Good compact cars with good gas mileage?

[LadyMoondancer]

I'm thinking about getting a used car, preferably a compact (because I hate trying to park large cars and have no use for them) that gets good gas mileage.  Anyone have any suggestions?  (Also, must have automatic transmission, lol.)

My last car was a Toyota Echo, which I really loved.  (I sold it because the apartment I had before this one had literally NO parking space.)  But the Toyota Echo was only made until 2005, so they are all 10+ years old.  Which I don't necessarily mind, but I also would like to have more options when looking on Craigslist.  But yeah, it was a great car, it got 40 miles per gallon on the highway and like 36 mpg in the city.

[Mkia]

I have a Ford C-Max hybrid and love it! It gets great gas mileage being a hybrid. It's a hatchback so plenty of storage space, but not high off the ground. And I have it in the pretty Ford blue color, so that's a plus

[LadyMoondancer]

Thanks!  I looked the Ford C-Max and it looks good in size and appearance.    Since it's a hybrid, is it possible for it to run soley on gasoline?  I love the idea of getting an electric car or a hybrid, but sadly I do not have access to a garage at this time.  (Street parking only.)

[Mkia]

Thanks!  I looked the Ford C-Max and it looks good in size and appearance.    Since it's a hybrid, is it possible for it to run soley on gasoline?  I love the idea of getting an electric car or a hybrid, but sadly I do not have access to a garage at this time.  (Street parking only.)

I can't speak for all hybrid cars, but the Cmax hybrid (not to be confused with the Cmax energy which is completely electric) doesn't need to be plugged in ever. It's battery recharges while you drive. It recharges anytime the car is in gas mode or anytime you brake. It switches back and forth between electric and gas on its own. So it's super easy to drive.
You can park it anywhere you want. No need for anything special that way.

[zombienixon]

What kind of price range are you looking at? If you want a hybrid, you could probably get a Civic Hybrid or a Prius, but if you go past a certain age for those you have to worry about the condition of the battery pack, since it is a wear item.

Personally, my first recommendation would be a '96-'00 Civic, since they're very light and have a small, efficient engine, but it may be difficult to find one that hasn't been modified or with over 200,000 miles at this point.  The first-generation Honda Fit is similar in weight and engine size to the Civic, but is newer and is also a hatchback. The Toyota Yaris is the successor to the Echo and also got good mileage.

Also, you can look up the EPA fuel economy estimates for basically any car made in the last 30 years or so on fueleconomy.gov.

[Galactica]

I'm very very happy with our Subaru Impreza-  I don't know if it is a compact car, but it is quite small but without being so small that you can't squeeze a couple of tall friends in the back.  Great gas mileage and comfy.

My bro and sis in law have a Honda Fit (about the same price) and it is definitely compact-  it gets amazing gas mileage and never has problems. Downsides: It drives pretty rough on the freeway so is not super comfortable for long trips, and the back seat and trunk space are REALLY small.

Subarus and Hondas are both really good cars in terms of how long they live- we actually JUST sold my wife's 1990 Honda Civic- it was her very first car-  it sold for a SHOCKING amount considering how freaking old it was-  it looked like hell.

I think you'll find that most hybrid cars are rather expensive.  I had wanted one too but even the used cars were really high.

If you're interested, my wife has actually subscribed to Consumer Reports for years. I can dig around for the most recent "Used Car" one and lend it to ya if you promise to give it back

[Mkia]

I suppose it depends on your budget, but I bought my hybrid brand new and found it to be very affordable. Especially since I use far less gas than a normal car, so I save money month to month that way.

As far as a non-hybrid car goes...my OH has a Toyota Camry and it's still running well despite > 150,000miles. It doesn't get the gas mileage my Cmax does, though.

[zombienixon]

Subarus and Hondas are both really good cars in terms of how long they live- we actually JUST sold my wife's 1990 Honda Civic- it was her very first car-  it sold for a SHOCKING amount considering how freaking old it was-  it looked like hell.

You can get a lot more than you think for an old Civic.  Old Hondas/Acuras tend to be very overpriced, and Civics, Integras, and Preludes are the worst offenders.

[cuddlebuggy]

I have a Toyota Prius now but my last car was a Honda Accord and I loved it! 200,000 miles with little maintenance and great gas mileage! Just a solid car!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Hybrids and electrics really are a marketing thing. 

By the time the lithium batteries are made (all components are toxic, most use heavy earth metals which are mined in horrific industries) ,and  the car and all its parts are shipped overseas on a cargo ship burning bunker fuel (also known as Heavy Fuel Oil which contains higher sulphur levels than diesel), one has WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY exceeded any emissions that might have come from a gasoline-powered, "made in America with Detroit steel" massive truck.   

