Top 5 Fuel-Efficient Autos of 2008 Available in the United States

With the forecast on gas prices climbing above $4 per gallon in summer 2008, everyone is scrambling to find ways of increasing their fuel economy and safeguarding their budgets. For many, their current gas-guzzler automobiles just aren't going to cut it in the new market. For these individuals, a new, more fuel-efficient find is in order - and car manufacturers are rushing to meet this new demand. When looking for that new eco-friendly auto, where should you start? Below is a list of the top five options (as listed by FuelEconomy.gov). Note: only those cars currently sold in the United States are included below.

2008 Toyota Prius

In terms of fuel economy, this little hybrid is way ahead of the competition! The Prius gets an incredible 48 mpg city and 45 mpg highway. And since it'll take you almost 500 miles on a tank, you may forget how to pump gas before you need another fill-up. This great little money-saver is a front-wheel drive, four cylinder car with the added bonus of automatic transmission.

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid

While one might not think of a Honda Civic as being the 2^nd most fuel efficient car out there, the Civic's hybrid version is just that. The Boasting an impressive 40 mpg city and 45 mpg highway, this four cylinder front-wheel drive with automatic transmission is a great pick for saving cash on gas.

2008 Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris is a subcompact car with a lot of style. The Yaris comes available with manual or automatic transmission, with essentially the same fuel efficiency - 29 mpg city and 36 manual, 35 automatic for highway. Like the others, it runs on four cylinders and is front-wheel drive, and gets roughly 320 miles per tank.

2008 Toyota Corolla

With three of the top five fuel-efficient cars, Toyota is on a roll. Although one might initially think the Mini Cooper to be the most fuel efficient due to it's size, this is unfortunately not the case. The 2008 Corolla matches the manual transmission Mini Cooper's mileage at 28 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. At an impressive 368 miles per tank, this standard front-wheel drive, four cylinder manual transmission car is a great pick for families.

2008 Mini Cooper

Finally, we reach the adorable and highly popular Mini Cooper. While still very fuel efficient, the Cooper has ended up ranking lower than I initially expected. The manual transmission yields an average mpg of 28 mpg city and 37 mpg highway, while the automatic transmission yields 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. However, these 4 cylinder front-wheel drive cars are popular with consumers today, and will likely remain so during the gas "crunch" ahead.