What Is The Most Economical Car To Buy
The most economical cars are those that consume the least amount of fuel. These are typically vehicles with hybrid powertrains. Hybrids can generate and store electricity for use while driving by harvesting the forces created during braking or by siphoning small amounts of engine power. Hybrids can then use the stored electricity to travel short distances or to keep vehicle functions operating while the vehicle is stopped. The most economical hybrids include the Honda Insight, Hyundai Ioniq, Toyota Corolla Hybrid and Toyota Prius.
what is the most economical car to buy
Hybrids, however, are often more expensive than their non-hybrid counterparts. For buyers looking to keep costs low, the most economical non-hybrids include the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Rio and Mitsubishi Mirage.
Topping the list of most affordable cars, the Mirage is a subcompact hatchback with seating for up to five. The combination of a tiny 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine and optional continuously variable automatic transmission deliver impressive EPA-estimated gas mileage of 39 mpg combined, but it comes at the expense of performance; the Mirage is slow. That said, we thought it was reasonably fun to drive when we last reviewed it. In 2021, the Mirage got a refreshed face and revised rear bumper, an updated interior with new soft-touch materials, a new standard 7-inch touchscreen and standard safety features including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection across all trims. If you want a trunk, Mitsubishi also offers a sedan variant called the Mirage G4; with the CVT, it starts at $18,450.
You can't have a list of great affordable cars without mentioning the Toyota Camry, bastion of the midsize sedan segment. Sure, most people talk about the Toyota Camry like they talk about a package of envelopes they bought at Staples, but that's for good reason: For decades, the Camry has stood as good, reliable, affordable transportation for families of all shapes and sizes.
The 2021 Dodge Charger, like the half-decade's worth of Chargers before it, is a large and comfortable sedan with a post-destination manufacturer suggested retail price that just crosses the $30,000 mark, rising a little higher if you prefer four driven wheels to two. In base guise, its V6 engine is efficient enough, but it doesn't make the car feel pokey. Drop a little more coin and you can replace it with a V8 but still sit under the average new-car transaction price. The Charger isn't the most tech-forward vehicle on the planet, but it does come with Stellantis' Uconnect infotainment system, which has been one of our favorites for years, and it just keeps getting better.
Outside, the Bolt EV has much sharper looks while retaining its hatchback shape. Inside, dramatic improvements abound, from general design to the actual materials in play. A 10.2-inch infotainment screen dominates the dashboard, while standard safety tech includes lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking and automatic high beams, with adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system available as options. Oh yeah, it has 259 miles of range, too, which for most commuters is nothing to shake a stick at.
The Bolt EV is no longer the only affordable electric car in Chevrolet's portfolio. Now, there's a higher-riding crossover version, the Bolt EUV, which looks mostly the same but actually shares no common sheet metal with its sibling. All the same great things from the Bolt EV are here, including a nicely styled interior with better materials and some solid standard tech. It may not look this way in pictures, but the EUV is actually half a foot longer than the EV, with the increased interior space to match.
We've gathered a list of the cheapest new cars on sale today. The cars you see here have starting prices that undercut most others, though it's important to remember that most automakers deliver cheap cars by cutting features and options.
The flagship Octavia iV is currently not available due to supply shortages, but when it returns it will continue to be the most economical version, managing 182-283mpg with CO2 emissions of 22-33g/km. It combines a 1.4-litre petrol engine and an electric motor producing 201bhp but this technology comes at a price, with even the entry-level Octavia PHEV costing over a third more than a conventional petrol-powered model.
Due to a rise in crude oil prices, prices at the pump are at a record high. Prices for petrol reached 148.02p, beating the previous high of 147.72p in November. Meanwhile, diesel reached 151.57p - also an all-time high. So it might be a good time to think about the most economical cars you can buy and that's where What Car?'s True MPG comes in.
