Stay safe AND save at the pump
Looking to purchase a safe, fuel efficient car?
This is a list of the top 10 list of the safest, most fuel efficient cars available in showrooms today.
The vehicles on this list earned a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
and achieve a minimum score of 38 combined MPG according to EPA tests. Plug-in hybrids and
electric vehicles are excluded from the list.
An an honorable mention, the plug-in hybrids that have earned a five-star NHTSA safety rating are
the 2014 Chevrolet Volt, 2014 Tesla Model S, 2014 Honda Accord plug-in hybrid and 2014 Ford Fusion Energi.
Other notable mentions that barely missed the list is the 2014 Scion tC, which gets a 36-MPG combined
rating and the 2014 Toyota Corolla LE Eco with a 35-MPG combined rating.
9. 2014Lexus ES 300h
The 2014 Lexus ES 300h is an entry-level luxury hybrid sedan, priced from $40,410. Under
the hood is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid setup that provides 200 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque.
The same powertrain is actually used in various Lexus and Toyota hybrids. The Lexus ES 300h gets
40 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway and is good for a 40-mpg combined rating.
For those that prefer to not have a hybrid, the standard Lexus ES 350 gets a 21-MPG city,
31-MPG highway rating, or 24 MPG combined.
Mechanically similar to the Lexus ES 300h, the Toyota Avalon hybrid also has the Japanese
automaker's 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain with 200 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque. With a starting
price of $32,150, the Avalon hybrid is more affordable than the Lexus. Fuel economy
specifications on the Avalon hybrid are identical to the ES 300h with a 40-MPG city,
39-MPG highway rating. And just like the Lexus ES 350, the standard Avalon is rated to
return 21 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway.
7. 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid
The popular Toyota Camry hybrid is next on the list and once again, features the same
2.5-liter hybrid powertrain as the Avalon hybrid and Lexus ES 300h. Thanks to improved
aerodynamics compared to its more luxurious counterparts, the Camry hybrid nets better
fuel economy with a 41-MPG combined rating. In the city, it is rated at 43 MPG while on
the highway it receives a 39-MPG rating. Priced from $28,050, the Camry hybrid is also
one of the more affordable vehicles on the list. No wonder it's so popular.
As for the standard Toyota Camry, expect to get 25 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway.
6. 2014 Toyota Prius v
No list of fuel efficient cars would be complete without an entry from the Prius family.
The Prius v is actually the only Prii (Toyota's plural term for the Prius) model that has
earned a five-star safety rating from NHTSA. It features a 1.8-liter hybrid power train that
provides 98 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque. Priced from $27,560, the longer Prius sports
wagon-like hatchback style while getting 44 MPG in the city and 40 MPG on the highway,
good for a 42-MPG combined rating.
5. 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
Another luxury entry on the list is the 2014 Lincoln MKZ hybrid, which gets 45 MPG across
the board (city, highway, combined). Under the hood is the American automaker's 2.0-liter
Atkinson cycle four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that provides 141 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque to
the front wheels. But the MKZ hybrid's starting price of $36,085 makes it one of the more
expensive cars on the list – second only to the Lexus ES 300h.
4. 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
The 2014 Volkswagen Jetta hybrid offers a good balance between fuel economy, performance and
affordability. Priced from $28,465, the Jetta hybrid features a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid
powertrain that churns out a respectable total system output of 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Its
combined fuel economy rating is actually the same as the MKZ hybrid, but the Jetta gets 42 MPG
in the city and 48 MPG on the highway.
There's also the Jetta TDI, which gets 30 MPG in the city and 42 MPG on the highway for a 34-MPG
combined rating. Then there's the standard gasoline-powered Jetta which nets 26 MPG in the city and
36 MPG on the highway.
3. 2014 Honda Civic Hybrid
The 2014 Honda Civic sedan model is refreshed for the 2014 model year. With a 1.5-liter
four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, the Civic sedan gets 110 hp and 127 lb-ft of torque, the second
weakest on the list to the Prius v. It does provide 44 MPG in the city and 47 MPG on the highway,
which is good for a 45-MPG combined rating. And with a starting price tag of $25,425 the
Honda Civic hybrid is a compelling option for safety and fuel economy.
Love Honda but want more power and even better fuel economy than the Civic sedan hybrid?
The 2014 Honda Accord hybrid might be the choice for you, getting an impressive 50 MPG in
the city and 45 MPG on the highway, which is good for a 47-MPG combined rating. Under the
hood is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain providing 141 hp and 122 lb-ft of torque and
the Accord is priced competitively within the marketplace with a starting MSRP of $29,945.
It also comes with Honda's newest hybrid powertrain, which means the promised fuel economy
will be easier to achieve in daily driving.
As for the standard 2014 Honda Accord, expect to get 27 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway.
1. 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Topping the list is the Ford Fusion hybrid. Although it has the same 47-MPG combined rating as
the Honda Accord, it ranks higher on the list because of its lower price tag. The Ford Fusion
hybrid starts at $27,095 and offers slightly more performance than the Accord hybrid with
129 lb-ft of torque, though it also has 141 hp. The powertrain is the same as the Lincoln MKZ hybrid,
a 2.0-liter Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder setup.
Of course there's also the Ford Fusion Energi, which is a plug-in hybrid that we mentioned earlier.
That variant is good for a 100-MPGe combined rating while the standard gasoline-powered
Fusion gets a 25-MPG city, 37-MPG highway rating.
( hari krishnamurthy K. HARIHARAN)"'' When people hurt you Over and Over think of them as Sand paper.They Scratch & hurt you, but in the end you are polished and they are finished. ''"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you too, can become great."- Mark Twain.
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