Best Deals on Used, Fuel-Efficient Cars

April 5, 2012

With gas prices averaging close to $4 a gallon, it's more important than ever to consider fuel-economy when shopping for a car.

If you drive 15,000 miles per year, each mile per gallon increase in fuel efficiency will save you around $150 in fuel costs each year.

Consumer Reports recently identified the best used car deals on fuel-efficient small cars for the 2007-2008 model years. These are vehicles that have already depreciated greatly, saving you a considerable amount.

Each model has average or better reliability, scored well in Consumer Reports' tests, and performed well in crash tests. Some of the models have been discounted by up to 40% compared to their original retail price.

Here are the recommended cars:

Make & model	MSRP (new)	Selling to dealer avg price	Buying from dealer avg price	Drop in private sale vs. MSRP	Drop in retail value vs. MSRP
2008 Suzuki SX4	$15,870	$8,175	$10,025	48%	37%
2007 Toyota Corolla LE	16,315	8,960	11,075	45%	32%
2007 Honda Fit Sport	15,970	9,330	11,350	42%	29%
2007 Volkswagen Rabbit	16,065	9,500	11,600	41%	28%
2008 Toyota Corolla LE	16,415	9,810	12,025	40%	27%
2007 Mazda3 i	14,795	10,010	12,100	32%	18%
2008 Honda Fit Sport	16,070	10,875	13,075	32%	19%
2007 Honda Civic EX	19,510	11,330	13,675	42%	30%
2008 Scion xD	17,349	11,950	14,150	31%	18%
2008 Volkswagen Rabbit	18,650	11,960	14,300	36%	23%
2008 Scion xB	16,600	12,185	14,400	27%	13%
2007 Toyota Prius	22,175	13,220	15,475	40%	30%
2008 Mazdaspeed3	22,440	14,800	17,175	34%	23%
2008 Toyota Prius	22,475	15,175	17,450	32%	22%
2008 Honda Civic Si	29,500	15,150	17,700	49%	40%
2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi	33,495	22,070	25,225	34%	25%

My Recommendation for Car Shoppers

TrueCar No-Haggle, CarsDirect, and NADAGuides are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.
- Gregg Fidan

Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...

Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
Which Cars You Should Avoid

About The Author

Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.

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Best Deals on Used, Fuel-Efficient Cars

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