Posted Wed Mar 4, 2009 7:37am PST Consumer Reports released its annual list of best cars recently, naming the 2009 Toyota Prius as the overall best-value new car. It's in its own class in terms of fuel economy, as The Daily Green's Most Fuel-Efficient Cars and SUVs of 2009 feature shows. It bests its nearest rival (the Honda Civic Hybrid) in city driving by 20%.
But the annual report also includes a list of the most reliable used cars on the market -- reminding us that for fuel efficiency, "sticker" price, and often reliability, used cars are the best value. (The 2000 Honda Insight -- if you can find one -- achieves a combined 53 mpg, which would easily beat the 2009 Toyota Prius by a long shot.)
But buying a used car can be more challenging than buying new, for those who don't consider themselves car buffs. It takes more research (try Edmunds.com to start). How do you know you're getting a good value? And who can you turn to if something goes wrong? That's what makes the Consumer Reports list invaluable. Here you have it: 10 used cars that are likely to offer you good value for the money.
The Daily Green has done one better by ranking the small cars among Consumer Reports' picks by fuel economy. The years were chosen at random, but the fuel economy shouldn't differ within a model. (Do your own comparisons with fueleconomy.gov.)
Most Fuel-Efficient and Reliable Used Cars
2005 Toyota Echo - 31 mpg
2006 Honda Civic - 30 mpg
2005 Scion xB - 29 mpg
2007 Toyota Corolla - 29 mpg
2006 Toyota Corolla - 29 mpg
2005 Toyota Matrix - 27 mpg
2007 Pontiac Vibe - 27 mpg
2006 Mazda 3 - 26 mpg
2003 Mazda Protege - 24 mpg
2004 Subaru Impreza - 22 mpg
I found this list quite informative, and, it did not surprise me that there was only one car on this list from the so-called Big Three; the 2007 Pontiac Vibe..... which, if I am not mistaken, is no longer being made.
Move along now, no surprises here.
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