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Who's Your Gas Buddy? 16 Cars With 40-MPG Gas Mileage On Sale Now Page 2

 
5,469 views Feb 25, 2011
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VW GOLF TDI_7

VW GOLF TDI_7

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2011 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF TDI, JETTA TDI, and JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI (6-spd manual): 30 mpg city, 42 mpg highway - 34 mpg combined

The 2011 VW Jetta is all new this year, though the Jetta Sportwagen model is carried over from the last few years.


Either way, they are offered with VW's durable and high-mileage clean diesel TDI engine.

2011 Ford Fiesta

2011 Ford Fiesta

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2011 FORD FIESTA SFE (6-spd automatic): 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway - 33 mpg combined

This high-mileage option package on the subcompact Fiesta gets it to the magic 40-mpg mark.

The 2011 Fiesta is the first of Ford's line of stylish, high-content European models to be brought to the States, and it's a cut above the aging Toyota Yaris and some other contenders.

2011 Hyundai Elantra

2011 Hyundai Elantra

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2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA: 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway - 33 mpg combined

Hyundai has aggressively promoted the 40-mpg ratings on all models of its all-new 2011 Elantra, even challenging other manufacturers to report monthly sales of their own 40-mpg models.

The Elantra's room, styling, features, and fuel economy have all won it high marks from reviewers.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

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2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE ECO (6-spd manual): 28 mpg city, 42 mpg highway - 33 mpg combined

Chevy's own Eco package on the new 2011 Cruze compact surpasses the 40-mpg mark, but only with the exceptionally high gearing of the six-speed manual model.

The automatic model is rated at just 26 mpg city, 37 mpg highway.

2012 Ford Focus

2012 Ford Focus

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2012 FORD FOCUS SFE (6-spd automatic): 28 mpg city, 40 mpg highway - 32 mpg combined

And here it is, the latest of the growing list of 40-mpg models.

Yes, this too is a special-order package, but as Ford rather sniffily points out, at least it comes with an automatic, the type of transmission specified by 90 percent of all new-car buyers in the U.S.

[Ford, FuelEconomy.gov]






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Comments (10)

  1. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 2/25/2011 10:25am PST

    The EPA claims that driving is biased toward the city. The combined number listed are for 55% city and 45% highway. This is different then Hyundai's claim.
     
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  2. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 2/25/2011 1:01pm PST

    Actually, Voelcker didn't forget, it is mentioned in the article. It is 35 city/ 39 highway for the manual shift and does not make the cut. Your 50+highway number does not match the EPA number.
     
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  3. greg Posted: 2/25/2011 2:57pm PST

    It's great and all, but just really not that impressive to me. I own a 1998 honda civic hatchback that gets 36 mpg on the highway without even trying. I can get low 40's with some effort. 13 years old!!! I'll be more impressed when they start getting near 50 on the highway.
     
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  4. Mark Kleis Posted: 2/25/2011 7:17pm PST

    @Greg - I see comments like your often, but I can only shake my head. For starters, you are comparing EPA figures to personal figures from a single driver, which is apples and oranges in the first place.
    But even more importantly, you are comparing a car that passes emissions standards from 13 years ago to a car that passes today's standards, which are much, much more stringent.
    Your Civic wouldn't have a chance in hell passing the emissions that the new cars do.
    Furthermore, the cars today are larger and have more content AND safety equipment inside, and as a result, weigh more. Again, apples and oranges...
     
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  5. Aldg Posted: 2/26/2011 11:51am PST

    I bought my 3-cylinder 1997 Geo Metro about 4+ years ago for only $2,000 and my city/highway gas mileage during the non-winter months (when the gas isn't changed for the industry-wide winter formula) is generally over 50 MPG. During the winter it drops to about 47 MPG....still very respectable.
    I recently had cruise control installed in the car and I expect improvements in the car's MPG.
    The Geo Metro is a very underrated car (even my wife hates the car calling it a moving car made from beer cans).
    Having owned a new 1968 Corvette for 17 years, I can honestly say that the Geo Metro is fun to drive and it handles very well with its 5-speed manual transmission.
    Check it out! :-)
     
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  6. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 2/27/2011 10:44am PST

    @Mark,
    You have some valid points for sure, but I think Greg is considering his own situation. Why would he consider buying one of these new cars when he is already getting 40+mpg. He has a point there.
    He has the luxury of getting great fuel economy for a car that is all paid-off. That is an awesome thing.
    @Aldg,
    Amazing MPG. Official EPA is 37 city, 44 hwy for manual shift. I think the 37 city is particularly impressive. I have considered getting a Geo metro, but I don't know if I could tolerate the lack of AC.
    John C. Briggs
     
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  7. Axel Posted: 2/27/2011 5:15pm PST

    @ Mark dont be a HATER I used to own a 1994 Honda Civic Coupe and it would give somewhere around 35 mpg on Hwy and that was with A/C on and going around 65 to 70 miles per hour. Todays cars should be GIVING a whole lot better mileage than yesterdays vehicles I'm with Greg, by the way Mark if those Civics do not pass todays emission standards they pass the SMOG test so WHO CARES!!! Sometimes I read the most ridiculous comments in here and compare apples to oranges w/o reasoning.
     
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  8. greg Posted: 2/28/2011 12:25am PST

    Well, Who's your buddy(s)?! Thanks for standing up for me, guys(John and Axel)! I don't know enough about emission standards, catalytic converters, etc. or if the newer catalytic converter I had put on a few years ago would address the emissions issue? But, yes I would like to get a new car(the civic has 260k plus miles), but am not impressed with the gas mileage of the newer non-hybrid cars(or hybrids for that matter). I would just like to see non-hybrid cars get even better mileage than the 40mpg they are starting to get now. I wish there was an easy way to go back to the smaller lighter cars of the late 80's. That would help quite a bit, in my opinion.
     
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  9. johnnymars avatar johnny mars Posted: 1/7/2012 7:06am PST

    Somebody build me a Chevy Cruze-sized vehicle with a diesel/hybrid/plug-in powertrain that averages 55 MPG for $23k and I'll buy it.

    Typo: Ford Fusion gets 36 MPG city, and the car pix are not matched properly with their descriptions on page 2.
     
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  10. johnnymars avatar johnny mars Posted: 1/7/2012 7:09am PST

    I'd love to own an original Honda Insight right now - 70 MPG! I'm disappointed with Honda's current hybrid offerings - not even close to Prius. I expect leadership from Honda, but the only distinction is the the Insight which costs somewhat less than the Prius. The Civic HF is the way to go for low cost of ownership over the years.
     
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