Fuel efficient cars and hybrid envy: You don’t need a shiny new hybrid

Admit it. The rising gas prices have you looking longingly at ads for hybrids, right? I know - me too!  What’s got my eye? A shiny new Ford Escape SUV hybrid. Do I need it? Nope. Do I already have a car that gets decent gas mileage. Yup. But all this talk about rising gas prices and fuel efficient cars has given me a bad case of hybrid envy.

Fortunately, I have realized something very important that is helping with my hybrid envy. What is this little secret? Simple.

You can get a fuel efficient car without going hybrid.

I know, it’s shocking - especially if you are suffering from an extreme case of hybrid envy. It’s also true. For instance, if you take a gander at the list of 2008’s most and least fuel efficient vehicles at www.fueleconomy.gov you will notice that the list of most fuel efficient vehicles is not monopolized by hybrids. Sure, the Toyota Prius is tops. But the Smart Car, the Mini Cooper, the Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Versa, and a few others are all on the list. And a lot of those are actually a heck of a lot cheaper than a hybrid!

So, ditch that hybrid envy and look for a used Corolla. You’ll save some cash and still get a pretty fuel efficient vehicle.