Top Cars by MPG of 2012
Fuel economy has become one of the most crucial considerations when purchasing a new car. With fuel prices appearing to rise every day, making sure that your car makes the most of every last drip of petrol or diesel. With petrol and diesel being scare resources, there is no chance of prices ever returning to previous levels, it is almost a certainty that prices will only continue to increase.
Hybrid technology
New technologies are proving especially helpful in ensuring that cars are more efficient than ever. The use of hybrid technology has proved especially popular, while fully electric vehicles still remain a few years away, cars have been developed to use twin power sources. These cars are not cheap, however they will almost certainly save money in the long run.
Toyota Prius
The original and most famous of the hybrid brands, and still one of the most fuel efficient. The T3 model averages 72.4 miles per gallon and is available for around £21,000. The Prius Plug in uses an electric battery which can power the car on its own for up to 15.5 miles and at speeds of up to 50mph. This edition of the Prius takes the cost up to around £28,000, however it also makes the car even more efficient at 139 mpg.
Hyundai i20 1.1 CRDi Blue
This isn’t an electric car, or a hybrid. In fact it doesn’t make use of any new technologies, it is in fact the most efficient conventional petrol engine car currently available. Its engine manages 88 miles to the gallon, and despite only packing 71 bhp (brake horse power), due to its lightweight size it doesn’t feel that slow either. Another advantage over hybrid technology cars is its purchase price, nearly half the price of a Toyota at £11,795.
Kia Rio 1.1 Ecodynamics
For a very short time, the Rio was the most efficient car on the road, until the Hyundai i20 was released, edging it out by 1g/km on the emissions scale, and matching it’s impressive 88 mpg. They are priced very similarly, with the Rio’s list price at £11,895. Most would choose the i20 on performance specs rather than the marginal efficiency differences.
Smart ForTwo
The ForTwo is an odd car that has polarised opinion about its style. However it has never given any doubts about its value. Until this year, this was the most efficient car on the road. Its newest diesel incarnation offers an impressive 85.6 mpg. For around £10,000 it is definitely a bargain, but if you’re looking to get anywhere quickly, the Smart ForTwo won’t get you there. It takes nearly 20 seconds to reach 60mph. Neither will you be able to accommodate more than one friend.
Vauxhall/Chevrolet Volt
The volt is the best in this class of economic car. It is a car run solely on battery, with an onboard petrol generator to recharge the battery. So while the car still consumes petrol, petrol does not at any point power the car in the traditional manner, meaning it is not a hybrid. At £35,000, it is a fair initial outlay to enjoy the cost savings of a car that manages a whopping 235.4 mpg! However this car does qualify for a government plug in electric car grant of £5,000, giving you extra incentive to buy the greenest car on the road.
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