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Business Travel: Fuel-Efficient Cars
Sometimes, the best solution to saving gas is to get a new car. Yes, buying a new car is something that would need a huge initial cash outlay, but in the long run, it can amount to a lot of savings with regards to fuel, especially if the car is made to be truly fuel-efficient.
I found this article by Aaron Gold, which lists the top ten fuel-efficient cars. According to Mr. Gold, these cars are the following:
Dodge Caliber.
EPA city/highway mileage: 28/32 (1.8 manual), 26/30 (2.0 automatic (CVT)
Dodge is following the small-wagon trend, replacing its venerable Neon sedan with the hip-and-handy Caliber. For all it’ll haul, the Caliber is admirably frugal. The continuously-variable transmission (CVT) is worth noting; it’s a great technology that maximizes power and economy.
Honda Civic
EPA city/highway mileage: 30/38 (manual), 30/40 (automatic)
When it comes to squeezing every last inch of motion out of a drop of gasoline, no one does it like Honda. A 40 MPG highway figure makes the Civic the most thrifty automatic-transmission-equipped car on this list bar the Prius Hybrid and the VW Jetta diesel. It’s an amazing feat considering the Civic’s acres of interior room and full complement of safety features. Another Honda coup.
Hyundai Accent
EPA city/highway mileage: 32/35 (manual), 28/36 (automatic)
The Accent is all-new for 2006, but one thing remains the same: it’s still my favorite set of cheap wheels. With its small size and light weight, this entertaining and energetic little car is inherently fuel efficient. The10-year powertrain warranty should ease doubts about buying Korean. The automatic Excel gets better highway mileage but struggles a bit on the freeway, so I’d opt for the stick-shift.
Scion xA
EPA city/highway mileage: 32/37 (manual), 31/38 (automatic)
The xA has single-handedly proven that Americans and Canadians will embrace a small car - provided its the right small car. The Scion xA provides the right blend of size, styling, practicality and thrift with a high fun-to-drive factor. As with the aforementioned Hyundai Accent, automatic xAs are great in town but pokey on the freeway, while the manual transmission makes for a great all-rounder.
Toyota Camry Hybrid
EPA city/highway mileage: 43/37
When America’s best-selling car adapts hybrid technology, you know it’s here to stay. Unlike the Prius, the Camry presents an altogether conventional driving experience. Its bigger (2.4 liter) engine and conventional tires, among other factors, yield lower fuel economy than Prius, but a darn sight better than regular Camrys — and it’s so transparent you can easily forget it’s a hybrid.
About the Author: Anna Lynn C. Sibal has worked with traveling business executives for the past seven years, providing them with close personal and administrative assistance. Along with her innate interest in travel, this experience has given her many insights on how traveling executives think and what they need.
Anne is a journalism graduate from the University of the Philippines, the leading state university of that country, as well as one of the premier academic institutions in Southeast Asia. Aside from travel, Anne also displays a keen interst in literature, the cinema and the Internet. She has written and contributed actively to various student publications and has managed an in-house publication for a real estate association in the Philippines. She has also won an award for her screenplay from the Film Development Foundation of the Philippines in 2001.
Check out her Business Trips blog.
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