Best Gas Mileage Cars of All Time

There is no doubt that we are living in a time the when cars are getting the best fuel ratings they ever got, right? Well, mostly yes. In the mid-1980's many of the Japanese manufactures that were introducing small cars wear actually turning out gasoline vehicles that were getting 50 mile per gallon.

How is that possible? Well, for one, they wee incredible light. They were incredibly light because they really didn't have any safety features built into them. Today, the government regulates certain features, so most cars end up being a lot heavier.

Then their was the EPA. The EPA puts the fuel economy numbers posted on the window sticker of a new vehicle. Before they changed the way they conducted the test, studies had shown that the average driver only received 75 percent or so of the mileage figures that are on the sticker. This is because they used to let the manufacture choose how they wanted to test the vehicle. They could run it with out the air conditioning, for instance, or any other unrealistic circumstance. Today, it is a standardized test. It lowered the numbers that you see on the window sticker, but the numbers are way more realistic now.

Then, of course, we have the hybrids and the whole "green" moment. The gas electric hybrid vehicles are normally priced a little higher than their non hybrid counterparts. It can be anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars to several thousand dollars. Hybrids can get a lot of miles per gallon though, small ones averaging around 45 - 55. They are great for those who want to save money on gas, because hybrids can go a long way on one full tank of gas. Most come with extended warranties too, so you don't need to worry about the technology. These vehicles are becoming more and more affordable and do actually get much better ratings than their non-hybrid counterparts, especially if they are in the small or mid-size class.

The bottom line is this: it does not matter what your reason for getting a car with the best gas mileage, be it, the environment, you are paying too much for gas, or you hate foreign oil, 2011 is the best time ever to get a a car like this.