If you're looking for a car that will take you far on a single tank of gas, a car that gets more than 40 miles per gallon is the best car you'll find for your dollar in the United States. Cars that get more than 40 miles per gallon are rare and are typically hybrids, but as car technology advances and consumers try to consume less fuel, more cars with low gas mileage will appear on the market.
The 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid gets 42 miles per gallon overall, according to The Daily Green. The Civic Hybrid has an electric engine that shares the work of its gasoline engine, allowing it to get lower mileage. The Hybrid will set you back about $8,000 more than the base-model gasoline-only Civic, but, according to The Daily Green, it can save you as much as $430 annually in gas costs over the traditional Civic.
Smaller and a couple of thousand dollars less expensive than the Civic Hybrid, the 2010 Honda Insight also gets more than 40 miles to the gallon. The Honda Insight has a fuel economy of 41 miles per gallon, including 40 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway, according to the Daily Green, and it's ranked third, as of October 2010, on Consumer Reports' most fuel-efficient cars list. The Honda Insight is also a hybrid, using both electric and gasoline-driven engines.
Perhaps the most fuel-efficient car to date, the Toyota Prius hybrid will set you back almost $23,000 dollars, but it's got a combined fuel economy rating of 50 miles per gallon, according to the Daily Green. Ranked the most fuel-efficient car, as of October 2010, by Consumer Reports, the 2010 Toyota Prius gets 51 miles per gallon in the city and 48 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
Ranked fourth on Consumer Reports' most fuel-efficient cars list as of October 2010, the Volkswagen Golf TDI gets 41 to 42 miles per gallon on the highway, according to Volkswagen's website. The Volkswagen Golf TDI achieves this fuel economy without an electric engine. Instead, it's fueled with diesel. The price tag on the Golf TDI will set you back around $22,000 to $24,000, depending on the options you get, but it's only about $5,000 more than the standard Golf.
With the manufacturer's suggested retail price starting at only $13,320, the Ford Fiesta is one of the most budget-friendly cars that get over 40 miles per gallon. The 2011 Ford Fiesta gets 40 miles per gallon on the highway, according to Ford's website. The Ford Fiesta is not a hybrid, and it features a standard gasoline engine.
