The 40 MPG pickup truck has returned, at long last, with the 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid. For folks that need an affordable and fuel-efficient pickup, the wait is nearly over.
When the news leaked out that the Maverick badge would land on Ford’s new compact pickup truck, some car nuts recoiled, myself included. Why would Ford choose that name when the Ranchero name seemed so much more appropriate? Once the press release hit the wires, it all made sense.
Deciding which cheap new car to purchase can be a daunting task. It’s crucial to take your time, do your research, and look at the big picture. While we are largely focused on fuel economy here at MPGomatic, your purchase decision will include a range of considerations. The process can be highly emotional. The car you like best, might not make the most financial sense, for any number of reasons. If the car you fall in love with turns into a money pit, the honeymoon won’t last long.
Kelly Blue Book (KBB) crunched the numbers to determine 2018’s least expensive new cars “based on a full buy-drive-sell ownership cycle” (not just the purchased price). While some folks are most concerned with the monthly payment, the most important factors in KBB’s calculations include initial cost, finance rates, and five-year depreciation, as well as fuel costs. These are KBB’s picks’ not our favorites.
All of the vehicles on the list use conventional gasoline engines. Some worthy compacts and subcompacts oddly didn’t land on the list (including the Corolla, Yaris, Civic, Mazda3, Focus, and Fiesta) and there are no hybrid or diesel models due to the higher sticker prices. It comes as no surprise that all of the vehicles are front-wheel-drive. We’ll run through the list by order of fuel economy and include KBB’s listing order at the end of the article.
Do you take the time to look for less expensive alternatives to fill up your vehicles fuel tank? I’ve noticed that the service stations in my neck of the woods tend to have consistent pricing levels. Some are always high, some are always low, some ride the middle line, and some are extraordinarily high. I make my fueling choices based on the 1) the quality of the fuel and 2) the price. Brand doesn’t matter, as long as it’s quality fuel.
I had to fill up a test car with premium fuel this afternoon and had a bit of extra time, so I checked the prices at a handful of local stations. I was shocked by the astronomical price difference or “spread” as it’s referred to in the biz. In this video, I compared the prices at four different gas stations in one region.
The 2017 model year offers a wide range of non-hybrid vehicles with an official EPA fuel economy rating of 30 mile per gallon (MPG) or more combined. The vehicles range from imported subcompact economy cars through outstanding domestics and luxurious European sedans. While the tiny Mitsubishi Mirage delivers maximum bang for the buck with a remarkably low sticker price and 39 MPG combined, it’s the new Chevrolet Cruze turbodiesel sedan that takes the crown on the open road, with a remarkable 52 MPG highway rating.
The list includes sedans, five-door hatchbacks, coupes, convertibles, small crossovers, an amazing all-wheel-drive (AWD) wagon, and a remarkable roadster with a lineage that spans the continents. You’ll find naturally-aspirated and turbocharged engines, with a handful of amazing turbo-diesels. Need AWD? No problem! This group of 30 MPG+ vehicles proves that you don’t have to make any compromises to get great mileage these days and you don’t have to drive a hybrid. (Click here for a list includes hybrids (but not plug-ins).)
The list is split into multiple pages to speed download times. Video reviews will be included in the list over the course of the year, as the cars are road tested.
Adding a front lip was one of the first aero modifications I made to my 1999 Honda Civic HX Coupe (a.k.a. SLAMBO). I used heavy duty agricultural plastic to get the job done, cutting down a sheet of bamboo root barrier