When you think Ford, you might picture a muscle car like the iconic Mustang or something like the F-series of pickup trucks. Neither of which have been particularly economical. However, Ford has changed tack in recent years and now wants half of its global vehicle volume to be fully electric by 2030. The Mustangs and pickups both have hybrid and fully electric versions on the market, as do other Fords, like the Ford Escape.
If you want an Accord, but your main goal is to get the best fuel economy possible, buy the 2021 version of the Honda Accord Hybrid. The 2022 model has lost 1 MPG on the highway somewhere. Despite a fractional decline in efficiency, the Accord Hybrid is still firmly in the top 10 most economical cars this year, offering 47 MPG on the highway and 48 in the city. With 212 horsepower, the Accord Hybrid is one of the more powerful cars on this list and might be the right choice for anyone who wants to make their gas go further but worries about driving a vehicle that lacks power.
Each incarnation of the 2022 Camry comes with a 2.5L, 4-cylinder engine. However, the fuel economy on the high-end version drops to 47 MPG on the highway and 44 in the city. Toyota has released 18 variants of the Camry, five of which are hybrids. The most exciting edition is the "Nightshade" hybrid, with darker trim and blacked-out 18" wheels. AWD is also available on some models of the Camry Hybrid.
The most economical car of 2022 is the Hyundai Ioniq. Hyundai says the Ioniq will give you up to a staggering 60 MPG on a highway and 58 in the city. Although it is level with the Prius when it comes to urban fuel economy, it's still at the top of the list. On the highway, no other standard hybrid gets near it.
This Hyundai car was brand new for the 2017 model year and an affordable hybrid option as well. With a low-price tag and great fuel economy, it's regarded as one of the most fuel-efficient used cars. In fact, it's rated at 57/59/58 mpg.
This guide is focussed on petrol, diesel and conventional (i.e. non plug-in) hybrids, and while we're looking on efficient models, we've tried to include a wide variety of cars, as not everyone will be after a diesel hatchback. That may mean that some of the models here are not technically among the 10 most efficient models on the market, but given official testing procedures have become so complex that a car's combined mpg figure can have a spread of more than 10mpg, a little poetic licence in selecting cars seems more than justifiable.
Despite this, new diesel cars are very clean and the fuel still makes a good choice for those who regularly cover long distances, as most modern diesel engines will easily return upwards of 50mpg on the motorway. Diesel buyers just need to ensure that they cover enough miles in a year to offset the extra upfront cost of a diesel engine with fuel savings.
Our list of the most economical cars focuses on internal combustion-engined vehicles, providing you with the top ten most economical cars on sale in the UK now. But, as petrol and hybrid cars will often be a more cost-effective solution for low-mileage drivers, we have included separate lists which detail the most economical offerings for these fuel choices.
The most fuel efficient internal combustion-engined car currently on sale in the UK is the Peugeot 208, whose 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine returns a claimed economy figure of 73.6mpg. The best-performing petrol car is the Mazda 2, which delivers a 60.1mpg maximum.
The eighth-generation Astra is the first designed fully under Stellantis ownership, and it has a radical new look, with far more angles and straight edges. Its interior has been given a thorough shake-up too, with analogue gauges and most dash buttons replaced with widescreen digital displays.
Stellantis are becoming the masters of platform sharing, so if you want a really economical combustion-engined car, the chances are pretty good it will be fitted with the ubiquitous 1.5-litre BlueHDi engine. It pops up here in the Peugeot 2008, which sacrifices around 8mpg compared with the 208 supermini.
Up until the turn of the century, diesel power was your only choice if you needed a car with good fuel economy. In recent years, though, advancements in engine management software, fuel delivery systems and turbocharger technology have made petrol engines almost as efficient as their coal-rolling counterparts.
Mazda is renowned for its clever engineering and innovative petrol engines, and now it can lay claim to the most efficient petrol model accolade. The 89bhp version of its 1.5-litre Skyactiv-G engine now features mild-hybrid tech, which helps to take some strain off the engine by storing recuperated energy in a small onboard battery. 041b061a72