Cars That Are Fuel Efficient & Energy Saving

• Most people are trying to save money on fuel. pumping gas image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com

  Car owners and car makers have become more conscious of gas consumption as the cost of fuel goes up as well as concerns about the environment increase. There are several brands of cars that will help lower fuel costs and save energy. The most important energy efficient information is the mpg, or miles per gallon, of a car. This information will explain how many miles per gallon the car uses on the highway or the city and gives insight as to how much energy the car uses.

Toyota Prius

• The Prius was the first hybrid to gain real popularity when it was first released in America in 2001. The Prius uses hybrid technology, meaning it is a cross between a gasoline powered car and an electric car. The 2011 Prius gets a combined 50 mpg rating of 51 in the city and 48 on the highway. The Prius gets a 3.8 on the carbon footprint scale that measures from 3.5 to 16.2, making it one of the most fuel-efficient and energy-saving cars on the market. Because it uses less CO2, it uses less energy from petroleum and saves on gas.

Mini Compact Car

• A mini compact car uses it's small size to save on gas and energy. The Mini Cooper is the most fuel efficient mini compact on the market, as of 2010. Mini is owned by BMW and lives up to it's luxury name. The Mini Cooper can zip around turns at 25 miles per hour and can go from zero to 60 in under seven seconds, all while feeling as light as a golf cart. The manual just beats out the automatic at a combined 32 mpg, while the automatic averages 31. As of 2010 it will cost $2.38 to drive 25 miles with a carbon footprint of 5.8.

Nissan Leaf

• The most fuel efficient car would be one that doesn't use fuel at all. Enter the Nissan Leaf, the first completely electric car built for the mainstream consumer. The Leaf uses a battery near the center of the car to drive between 70 to 138 miles on a single charge, based on driving conditions. The Leaf has several different charging options. The basic home charging kit is 100 volts and takes 16 hours to charge fully. The 220 volt takes less than eight hours and the fast charge feature will charge the car 80 percent in 30 minutes, making the Nissan Leaf a viable option for road trips.