Best High Mileage Cars

Written by Nickel - 10 Comments

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Given all the recent news about high prices at the pump, there’s been a lot of talk about fuel efficient cars. While it’s pretty easy to pull up a list of the highest mileage cars on the market, it’s less straightforward to come up with a list of cars that live at the intersection of high mileage and outstanding value. With this in mind, CNN/Money and Edmunds.com recently put together a list of ‘the best cars that get great gas mileage.’ Their list covers luxury cars, family sedans, sports cars, crossover SUVs, and subcompacts. As it turns out, none of the top picks are hybrids due to their higher cost. They do, however, provide hybrid alternatives where available. Without further ado, here are their top picks…

Luxury: Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI
Mileage: 27 city/37 highway
Cost: $50k
The ‘Also-Rans’: Audi A4, BMW 3-series

Family Sedan: Toyota Camry
Mileage: 24 city/34 highway
Cost: Low $20s
The ‘Also-Rans’: Honda Accord, Ford Focus
Hybrid Alternative: Lexus GS450h

Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette
Mileage: 18 city/28 highway
Cost: $45k
The ‘Also-Rans’: Mercedes-Benz CLK350, Mazda MX-5 Miata

Crossover/Wagon: Totyota Rav4
Mileage: 24 city/30 highway
Cost: $22k
The ‘Also-Rans’: Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox/Pontiac Torrent
Hybrid Alternative: Lexus RX400h

Compact Car: Toyota Corolla
Mileage: 21 city/41 highway
Cost: $15k
The ‘Also-Rans’: Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Hybrid Alternatives: Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid

[Source: CNN/Money]

Published on May 5th, 2006 - 10 Comments
Filed under: Automotive, Energy
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About the author: Nickel is the founder and editor-in-chief of this site. He's a thirty-something family man who has been writing about personal finance since 2005, and guess what? He's on Twitter!

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Comments (scroll down to add your own):

  1. They didn’t give a look at the new Toyota Yaris. It puts out comparable numbers to the Corolla, but has an MSRP about $3-4K less.

    Comment by Dus10 — May 5th 2006 @ 10:03 am

  2. Where’s the minivan category?

    Comment by Daytonscott — May 5th 2006 @ 12:08 pm

  3. Good question… There wasn’t one. I’m guessing that the newest revision of the Honda Odyssey (with it’s variable cylinder management system) would rate pretty high.

    Comment by nickel — May 5th 2006 @ 12:25 pm

  4. Most people do not realize technology exists that enable hybrids to get 250-300 mpg. My mechanic first tipped me off and have verified it since. This will definitely change the equation and offset the higher price.

    Comment by Brion — May 6th 2006 @ 3:04 pm

  5. can u give me how it can be done..Brion

    Comment by Mohan — May 21st 2006 @ 6:42 pm

  6. Mohan, I’ve seen reports of this in cars outfitted with humongous battery packs in their trunks that are ‘topped off’ by plugging them in while at home. But these aren’t traditional ‘plug in’ cars that have a very limited range without plugging in again… They are basically hybrids with an additional battery boost, and when the extra batteries run down they basically perform exactly like a regular hybrid. While these cars can get great mileage, however, they’re still consuming a good bit of energy — it just changes the source from the gas tank to the electric company.

    Comment by nickel — May 21st 2006 @ 7:37 pm

  7. Yes, electric-based cars are transferring the energy source from the gas pump to the electric grid,but the electric grid is much more efficient than gasoline; moreover, the electric grid includes a wide range of cleaner energy sources: wind, hydro, natural gas.

    Comment by desertrat — Jun 18th 2006 @ 11:13 am

  8. The Camry outranks the Prius?

    Please – they are the same price, the same size, yet the Prius has substantially better gas mileage. Plus, it is a hatchback, so it is more flexible as a cargo carrier.

    There is NO premiumm here for the additional benefits of the hybrid technology.

    The Prius should be in first place.

    Comment by Gingerbaker — Nov 10th 2007 @ 1:19 pm

  9. Why is the minivan category not being touched by the Prius type technology?
    It would be great if the new Scion “van” went with a Prius package.
    Has anybody seen a Prius that has been modified, enlarged?

    I have heard their is a new iron based high end battery that is recyclable – any info?

    thank you!

    Comment by fastbusiness — Dec 21st 2007 @ 12:25 am

  10. Why does the USA keep the Bluemotion VW out of US market? Fuel consumption listed on the UK website is 88.3 MPG?

    Comment by David — Feb 18th 2008 @ 3:38 pm

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