What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile?
 

Fuel efficient used car values may be your solution.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - April 30, 2006

2004 Toyota Echo with a 35/43 EPA rating (85 – 07 EPA specs) – Just one of many inexpensive newer used cars with excellent FE.

Here are a few alternatives ranked by year that may fit your criteria for > 35 - 40 MPG per the 85 – 07 EPA specifications as reported by Fuel Economy.gov and Private Party Pricing as derived from Kelly’s Blue Book otherwise known as KBB.

Definitions: All vehicles below were considered to be in Good Condition, purchased in the Chicago area, with the lowest standard equipment package (GL vs. GLS as an example), miles for a given year as shown and include 5-speed manuals unless otherwise noted.

"Good" condition means that the vehicle is free of any major defects. This vehicle has a clean title history, the paint, body and interior have only minor (if any) blemishes, and there are no major mechanical problems. There should be little or no rust on this vehicle. The tires match and have substantial tread wear left. A "good" vehicle will need some reconditioning to be sold at retail. Most consumer owned vehicles fall into this category.

Private Party: Private Party Value is what a buyer can expect to pay when buying a used car from a neighbor or from the classifieds in the local paper.


This is only a guide to find relatively fuel efficient used car for an approximate price as KBB.com described. I bolded some of what I thought may be better values if I were in the market for a $9 - $10 K range used automobile, a $5K used automobile, and a bottom basement < $3,000 automobile in terms of fuel efficiency and price. The TDI’s posted above are usually better equipped then the gasoline only autos so make sure you truly understand not only the condition and capabilities, but also the std. equipment as well. As time moves forward, the used car prices listed above should decline in predictable increments except for the fact that fuel prices are distorting the fuel efficient used car market place. The standard caveats apply when making a used car purchase so do your homework as a simple Google search will quite quickly point out known issues with some of the cars posted above.

Because of the TDI’s smog related emissions being relatively poor, I would hope one would consider running those autos on B20 to lower CO2 emissions by a far greater degree then available with the gas only counterparts listed above. The older gas only used cars will be lucky to meet TLEV based specs so they are by no means a great solution to control SMOG related emissions either. Do the best you can with the $’s you have however and your used car search should turn out to be rather enjoyable.

If a new car is all you will accept but on a minimum budget, a stripped down - 29/35 mpg per the new 08 EPA specifications (34/40 mpg per the 85 – 07 EPA estimates ) - 2008 Toyota Yaris 3-door hatch might be able to be found for a touch over $11K and may be just the new, relatively low cost, and fuel efficient automobile you are looking for?

Finally, be careful out there as the used car market is not a place for the ill-informed to be playing around in.

Wayne

Thanks for your assistance Bill Lin!

Re: What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile? This may help.
 

i know of many people selling their current gas guzzers and looking for a better alternative. You guys just made something that will get a lot of attention to cleanmpg, very well done! And I can see where we are going with trends like this, cleaner air! Yum time to spread the links.

Re: What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile? This may help.
 

Well done! It's just too bad that many of those cars, particularly the hybrids, are selling at prices well above those that you would expect. Any used Civic Hybrid, Insight, or Prius will go for in excess of $18-$20k with anything under 30k miles. At least, that's what I've found while playing with Autotrader. The best deal going for a real mileage machine is a well-used Insight. I have seen several of them up for sale with ~80k miles for under $10,000. The only wildcard there is the IMA battery, which may or may not be a concern. Also make sure you pack light!

Older 40mpg+ Vehicles Not Easy to Find
 

Not that many 40mpg+ vehicles have been built since 1990. Still, it should be possible to find something if one is patient.

I had a 1974 Datsun B110 that got 50mpg (now known as Nissan). Cars from the 70s and 80s are bound to have a lot of milage on them, but some should be around.

Re: What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile? This may help.
 

No Del Sol's on the list.:(

Re: What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile? This may help.
 

One other thing to mourn about: I don't think we will see many dirt cheap Metros, CRX's, and similar subcompacts. I know about the Honda Fit, but it does not look like it will hypermile as well as some of the vehicles mentioned. More safety features will make if a little heavier, and the general public will not tolerate anything that can't go 0-60mph in over 12 seconds.

Hybrids will crack the 100mpg realm, but at a price.

Re: What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile? This may help.
 

Thanks to gas prices, the resale value of guzzlers has dropped quite a bit making it a bit more difficult in some cases to get into a decent smaller car.

Re: What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile? This may help.
 

Another problem is finding a lightweight model like the Civic VX or CRX HF that doesn't have some brilliant featureset like this:

"B16 engine swap! Many Mods! JDM B18A VTEC TURBO GREDDY NOS! (rims not included, need for other car), lowered, nds paint, other half of body kit installed"

Its very difficult to find a stock one of these, because I've been looking.

Just needed to vent my frustration.

Re: What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile? This may help.
 

Sorry to "hear" that.

I too, wouldn't want one that's been modified right out of being fuel-efficient - not to mention that the seller likely wants an increased price for all the mods.

This is probably old news for you, but have you tried craigslist.org, cars.com, and autos.com?

Years ago I was in a business buying and selling pre-owned items. One lesson I learned was to shop patiently. If you need a car this weekend or even this month you'll be under pressure and pay more for a less suitable item. If you shop patiently you stand a better chance of finding what you want at a price you find acceptable.

Re: What if you cannot afford a “new” fuel efficient automobile? This may help.
 

Its easier to find an unmodified Civic CX, since it isn't prewired for VTEC and didn't come with all the bells and whistles that make it attractive to the "Honda hybrid" crowd. The CX has the same transmission ratios and weight as the VX, and it you can't live with its stock 70hp motor, you can always stick a used 104hp DX motor in it, which will give you 10 sec 0 to 60mph times with no drop in mpg when driven frugally. The stock CX will give you an honest 50+ mpg at highway speeds and if you aero mod the heck out of it, can give you 68mpg at 75mph.