Off Duty, Automotive - Air Force Times

Gas sippers

Gas prices are putting the hurt on us all — including military units in Iraq which pay, on average $3.23 per gallon for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel — but you can ease the pain at the pump if you’re driving one of these. Below are our picks for the top two fuel-sippers in various classes, based on performance, practicality and price.

Online extra

More cars that offer more mileage

ULTRACOMPACTS

1. 2008 Smart for Two

The Smart is a two-seater designed principally for in-city driving. Its small size makes it easy to park in tight spaces and ideal for negotiating busy urban traffic. Its unusual short-and-tall styling also will draw lots of attention. However, its two-seater configuration and minimal (8 cubic feet) cargo capacity limits its day-to-day practicality — while its standard three-cylinder, 70 horsepower engine lacks sufficient reserve power for extended highway driving.

MSRP: $11,590 (Pure coupe with manual transmission)

EPA mileage: 33 city/40 highway

2. 2008 Toyota Yaris

The Yaris is Toyota’s smallest, least expensive and most economical car. It is available in three-door hatchback and sedan configurations. Although smaller than traditional subcompacts, the Yaris is still viable for general use. Its standard 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine has adequate power (103 hp) for highway driving, and there is room inside for four people — although back seat occupants will find the space a little tight. Of all the so-called “B cars” that began appearing last year (including the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa), the Yaris is the most economical (by several MPGs) and also has the lowest base price.

MSRP: $11,350 (hatchback coupe with manual transmission)

EPA mileage: 29 city/36 highway

SUBCOMPACTS

1. 2008 BMW Mini Cooper

The Mini Cooper is something of an oddball in that it’s among the most economical cars you can buy, yet also extremely appealing on an emotional level. People buy this car as much for its outsized personality and retro-themed styling as they do for its gas mileage. Like the original Mini of the 1960s, this car is much larger on the inside than you’d expect from the outside and can comfortably accommodate occupants well over 6 feet tall up front. The back seats are less roomy — but still serviceable for kids. For 2008, the Mini stable has been expanded with a wagonlike Clubman model that offers almost twice the cargo capacity with the same high fuel efficiency as the standard coupe.

MSRP: $18,050 (coupe with manual transmission)

EPA mileage: 28 city/37 highway

2. 2008 Scion xD

The xD is a new Scion model that replaces the slow-selling xA. It’s a five-door hatchback aimed at younger buyers, with a distinctive cube-like exterior shape and available high-end audio/entertainment equipment on the inside — including an integrated GPS/stereo system with flat-panel display and jacks for hooking up external accessories such as iPods. Audio and video files can be downloaded and played on the system. The Scion is sportier than many cars in this class thanks to its standard 1.8-liter, 128 hp engine.

MSRP: $14,550 (hatchback sedan with manual transmission)

EPA mileage: 27 city/33 highway

COMPACTS

1. 2009 Toyota Corolla

Although a bit on the drab side, the Corolla can’t be faulted on economy or value. The version on sale now has been heavily updated and is larger inside than any previous Corolla. It also offers features such as GPS navigation that were formerly available only in higher-priced cars. One big difference between the Corolla and its chief rival, Honda’s Civic, is that Toyota offers the Corolla only in a sedan, and the Civic is available as a sedan or a coupe. Of the two, the Toyota feels less sporty — but it has a softer, more comfortable ride as well as class-leading fuel efficiency.

MSRP: $15,250 (sedan with manual transmission)

EPA mileage: 28 city/37 highway

2. 2008 Honda Civic

The Civic approaches the mileage capability of smaller, less practical subcompacts and has one of the lowest depreciation rates of any car of its type. Available as a coupe or sedan, the Civic’s standard 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine also is powerful for a car of this type — with 140 hp on tap. Although most economy-oriented cars are not especially fun to drive, the Civic delivers sporty acceleration and crisp handling along with high fuel economy. A new natural-gas-burning GX version is available for 2008, and can be refueled at home (with a Compressed Natural Gass hookup); it produces virtually no harmful emissions. A hybrid version is also available.

MSRP: $14,810 (coupe with manual transmission)

EPA mileage: 26 city/34 highway

MID-SIZE

1. 2008 Nissan Altima

The Altima sedan is comparable to the Maxima sedan (with which it shares its basic chassis) in terms of interior space and overall size — but unlike the Maxima, the Altima offers a more economical four-cylinder standard engine (vs. a V-6 in the Maxima). The Altima is a roomy five-passenger sedan with a large (15.3 cubic foot) trunk and peppy performance from its 2.5-liter, 175 hp engine — with highway fuel economy approaching that of smaller economy-compacts and better than its two chief rivals, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. For 2008, a hybrid version is available.

MSRP: $18,330 (sedan with manual and four-cylinder engine)

EPA mileage: 23 city/32 highway

2. 2009 Hyundai Sonata

Hyundais have been great values for many years now — offering more features for less money than similar models from other manufacturers — along with industry-best warranty coverage. Now you can also get some of the best-available fuel economy, too. The just-redesigned ’09 Sonata is a large, exceptionally well-equipped sedan (AC, traction and stability control, and side-impact air bags are included in the car’s $18,000 base price) that is also easier on gas than former class leaders such as the Camry and Accord. And its 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain coverage (and five-year/60,000 mile basic warranty) are still among the best in the business.

MSRP: $18,120 (sedan with manual transmission)

EPA mileage: 22 city/32 highway

FULL-SIZE

1. 2008 Toyota Avalon

The Avalon is one of the few large sedans that can approach 30 mpg on the highway without hybrid power. Its front-drive layout also gives it an edge in snow and wet weather over rear-drive large sedans such as the Chrysler 300 — which costs several thousand dollars more to start ($24,595) and also burns more fuel (18 city/26 highway). But the Avalon doesn’t sacrifice power to achieve high economy. Its standard 3.5-liter, 268 hp V-6 is one of the strongest engines in this class (the more expensive/less efficient 300 comes standard with a 2.7-liter, 178 hp V-6) and provides easy merging and passing power — along with good gas mileage.

MSRP: $18,720

EPA mileage: 19 city/28 highway

2. 2008 Chevrolet Impala

You’ll like the Impala for the same reasons it’s popular with police departments all over the country: room for six adults, a huge (19 cubic foot) trunk, comfortable ride, reasonable price — and great gas mileage for a car this big. In fact, the Impala’s highway mileage is slightly better than the Avalon’s — and its city mileage only slightly less. Yet it’s a bigger, roomier car than the five-passenger Toyota. The Impala’s standard 3.5-liter V-6 is the most economical choice, but the optional 3.9-liter V-6 provides more power (233 hp vs. 211 hp) with only a slight fuel economy penalty (18 city/28 highway) courtesy of cylinder deactivation technology that shuts off three of the engine’s six cylinders when they’re not needed.

MSRP: $21,650 (3.5-liter V-6/automatic transmission)

EPA mileage: 18 city/29 highway