These fuel economy figures are lame! Image via Wikipedia
After gasoline prices tanked in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and the pain at the pump eased, there wasn’t as much of a monetary incentive for people to get rid of their gas guzzling sports cars, trucks, and SUVs and trade them in for more practical, fuel economy friendly vehicles.
Now that gasoline prices are back to pushing all-time highs, it seems as if buying a fuel efficient vehicle is back in style.
Today, CNET published a great article by Wayne Cunningham entitled By The Numbers: The Top Eco Car, which, as you probably guessed, talks about the most environmentally friendly and fuel efficient vehicles on the market today, and compares all of them based on the following criteria:
- Cost
- Range
- Annual fuel cost
- Seating
- Cargo capacity
Looking through the EPA listings for 2011 model year cars, we picked out the most fuel efficient and compared them by a few different data points. Topping the EPA list is the 2011 Nissan Leaf, with its massive 99 mpg equivalent fuel economy. This number represents the combined city and highway mileage.
The 2011 Chevy Volt is more difficult to place, as the EPA lists two fuel economy figures, 93 mpg equivalent for electric operation and 37 mpg for gasoline operation. A simple average shows 65 mpg, which isn’t particularly accurate but will do for this comparison.
That hybrid stalwart, the 2011 Toyota Prius, rings in at 50 mpg, and is the top fuel economy performer that can’t be plugged in. We also decided to throw in a diesel, the 2011 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen, which gets 34 mpg. We chose the Sportwagen because it gets the same fuel economy as the sedan, yet has more cargo area.
So, which car drove away with the award? If you guessed the old favorite, the Toyota Prius, you’d be right, although, there were some caveats:
Given these categories, the 2011 Toyota Prius comes out the winner. Its base price is the lowest and it offers the most range, while at the same time having the largest passenger compartment.
That fact, however, does not mean the Prius is the best choice for everyone who wants an ecologically sound car. If the majority of your drives come under 35 miles, than the Leaf or Volt might make a better choice. If you don’t have easy access to the charging stations or need to maximize cargo volume, the Jetta TDI Sportwagen would serve well.
Which would you have picked? Leave a comment below!
Related articles
- By the numbers: The top eco car (reviews.cnet.com)
- Toyota bets big on growing Prius family (msnbc.msn.com)
- Comparo: Honda Civic Hybrid takes on Chevrolet Cruze Eco and Volkswagen Jetta TDI (autoblog.com)
- The Fuel-Sipping Prius Gets a Bigger Brother – Wall Street Journal (online.wsj.com)
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