The best affordable fuel-efficient cars according to Consumer Reports
Fuel efficiency combined with a low ticket price can save a car shopper significantly over the course of their vehicle's life. Here are Consumer Reports' picks for the best deals on models with good gas mileage.
Cars are expensive at every stage of their life cycle. The up-front cost of a new vehicle is massive, so for most buyers, financing is necessary, which adds the cost of interest to the vehicle’s ticket price.
Insurance and gas are ongoing costs, while maintenance and repair expenses pop up periodically and can vary quite a bit in price depending on the issue.
Of all of these costs, two are the easiest to control — purchase price and gas expenditure. By choosing a more affordable new car, a buyer pays a lower overall price and saves on interest by paying the vehicle off faster than they would have been able to had it been more expensive.
And by choosing a fuel-efficient car, a buyer can save significantly on gas over the long term, even if these savings seem nominal during each individual visit to the pump.