So don't just look at the little green leaves on the advertisements and read about mileage and think it's all about environmentalism.  Because it's all about marketing!  Look at WV

Hence Stephen Colbert's tongue-in-cheek comment about, "BURN ALL THE FUEL!  DRIVE HUMMERS EVERYWHERE!  TWICE!"  because the behavior of consumers has so very little to do with how industrialists try to re-shape society to their personal profit.    We can drive everywhere and idle until engines run out of fuel.... and it won't even TOUCH what we do in factories, airline flights, and bunker oil.   

Drive something that you respect the way it handles.  Buy for performance and safety! 

We have a Pontiac - with a standard transmission.  LOTS of fuel savings if you know how to drive a stick shift! 

[LadyMoondancer]

I have a Toyota Prius now but my last car was a Honda Accord and I loved it! 200,000 miles with little maintenance and great gas mileage! Just a solid car!

The Prius seems really nice!  I think the city I live in sells used cars from their fleet every so often, when they retire them.  Maybe I should look into that.

As far as budget goes, max of $5500.  If I move to an apartment without a garage / parking lot again, I will have to dump the car again.  So it doesn't make sense to invest a ton of money in it.  Cars devalue so fast.

What I really want is a Tesla.  Someday!  When I have a garage to plug it into, lol.  Hopefully by then there will be some available on the secondhand market.

I've researched the "hybrid cars actually pollute MORE!" thing in the past;  it's inaccurate.  The idea stemmed from a single "study"--not peer reviewed--that said Hummers pollute less than Priuses over their lifetime, which was such an unexpected idea that news outlets sensationalized and spread it with an uncritical eye.  To be blunt, the "study" was full of bias and junk science.  Example: they assumed the average life of a Prius is 109k miles, but the average life of a Hummer is 379k miles, for no particular reason.  Or rather, it was for a particular reason: so they could produce "exciting" (if inaccurate) results and garner a lot of undeserved attention.

[Rainbow Dash]

A few others to consider: Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, & Toyota Corolla.  I'd avoid buying a used Ford Focus only because everyone I know who owns one drives it like it's a race car.  I had a Mazda 2 rental some years back on a cross country trip.  Put almost 6,000 miles on it in the span of two weeks - good little car, I certainly had no complaints with it (well, except going up the Rockies - torque isn't exactly something most subcompacts come with a lot of).

If you want something that gets good gas mileage and has a bit of sport to it, go with a last generation Toyota Celica.  I still see them all over the place around here, and they get great gas mileage.  If pursuing this route, look for the GT - the higher power GT-S tends to attract the same owners as the Focus.

[zombienixon]

As far as budget goes, max of $5500.  If I move to an apartment without a garage / parking lot again, I will have to dump the car again.  So it doesn't make sense to invest a ton of money in it.  Cars devalue so fast.

In that case, I'd definitely recommend looking at a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris, maybe a Nissan Versa. A 2006 or later Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent are also worth looking at and will have less inflated prices than a Japanese car.

As for ones to clearly avoid, Dodge or Chrysler anything or a Chevy Aveo. They'd be priced dirt cheap and you'd still get less than you'd paid for.

If you care about resale value though, Hondas and Toyotas hold value very well, actually too well in the case of some models.

[mlp4me]

I'm thinking about getting a used car, preferably a compact (because I hate trying to park large cars and have no use for them) that gets good gas mileage.  Anyone have any suggestions?  (Also, must have automatic transmission, lol.)

My last car was a Toyota Echo, which I really loved.  (I sold it because the apartment I had before this one had literally NO parking space.)  But the Toyota Echo was only made until 2005, so they are all 10+ years old.  Which I don't necessarily mind, but I also would like to have more options when looking on Craigslist.  But yeah, it was a great car, it got 40 miles per gallon on the highway and like 36 mpg in the city.

Echo was replaced by the Yaris. :o) While you may not find them abundantly on craigslist, they're an inexpensive Toyota.
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[Rainbowrific Renia]

I have a newer Honda Fit (2014) and I love it! Well, I say I have one but it really belongs to both my husband and myself. Anyway, he had an older Honda Fit (2007) but totaled it in a bad wreck a few years ago. He ended up getting a new Fit because he was so in love with the older one. It has a hatchback, so lots of space in the back and it's a lot roomier than it looks (it may not look like much, but trust me it has space). It has good gas mileage, too. I highly suggest looking into a Fit!