Most fuel-efficient vehicles in production are mini or subcompact cars with
tiny engines. Some of them have advanced diesel engines while others have
3 or 4 cylinder petrol engines. Fuel-efficient vehicles tend to be lightweight
and many have narrow wheels providing little rolling resistance.
The most economical cars can return fuel mileage figures in excess of 60
mpg compared to some large V8's which manage less than 20 mpg. This means
that these efficient cars will cost you less than a third in gas costs compared
to some V8's. In addition maintenance and other running costs will also
be a fraction of the cost.
The most fuel-efficient vehicles can save you a lot of money and these days
they are also surprisingly fun to drive. Many don't feel as small as they
actually are when you drive them. They often handle very well and have the
feel of a much larger car. You can get very good gas mileage midsize cars
which have plenty of room for 4 people in comfort and can fit 5 passengers
if necessary. Although not as fuel-efficient as the smaller and more lightweight
micro cars (such as the Smart Car) these midsize cars nevertheless return
very respectable fuel mileage figures.
The top
fuel-efficient vehicles are also very cheap to
buy (ignoring hybrids and electric cars), however they don't have a cheap
image. They actually have a green, intelligent and cool image, especially
among young people living in large cities. Being small cars, their size
also offers additional benefits in crowded city streets.
Overall theres a lot going for fuel-efficient vehicles.