Gas Prices Jumped Right Past 3 Last Year Without Warning And Could Do So Again Anytime. With So Many Great Fuel-stingy Cars Out There, Why Take A Chance? Below Are The Ten 2006 Cars Whose Mileage Numbers Will Best Protect You From A Pinch. Note That This Is EPAs Estimated Mileage, Which Comes With The Fine Print Of Results May Vary Thanks To Its Archaic Testing Procedures. Still, The Tests Are Consistent From Car To Car, So The Finishing Order Of The Cars Can Be Expected To Hold Up In The Real World, Even If The Exact Numbers Dont.CityFreewayAverage1.Honda Insight6066632.Toyota Priusautomatic605155.53.Honda Civic Hybrid4951504.Volkswagen Beetle TDI374440.55.Volkswagen Golf TDI374440.56.Volkswagen Jetta TDI364138.57.Toyota Corolla324136.58.Scion XA323734.59.Honda Civic Automatic30403510.Kia Rio Hyundai Accent323533.5(The Rio And Accent Are The Same Car.) Except For The Prius And Two Civics, All Figures Are For Cars With Manual Transmissions, Which By Nature Of Their More Efficient Design Tend To Squeeze Out 1-2 Extra MPG. But Even With An Automatics-only Rule, The Same Ten Models Still Comprise The List In Only A Slightly Altered Order No Surprise There.Hybrids Of Course Take The Top Three Spots, Largely Thanks To The Ability To Turn Off Their Engines. Other Reasons Include Shrunken Engines, Improved Aerodynamic Tricks, And Harder Tires. Dont Think That Mileage Comes For Free; Hybrids Cost A Couple Thousand More At The Outset. Diesel-powered Cars Occupy The Next Three Spots, Though Not Everyone Is Comfortable With The Technology (mostly Due To Outdated Generalizations Of 1980s Diesels) Or Having To Find Gas Stations That Carry The Fuel.For Those Who Prefer To Tread In Familiar Waters, Lets Hack Off The Top Six Entries And Redo The List. This Time, Just Normal Gas-powered Cars:CityFreewayAverage1.Toyota Corolla324136.52.Honda Civic Automatic3040353.Scion XA323734.54.Kia Rio Hyundai Accent323533.55.Toyota Matrix Pontiac Vibe3036336.Scion XB3034327.Mini Cooper2836328.Nissan Sentra 1.8L (tie)283531.5Mazda 3 2.0L (tie)283531.510. Mitsubishi Lancer (tie)273430.5Hyundai Elantra (tie)273430.5Chevrolet Aveo (tie)263530.5Acura RSX (tie)273430.5Yes, There Are Plenty Of Cars That Get An EPA Estimated 30 MPG On Average, And Its A Pleasant Surprise That Perennial Favorites Corolla And Civic Lead The Pack. Presence Of The Mini Cooper And Acura RSX Serve As Proof That Mileage Need Not Come At The Cost Of Fun Or Performance.
