Super Moody Group

When researching fuel-efficient vehicles, hybrids often dominate, and for good reason; hybrids do a great job of delivering excellent fuel economy. The recently redesigned Toyota Prius earns an EPA estimate of nearly 60 miles per gallon. Some drivers will exceed even that. At 57 MPG, the Prius is about the best you can do among hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles. A plug-in Prius does even better at 127 MPGe.   MPGe is a way of measuring efficiency for cars that use both electricity and gasoline, and it approximates efficiency if the car was powered by gasoline only.   The Hyundai Elantra hybrid (shown above) is nearly as impressive as the Prius with a combined EPA estimate of 54 MPG.   Hybrids Often Cost More   But hybrids often cost more than non-hybrid vehicles. Sometimes that extra cost reflects the cost of building the hybrid, but other times it’s simply a markup based on demand and popularity. Sticking with the Hyundai Elantra example, a base gasoline-only Elantra i...

Somehow, small diesel powered cars are still looked upon as odd by many new car shoppers - how the Prius has earned mainstream acceptance while diesel powered VWs and Benzes have not is beyond me. The 2010 VW Golf TDI is essentially state of the art when it comes to afforable diesels. There's plenty of power, the engine is not annoyingly loud and the car's overall look and feel seems more like a $35,000 sports car rather than a $22,000 commuter car. The Toyota Prius does offer an impressive 50 mpg in all around driving but it's not really a fun car and is best suited for those who simply drive to and from work in a straight line, never thinking or even wishing for more. The Golf TDI's 42 mpg highway estimate is close enough to most hybrids and better than many smaller cars. Cars like the Kia Forte, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris can do about 36 mpg highway but the Golf TDI tops those cars and is MUCH more rewarding to drive. The turbo diesel provides plenty of power and the...