Used Cars with Great Gas Mileage

Whether you’re in Cincinnati or elsewhere, pretty much everybody needs a car these days, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to run out to get a brand-new automobile. Budget-conscious car shoppers know that used cars can give great performance and great gas mileage, sometimes better than a new car can. After all, the two things anyone needs from their car are reliability and performance. Great cars become a little less great when they suck down gas like it’s going out of style. If you’re in the market for a reliable used car in Cincinnati that maximizes your fuel efficiency and your gas budget while minimizing stress on your wallet and you, then we’ve got a list of cars that you’ll want to look at.

At Kings Ford, we are familiar with a lot of different vehicles, both new and used. From our experience and expertise, we have put together a list of used cars that are all reliable smaller vehicles that continue to give great service despite having a few miles under their hoods. Here’s our list of used car models that give the best fuel economy for your buck.

Honda Insight

Honda makes reliable small cars, and the Honda Insight is just that. The 2010 – 2012 models are five-door hatchbacks with a lot of room and a lot of usability. The Insight is a smaller car that doesn’t sacrifice cargo space for size, and the cab interior is also surprisingly spacious. Hondas are known for being incredibly reliable, so whatever you do spend on a used Honda Insight, you’re definitely going to get your money’s worth. With 41 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway, what you aren’t going to do is spend a lot of cash at the gas pump.

Mazda Mazda 3

The Mazda3 is just plain fun to drive. and with a top fuel economy of 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, it’s sensible to drive, too. The Mazda3 is a compact sedan, so you can fit five passengers and zip down the freeway with no problem. This isn’t a boring car; it handles beautifully due to its Skyactiv chassis and powertrain technology. If you look beyond the great fuel economy, you can find a used Mazda3 with automatic emergency braking, radar-based cruise control, and a blind spot monitoring system. Safety and fuel economy? What’s not to love?

Ford Fiesta

You don’t need to be a hybrid vehicle to get great gas mileage, and the Ford Fiesta proves this point. While the baseline Ford Fiesta tops out at an estimated 39 mpg on the highway (which is pretty darn good, considering the middle of the road numbers tend to be 25-28 for most cars of the same class), the Fiesta with an EcoBoost engine can rack up to 45 mpg on the highway. The best numbers come with manual transmission vehicles, so automatic transmissions will take a bit of a hit to that top number, but not enough to make a savvy buyer back away. The Fiesta’s smaller engine is the key to its fuel economy, and it’s turbocharged to give the car plenty of kick without sacrificing gas mileage.

Toyota Prius

It’s no surprise that the Toyota Prius makes any list that talks about fuel economy. The Prius Two Echo gets an impressive 58 mpg in the city and 53 mpg highway. The Toyota Prius still leads the pack as an accessible hybrid for commuter and family use. Certified Pre-Owned models that are purchased from our lot lead the used car market with a 12-month/12,000 mile limited comprehensive warranty and a 7-year/100,000- mile limited powertrain warranty… Add that warranty to the knowledge that every used Prius has had to pass a 172-point inspection before it’s allowed up for sale, and you’ve got a gem of a used car that will last a long time. That’s a lot of gas money saved.

Honda Civic Hybrid

Reliable and affordable (especially used), the Honda Civic Hybrid is a top choice for your used car needs. It might be a compact car, but the interior is surprisingly spacious and is pleasantly styled. The Honda Civic Hybrid also has a hybrid 4-cylinder powertrain that helps it earn its place on our list. If 40 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway sounds like the gas mileage you’d like, start looking at the Civic Hybrid.

Ford Fusion Hybrid

A family sedan with a large interior to accommodate the kids and the kind of comfy ride that won’t wake any sleeping toddlers, the Ford Fusion Hybrid isn’t exactly cheap. Even used, it can run over $14,000. However, it’s the kind of car that does a lot for that price point. Its fuel economy can go around 39 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, so what you pay for in initial price, you save at the pump over the life of the car. Not to mention, the Ford Fusion Hybrid packs in some nice features that make your life easy. If SYNC in-vehicle communication, backup parking sensors, dual-power front seats, and more goodies on the standard list sounds good to you, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is the used car you want to look at.

BMW 335d

Who says that good fuel economy means that you can’t have a luxury car? Not BMW. The carmaker managed to create the perfect jack-of-all-trades car in 2009 and keep it going for three years. So if you’re looking for a beautiful car with a 265 horsepower engine that gets 425 lb-ft of torque to provide you with a 0-60 mile-per-hour of 5.8 seconds… Well, look no further. The BMW 335d is a luxury sedan that seats five and still manages to get a fuel economy of 23 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway out of its automatic transmission. While that’s not exactly up to the top numbers generated by a hybrid vehicle, it’s still well within the green for an all-gas luxury sedan.

Smart Fortwo

This itsy-bitsy car is a niche vehicle, but it’s a reliable one. There isn’t any trunk space or back seat to speak of, but you’re not buying this two-seater car for anything other than commuting. That’s something that the Smart Fortwo does very well. The Fortwo has a fuel economy of up to 41 mpg on the highway, and an automatic transmission is standard. The Fortwo is a subcompact that has safety on its mind… There’s a built-in safety cage that protects the driver in the event of a crash.

A used car is always a viable alternative when you’re looking for a new vehicle, and sometimes it’s a better alternative than you think. Doing a little research through the used car market will yield you results that save you money on both the car and what it takes to keep the car running.