Buyers Look for More Fuel Efficient Cars

The steep climb in gas prices is causing more new car buyers to look at fuel efficient cars including hybrids.

Average gas prices in the United States jumped from $2.97 to $3.27 in March 2008, and probably will go higher for the peak summer driving months. Gas prices always go up between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

So, it should be no surprise that the attitudes of new car shoppers are shifting.

And, it should be no surprise that sales of small, fuel efficient cars such as the Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Cobalt and Smart ForTwo (pictured) are up, up, up, at a time when sales of gas guzzlers are down, down down.

According to a recent Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research study, only 25 percent of new car buyers still have no intentions in changing their behaviors. According to my math, that means 75 percent of us are looking hard at the sticker shock at the gas pump.

Kelley Blue Book found that it is cost per gallon, rather than the environmental cost of vehicles that are not fuel efficient, which is driving buyers to consider smaller cars, hybrids and other fuel efficient alternative technologies.

That's too bad. Saving the green environment should rank right up there with saving the green dollars in your wallet.

Top Cities for Hybrid Cars

Which cities are the most popular for green, fuel efficient hybrid cars?

According to Cars.com, the top five are all on the West Coast -- San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Sacramento and San Diego.

Those are the cities in which at least 50% of car shoppers already have purchased -- or are considering buying -- a hybrid as their next car.

Cars.com did a market-by-market survey of fifty cities. So if the West Coast is the most green, which part of the USA is the least green? The South.

Houston, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Birmingham and Miami are the bottom five of green car cities -- numbers 46-50.

Shame on you Miami for being bottom of the green barrel! Surely you would move up a few notches if one of the car-makers introduces a hybrid convertible.

Actually, a Prius convertible would be a hot car!

Top Tips to Save Money at the Gas Pump

Gas prices are causing sticker shock, and perhaps indigestion, too. But there are some simple ways you can reduce your pain at the pump. You'll travel green and make your car more fuel efficient.

Slow down. Driving 65 MPH, rather than at 75 MPH, can increase your fuel economy by 15 percent. On the highway, use your cruise control setting -- it can give you two more miles per gallon.

Behave. Aggressive driving, such as 'jackrabbit' starts and slam-dunk braking, can reduce your highway mileage by a whopping 33 percent.

Keep your tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires waste gas, and wear out the treads, too. Tire pressure changes one pound for every ten degree Fahrenheit change in the outside temperature, so if you haven't checked your tires since you stopped wearing winter mittens, you are wasting gas. And money.

Get rid of the junk in the trunk. Manufacturers are squeezing out every spare ounce from body parts to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency. So why are you carrying around everything but the kitchen sink? Junk in the trunk reduces fuel efficiency.

No idling. Get in the car and go. Sitting there with the motor running gets you zero MPG. That's why hybrid cars are so much more fuel efficient than their comparable-sized gas only siblings -- when a hybrid is not moving, it switches to the electric motor, which doesn't use gas.

Get regular tune-ups. Just replacing your air filter can improve mileage by 10 percent.

Check your gas cap. Be sure there’s a tight seal, to prevent that high-priced octane from vaporizing. Nearly 20 percent of vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are damaged, loose or are missing altogether, wasting some 147 million gallons of gas every year.

Fill-up in the morning or evening, not mid-day. Why? Because gasoline expands with warmer temperatures. You'll get more gas and less air when the temperature is cooler.

Pump your gas slowly. Use the slow setting on the pump trigger to minimize the amount of money-wasting vapors you are putting into your gas tank.

Of course, you could also drive less, carpool, take the train, walk.

More Top Ten 2008 Hybrids

Just like traditional cars, fuel efficient hybrid cars now come in all shapes and sizes, from small sedans to luxury performance sedans, plus minivans, SUVs and even crossovers. And just like traditional cars, the cost and -- more importantly -- cost savings of hybrids vary widely.

The top three hybrids for 2008, named by the website Cars.com are -- in this order -- Toyota Prius, Saturn Vue Green Line and Honda Civic Hybrid. Here's the rest of the top ten list --

4. Toyota Camry Hybrid
MSRP $25,200
EPA-estimated mileage: 33/34
Not everyone wants a small, less-refined car like the Prius, which makes the Camry Hybrid the one for the masses. It costs one-third more than the base four-cylinder model, but gets significantly better gas mileage, which can pay back that higher buy-in price if you drive a lot.

5. Lexus RX 400h
MSRP: $41,280
EPA-estimated mileage: 27/24
This luxury model SUV costs just 10 percent more than its gas-only sibling, the RX 350. Combined with a 50 percent city mileage improvement and 4 percent highway bump, it's a value alternative to the gas-only model. With optional AWD, the RX 400h (26/24 mpg) is an even better deal, with mileage improvements of 53 percent and 9 percent compared to the all-wheel-drive RX 350.

6. Toyota Highlander Hybrid
MSRP: $33,700
EPA-estimated mileage: 27/25
The Highlander Hybrid comes only with AWD. The most efficient gas Highlander has FWD. In comparison, the hybrid costs 23 percent more but delivers 50 percent better city mileage, but only a 4 percent highway improvement. If you want AWD, however, the hybrid costs only 17 percent more than the gas-only model and boasts 59 and 9 percent higher mileage in city and highway driving, respectively.

7. Ford Escape Hybrid (pictured above)
MSRP: $26,505
EPA-estimated mileage: 34/30
The Escape Hybrid's comparitively low rank in the top ten is surprising, given its impressive mileage, but it's hard to overcome the fact that it costs 40 percent more than the base, four-cylinder Escape. So, even with its 55 percent city and 7 percent highway mileage improvement, it's hard to pay back the gas savings. If you compare it to the thirstier V-6, however, this hybrid would be higher on the list.

8. Chevrolet Tahoe 2 Mode Hybrid
MSRP: $49,590
EPA-estimated mileage: 21/22
Does a full-size truck defeat the purpose of a hybrid, or do people who who want or need a large SUV have an even greater need than the rest of us to save money at the gas pump? The Tahoe Hybrid is tough enough to tow a boat, and gets a stunning 50 percent increase in city mileage and 16 percent bump on the highway. It comes in eighth not because of its size, but because of its added cost: 43 percent more than the lowest-priced gas-only Tahoe.

9. Saturn Aura Green Line
MSRP: $22,140
EPA-estimated mileage: 24/32
This hybrid delivers modest mileage improvements over the four-cylinder Aura - 9 percent in the city and 7 percent on the highway - but its price premium is a mere 12 percent.

10. Lexus GS 450h
MSRP: $54,900
EPA-estimated mileage: 22/25
This luxury comes in last because its cost increase outweighs the gains it gets in mileage. There's a 24 percent premium between it and its gas-only siblingthe GS 350, for a 16 percent city mileage improvement -- and a 7 percent decrease in fuel efficiency in highway driving. No, that is not a typo -- Cars.com says the hybrid Lexus GS 450h guzzles more gas on the highway than its gas-only sibling. Hard to believe.

So, check the numbers carefully when choosing which 2008 hybrid to buy or lease. That includes price, fuel efficiency and tax credits.