Gas is heading back to $3 a gallon. It might be time to consider trading in your gas guzzler for a more fuel efficient used car. The 2007 model year offered 10 cars that average 29 mpg or better. Most surprisingly, six of the 10 can hold 4 adults comfortably. Plus, in another pleasant surprise, all of these cars get average or better grades from Consumer Reports, except the Kia Rio, which apparently has never been tested. Some of these used models are even on the recommended list.
Mileage numbers based on new EPA standards and numbers = City/Highway/Combined
1. Toyota Prius Hybrid 48/45/46
Photo © Toyota
Continues to be the car you want to turn to when you want to go green. Until 2009, it was the only car on the market that was sold only as a hybrid. The best time to buy a used Prius is when gas prices are below $3. Above that, sellers usually charge – and get – a premium for this sedan that can sit five adults for around-town trips.
2. Honda Civic Hybrid 40/45/42
Photo © Honda
This is not the used hybrid for you if you want the world to know you’re driving a hybrid. Save some little badges here and there, it’s tough to distinguish this from a regular Honda Civic, which goes to prove the point that most hybrid owners deep down are show offs or feel guilty because their other vehicle is an 8-passener Suburban.
3. Nissan Altima Hybrid 35/33/34
Photo © Nissan
The Altima Hybrid could be the best sedan of the hybrid class, except for one major fault. In its transition to a hybrid, a lot – and I mean a lot – of trunk space was sacrificed for battery storage. If Nissan had put those batteries below the floorboards, this would be the bet hybrid sedan on the market by far.
4. Toyota Camry Hybrid
Photo © Toyota
If you want bland dependability while saving the environment, you have come to the right place. This Camry will never get your heart pumping, but it will give you plenty of interior space, a dependable ride, and a trunk that holds enough for a week’s vacation.
5. Toyota Yaris 29/36/32
Photo © Toyota
The sole reason to recommend this used car would be its fuel efficiency. The Yaris is not really Toyota’s best example of what it can do with a sub-compact. I would consider this car acceptable for single people needing some dependable to get to college classes or commuters looking for something to park before hopping on a bus or a train.
6. Toyota Corolla 28/37/31
Photo © Toyota
This is the most pleasant of the fuel-efficient used cars, unless you have a heavy foot. It’s comfortable, roomy, and a great highway cruiser. There’s a reason Corolla owners are so darn happy. They have a good used car.
7. Honda Fit 28/34/31
Photo © Honda
If the Corolla is the most pleasant, this is the most practical. The Fit should star in “The Transformers,” not the Camaro. The Fit demonstrates a lot of versatility for cargo and passengers and it is a perfect used car for urban dwellers without much room for parking.
8. MINI Cooper 27/36/31
Photo © Mini Cooper
Want to have fun and save money at the pump? Then plant yourself behind the wheel of a Mini Cooper base model. This is a perfect used car for empty nesters because it’s really a two seater deep down. Use the backseat for your trunk for longer trips.
9. Hyundai Accent 27/32/29
Photo © Hyundai
Want a good reason to buy a used Hyundai? The 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. Instead of letting small problems get big, Hyundai owners take their cars into the shop at the first sign of trouble because so much is covered. Well maintained cars always make great used cars.
10. Kia Rio 27/32/29
Photo © Kia
You’ll hear no knock about the Rio from me. I was stuck in one in a blizzard for five hours on a trip that normally takes 75 minutes. I was comfortable the entire trip, which is something I can’t say about a lot of sub-compacts. My only concern is a lack of a Consumer Reports test on any model year of the Rio. Make sure you get it thoroughly inspected prior to purchase.
