AJC CAR NEWS
Gas prices have drivers seeking older cars that get good mileage
San Antonio Express-News
Saturday, October 18, 2008
As gasoline marched toward $4 a gallon this spring and summer, consumers began changing their buying habits in a big hurry, seeking cars that could help lessen the trauma at the gas pumps.
The higher prices drove buyers away from large vehicles, especially trucks and traditional SUVs, to more fuel-efficient small cars and crossover utility vehicles.
Honda
2007 Civic Si Sedan. You almost can’t go wrong buying a Honda Civic. Fuel economy ratings are into the 30s, and when you do refuel, the cost will be manageable because the tank is much smaller than those found on big pickups, SUVs and sedans.
The ‘07 Nissan Sentra is a popular option for motorists who need an everyday vehicle while the SUV stays in the garage except for specific jobs.
GM
Chevrolet’s Aveo, made by General Motors’ South Korean Daewoo subsidiary, gets good mileage, and it has been on the market long enough that a used model should be easy to find.
Toyota
The 2007 Toyota Corolla LE is among the best options for somebody looking for a used car as an everyday vehicle. It gets fuel economy ratings in the 30s.
One result was the sharp drop in sales of the San Antonio-built Toyota Tundra, which has resulted in a shutdown of the plant for at least three months.
And even though prices have backed off some, they’re still about $3 a gallon, high enough to keep driving consumers to more fuel-efficient cars.
But instead of dumping the pickups and SUVs they already own — and that they still need for family outings and trips to home-improvement stores or antique shops — some consumers are opting to buy fuel-efficient used vehicles for their daily commutes and to keep the larger vehicles for occasions when they’re really needed.
To get the best fuel economy, it’s necessary to think smaller. The less weight the vehicle carries, the less fuel it will burn.
Small cars always will win the gas mileage race over bigger and heavier vehicles. Buying them used rather than new helps keep overall operating costs down — beginning with the monthly payments and continuing at the gas pumps.
The high fuel prices have put smaller cars back on the shopping lists of consumers who had abandoned them for larger vehicles just a few years ago as the SUV and pickup boom grew.
Today, though, small car-based crossovers such as the Mitsubishi Outlander, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 have become better alternatives to such once-hot sellers as the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Shifting from a large SUV or pickup to a compact, gas-sipping vehicle for your daily commute actually might pay for itself in the long run, without your having to give up your larger vehicle altogether. You might find this a great way to save money and to do your bit to reduce runaway oil consumption.
The key is to find a vehicle that is both economical to buy and to operate, and which won’t depreciate much over a period of two or three years of ownership.
While you’re putting the daily miles on your economical used car, your expensive one can rest in the garage, keeping the odometer from spinning and slowing the decline of that vehicle’s value.
It’s important to buy as your commuter vehicle a used car that has a reputation for longevity and reliability so you won’t have to worry about high maintenance costs.
Among the best options are pre-owned compacts such as the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Mitsubishi Lancer, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Saturn Ion, Ford Focus, Suzuki Reno, Chevrolet Cavalier and Chevrolet Cobalt.
The Corolla and Civic are among the most popular, of course. You almost can’t go wrong buying either one of these. Fuel economy ratings are into the 30s, and when you do refuel, the cost will be manageable because the tank is much smaller than those found on big pickups, SUVs and sedans.
Some owners report fuel economy of 40 miles per gallon or more on some models of the Civic, particularly those with a five-speed manual transmission.
Honda also sells a hybrid gasoline-electric Civic, but finding a used one of those is quite difficult as people aren’t turning theirs loose.
Ditto for the Toyota Prius hybrid, which went on sale in the United States in summer 2000. The Prius is so hot now that dealers report used ones selling for more than they cost when they were new, and whenever the rare used Prius comes onto a dealer’s lot, customers are lined up ready to buy it.
Another good high-gas-mileage vehicle is the Chevrolet Aveo, which has been on the market long enough for consumers to find used ones. These vehicles, built by GM’s South Korean Daewoo subsidiary, are well-built, value-priced and very easy on gas — with EPA ratings in the mid-30s.
Other used cars with decent reputations and great fuel economy — generally averaging at least 30 mpg — include subcompact/compacts such as the Toyota Echo (which has been replaced by the Yaris), Mazda Protégé (replaced by the Mazda 3), Mitsubishi Mirage (replaced by the Lancer), Suzuki Reno, Saturn S series, Volkswagen Jetta and Golf, and even the Volkswagen New Beetle, which has been on the market since 1998 and is readily available on the used-car market.
Economical midsize cars include four-cylinder versions of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Mitsubishi Galant, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable, Mazda 626 and Volkswagen Passat.
With most of these, you can expect average fuel economy in the mid- to upper-20s, with highway mileage of 30 mpg or better.
Some are actually a lot of fun to drive. Among them are the New Beetle, Jetta and Golf — all of which are built on the same chassis and carry the same choice of engines. They also were available for some of their model years with diesel engines, which get fuel economy of 40 mpg or more, but these are rare finds on the used-car market.
Also fun and economical to operate are some premium compacts such as the Acura Integra, Acura TL 2.5 and Saab 9-3 hatchback.
These will cost more to buy initially than some of the less expensive compacts, but they will hold their value better while offering you good service and great fuel economy — not to mention excellent performance.
Finding trucks and SUVs that offer good fuel economy can be difficult, but some crossovers to look for are the RAV4, CR-V, Ford Escape (and its clone, the Mazda Tribute), Saturn Vue, Subaru Outback or Forester, and Hyundai Santa Fe.
