Best Deals on Used, Fuel-Efficient Cars
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% |
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
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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