Automobile Fuel Economy and Costs

A look at annual expenses associated with fuel-efficient and inefficient vehicles, as well as how much you could save by getting rid of that gas guzzler!

The cost of your vehicle may not end up being the most expensive cost you have. Depending on what kind of car you drive, fuel may end up costing nearly as much as the car! Here’s a look at some of the best and worst cars in terms of cost of fuel.

These costs are annual, and based on a driver traveling 15,000 miles a year (55% in the city and 45% on a highway). It also assumes that gas costs $2.67 per gallon.

Best of the Best

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Toyota’s Hybrid Prius tops the list. Gas costs for a year are just $801. Also on this list of fuel efficient cars are:

• The Honda Civic Hybrid at $953 a year
• The Smart Fortwo, which costs $1,113 to fuel for a year
• Mercedes-Benz’ E63 AMG at $1,235 annually
• The Volkswagen Jetta, also at $1,235
• The Toyota Yaris, costing $1,254 a year
• Hyundai’s Elantra Blue, which needs $1,382 in gas a year
• The Mini Cooper, at $1,558 annually
• Hyundai’s Sonata, costing $1,602 a year for gas
• The Honda Accord also costs $1,602 annually

And the Worst

If you drive one of these vehicles, chances are the hefty gas prices won’t bother you too much. At the top of the list is the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. It uses $3,968 a year in fuel. Other gas guzzlers include:

• BMW N6 costs $3,357 in fuel annually
• The Mercedes-Benz S600 at $3,357
• Aston Martin’s DB Series uses $3,177 a year
• The Rolls Royce Phantom uses $3,117 in fuel a year as well
• Dodge Charger at $2,911
• The Audi R8 also uses $2,911 in fuel
• The Chevrolet Corvette at $2,728
• Infiniti’s MX45 uses $2,728 in gas
• The Ford Mustang at $2,567 annually

Want to save money on gas? You could save as much as $1,400 annually by buying the most fuel-efficient vehicle in a particular class. Opt for the 2-door or mid-size model to cut down on fuel expenses.

Did You Know…

• More than half of the oil that is used to make the gas you put in your car is imported?
• The U.S. spends $5.7 billion on petroleum imports every week?
• Every day, the U.S. uses more than 20,000,000 barrels of oil? Two-thirds of this is for transportation use.
• Out of sources of U.S. CO2 emissions, 26% come from cars?
• Every gallon of gas you use puts 20 pounds of CO2 in the atmosphere?
• The average vehicle puts out the equivalent of the size of an elephant in CO2 a year – about 6 to 9 tons?

By improving your gas efficiency by 5 miles per gallon, you can reduce your CO2 emissions by 10 tons?