I loved my pick-up truck; a Chevy Silverado Crew Cab, but the fuel mileage left a lot to be desired. Chills covered my body every time I filled up the tank. Fear of the week, when I didn’t have the money to fill up, flowed through my mind. The time had come to trade in my gas guzzler. Lots of research went into making a decision on which vehicle would best serve me over the next few years and into retirement.
Miles Per Gallon
Miles per gallon grabbed the headlines, when it came to researching my car purchase. I discovered diesel fuel gets better mileage than gas. Some of my research came from the Cars Direct site. Many people choose diesel over gasoline for the distinct advantages. Diesel gets more fuel economy than gasoline, and not by a slim margin. Diesel is 33% more efficient than gasoline when it comes to fuel mileage.
My research also revealed, diesel engines offer more torque than a gasoline engine. Torque allows for faster acceleration, which is important in a smaller vehicle.
There are high ranking vehicles, other than diesel operated, that are not gas guzzlers.
Price
Pricing impacts and influences the purchase of a new car. A well taken care of vehicle holds its resale value, so find the dealership which carries the top picks and then narrow it down to which ones will give the best trade-in. With a little finagling, the buyer can get a better trade-in and a better price than what’s listed on the sticker.
Longevity
It is important to purchase a vehicle that will last a long time with minimal repair. I asked around and looked at the condition of some older vehicles, to see how they were faring up. The car I chose, according to Fleet Business, ranked among the vehicles which had the highest percentage of cars that were still operating well after Twenty-five years.
The Top Ten Vehicles for Miles Per Gallon and their Price
Nissan Leaf Electric– Price: $32,280– Highway MPG: 99 (equivalent)
Toyota Prius Hybrid– Price: $21,600– Highway MPG: 48
Honda Insight Hybrid– Price: $18,200– Highway MPG: 43
Honda Civic Hybrid– Price: $23,950– Highway MPG: 40
Volkswagen Golf TDI (Diesel)– Price: $22,800– Highway MPG: 42
Volkswagen Jetta TDI (Diesel)– Price: $22,995– Highway MPG: 42
Audi A3 (Diesel)– Price: $30,250– Highway MPG: 42
Smart ForTwo– Price: $12,635– Highway MPG: 41
Honda CR-Z– Price: $19,200– Highway MPG: 39
Ford Fiesta– Price: $14,390– Highway MPG: 38
My final choice was a Volkswagen Jetta; it had the most features that interested me. Each individual should pick their own best qualities and price ranges; do plenty of research, online and in person.