy automatic. Take that Prius!

@B1663R:
Well, they should have known that going into the purchase. The mileage is stated clearly on the vehicles -- and mileage estimates are nearly always overstated -- eg, traveling exactly 55mph for the entire tank with the wind at your back will indeed yield 40mpg. Not going to happen in the real world.

@wiggatron: But you'd be driving a Chevrolet Aveo.

There's a reason why it sells new for that amount.

But... my 02 Saturn SC2 (5-speed) gets about 35MPG average, and it's only worth about 5k these days. AND I shift the gears like an asshat.

My 2002 Saturn SL2 gets 37 mpg on the interstate, and I NEVER see it on these lists. I paid $7K for it in 2005 . . . .

A little bit older, but I picked up a 1997 Accord 2dr, 5spd, 2.2l with 110k miles. I can't seem to make it get below 33mpg overall average if I try with about 85-90% highway (75-85mph) and about 10-15% stop and go city mixed in, and have already put 10k miles on it the past few months and have had no issues. But, when I got it I looked in the owners manual and did all of the service suggested + or - 30k miles of what it had on it, so I knew I had a point to start at in terms of what's been taken care of. Only put $5-600 in it including front brakes at a local trusted import only mechanic, and I have a car that looks nice, runs and drives like new for a grand total of about $4,000. No car payments, and cheap insurance to boot!

Problem is when someone buys a used car, they don't put the money in it when they get it to make it in tip top shape. They expect that they won't have to worry about anything like a new car (which people neglect taking care of anyway) and then something breaks and they give the whole used car thing a bad name...I guess you just have to be smart about it.

Hah, beat to the punch by JRock. Gotta love my Saturn.

And I too shift gears like an asshat

@bonzombiekitty: We had an '02 Corolla for awhile, and I feel your pain. Elbow room was lacking more than anything. It could have been a couple inches wider for my fat ass. Other than that, it had all kinds of pickup because it didn't weigh anything and we got around 35 with automatic transmission.

I hear the newer ones address the elbow room issue.

Where are the VW TDI Golfs and Jettas? They get 50 MPG easily and can get 60 MPG with minial driving habit changes.

I can't imagine the resale value of a 98 Golf/Jetta TDI is so amazing that it would still be above $10k.

Consumer Reports just doesn't like Diesel cars.

Those Prius' are about due for a new battery too.

1995 Dodge Neon 5 speed 4dr- 37-39 mpg highway/city combined running 89 octane, 230,000 miles estimated worth $1000- $2000. Now running with an engine miss (3cylinders?) at 242,000 and still getting 29-30mpg. So pox on that list... Off to the repair shop in the next couple of days- so what if the repairs cost $500-$600 that is far cheaper than buying a new car...

Biggest problems with US car drivers is lack of maintenance (like checking tire pressures) and the need for automatic transmissions...

I drive a 98 Corolla, which gets fabulous mileage. A little better than that listed, I think about 35 mpg on the highway. I go two weeks on my 12 gallon tank.

I don't find the Corolla too small. I fit in quite comfortably. My hubby is 6'2" and he's ok too, with the seat back.

Oh yea, and unlike these new cars, I've got a big tank. That means range unlike these 9 or 10 gallon tanks on these new cars. Supposedly the spec I've seen online is 17 gallons, but I went until I felt the gauge was getting low enough for my nerves, no light came on or anything, and it was 525 miles and I put in just over 15 galons for about 34mpg.

@sleze69: Truth

They also don't mention that it is unbelieveably hard to find a used Honda Insight. There aren't that many of them to begin with, and people are snatching them up.

I say used mazda 626 (manual). I got 35-40 in mine, and you can get one of them for under 3 grand.

Hypbrids make the top of the list...again! For those of us in the real world who have to drive farther than two miles for a gallon of milk, they suck.

B1663R: My 2002 Prius gets better gas mileage on the highway than it does in town. 48-49 MPG typical. Just set the cruise control and roll past the gas stations.

Ryan89: Guess how many Priuses have needed replacement batteries so far? Hardly any. If individual cells wear out they can be replaced, but after 6 years mine's still at 100%.

Toyota is also preparing to sell reconditioned battery packs when we do need them, for much less than wholesale.

@econobiker: "Biggest problems with US car drivers is lack of maintenance (like checking tire pressures) and the need for automatic transmissions..."

I would love to learn to drive a manual but all the driving schools around here were basically just teaching automatics. My folks only drive automatics too so ...

Methinks I should buy a beater with a stick and learn on that.

Anyway ... I'm getting 34ish with my 07 Elantra and fueleconomy.gov rates it at something like 28. I do keep a fairly detailed log using filling up to when the pump shuts off and almost always at the same station (most times the same pump too) All I know is, if I was getting the 40s that some people are pulling (with lawnmowers like the Echo or Metro) I'd probably only save about $20 a month which I'll pay for the privilege of having a slightly more roomy car.

In retrospect I should have bought a used Corolla or Elantra and it would have made much more financial sense.

@dako81: What cars have 9 gallon tanks? Mine is a 15. Perhaps they are doing it for weight reasons?

Do you think you can purchase a used Prius or Insight for under 10 grand now? When 90's model Geo Metro's are gong for $7k plus? Let me buy up all the under 10k Prius and Insight you have. Time for me to make a profit off the suckers out there. Just checked FleaBay and the two Insights have a buy it now sucker price of almost 12 grand and 14 grand. And good luck finding a Prius that isn't tit$ up for under 15k

I would love to get a Honda Insight with manual transmission, but a quick search didn't indicate any for sale around here. *shrugs* Even eBay Motors didn't yield very much.

I have a 1993 Buick Regal (:P) and it's a gas-sucker. But then, I'm bad; I don't drive it like the little old people who tool around in Buicks in this town.

I drive like Batman. I totally need a Lamborghini.

That 98-02 Prizm is a hidden gem. Mechanically, it's _identical_ to the Corolla, same assembly line, everything, but since it has a Chevy logo on the front, rather than a Toyota, it sells for much less. Not the prettiest car, but if you want cheap "turn the key and go" transport, it's a heckuva deal.

My '92 Volvo 940 sedan gets insane mileage for a car her size. We can get all the way across the state with gas to spare and in town, we only fill up every two and a half weeks -- and that's even with my paranoia-based 'always fill at a 1/4 tank' rule. Between performance, mileage and safety, you won't catch me owning anything but a pre-Ford, true Volvo ever again.

@sleze69: The VW Golf/Jetta TDIs are actually not that efficient (in the world of modern diesels). Look to the MY2009 Jetta ([www.vw.com]) with the new motor for a more competitive diesel experience from VW.

What gets me are the latest adverts on TV for new cars which boast fuel efficiency of 35 mpg.

Really? You're proud of that? Here are cars several years old that do about the same mileage and you don't seem to have raised the bar at all.

All it needs is for one company to strip out all the dead weight, dvd players, heated seats etc, throw in a better smaller engine because frankly you've just removed half the car and you'll be selling 45 55 mpg cars like hot cakes.

i have a '92 civic vx hatchback. awesome little thing gets 48mpg for my commute with 2 passengers. Yes, it's not fast. Yes, it's acceleration is slow, but it is plenty. Keep the tires inflated properly, do the maintenance, and it's the best 3k I ever spent (in 2002, I got it with 65k miles, now has 118k)

Sad thing is that the Fit is 200 pounds heavier and has 20 more HP and gets much worse gas mileage. I'd trade it in for a new car, but I'd have to tune down the engine in some fashion that I just don't know how to do :)

MY 98 Ford Escort ZX2 has consistently gotten 39+ mpg on the highway since all it's career of hauling me around. Of course I only drive a few thousand miles a year and though it's 11 years old, it still has less than 100k on it so it hasn't had all the wear and tear one in it's age bracket would normally have but it does beat all but two on the list.

My Saab 9-3 2.0T gets 35mpg with a 6M transmission. 210hp and stellar performance, reliability, comfort.

For my commute (135 miles roundtrip), I drive a 1981 MB 300SD turbodiesel converted to run waste veggie oil. Saves about $500/month.

My little Scion xD regularly gets 33-40 mpg. Of course it is new and not used, but I really can't recommend it enough.

Small engine plus manual transmission is the key for an economical but satisfying ownership experience.

I bought a 2004 Nissan Sentra 1.8L manual new for just under $10K, the car served me well in a rear-end full-speed accident with a school bus (talk about a mismatch in size). It wasn't totalled, just crumpled and rebuilt well (insurance payout of $6K for repair and dimunition of value). 80K miles since then, only one repair of $1100.

This car will not die, it serves me well on the highway and in stop-and-go. The only thing I would change is automatic windows--but that is a small thing.

The 11 gal tank costs under $40 to fill now that gas is under 4 bucks/gal. I love this thing.

Just to clarify--the school bus hit me (driver not paying attention).

Add me to the club of faithful and satisfied Saturn owners. I'm on my second one (2003 L200) and when I drive it into the ground, I'll go get another late model used one.

Reasonable price + GREAT Customer Service + Free Donuts and Coffee = Winnah Winnah Chicken Dinnah.

@JeffDrake: Same, I've gotten over 40 in my 2002 SL2 before. I think it's a conspiracy... considering the car also has better acceleration than every other car on the list (with the possible exception of the integra... which you have to redline to get said acceleration), I just laugh at these lists.

We have a 08 Corolla and we get great gas mileage. We went from a minivan to this.

I've had a 2001 Prius for the last two years. Over our last 700 miles we're averaging 46 mpg, most of that with the AC running (meaning it doesn't shut off at red lights). That's split about evenly between city and highway driving.

In the middle of winter I've seen my fuel economy drop into the 30s; in late spring (little AC) I've had full tanks where I've exceeded 50 mpg.

The fuel economy is not a myth, but you do have to learn how to drive it optimally. I don't work at it like some people do, and my wife doesn't do so at all, but between us we better than 41mpg estimate.

@sir_eccles: Gm is putting out the Chevy Cruze in 2010 which is supposedly designed to get 45 highway.

My wife and I purchased a 2003 Toyota Echo back in 2006 from her Grandmothers estate for $3000.

Best $3000 I've ever spent!

Yayyyyy!!! My college car was a '98 Mazda Protege LX stick shift. It got 40mpg on the highway. It was awesome. I sold it to a college freshman after I graduated and moved to NYC (cars are impossible here). I bet that kid is enjoying his fuel economy now!!

" 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.

Amen! Anyway, here's the list. Some of the cars are older than 2-3 years, but hey. They're all under $10k."

Umm...only one of the seven is even close to 2-3 years old and that one IS 3 to 4 years old. I know that's not the main point of the article but I still expect better math from the Consumerist. Tsk, tsk! :P

@sir_eccles: Compared to the idiots that buy SUVs that get 8-10 MPG, yes - 35 MPG is excellent!

I'm totally with ya on this one though.