The Most Fuel Efficient Cars and Trucks for 2006

People used to buy cars based on styling and their bank balance, but today many consumers factor crash-test scores, reliability records, and with recent increases in gas prices, fuel economy into the equation. To battle the rising costs of fuel, consumers can choose from an increasing number of gasoline/electric hybrid cars, but most of these models don’t meet a general consumer’s needs in one way or another. Plus, they command a premium that takes years to recoup at the pump.

Fortunately, automakers have taken aim at improving fuel economy across the board, keeping up on which cars and trucks get the best mileage within specific size and price classes still isn’t easy. To make your decision-making process simpler, we have compiled a list of the most fuel-efficient vehicles by class. This list is more useful than the typical Top 10 list, which normally includes small cars with hybrid and diesel powertrains that address the needs of few consumers. By using our list, the work truck buyer is served just as well as the family SUV buyer and eco-conscious commuter.

Our rankings are based on the combined EPA fuel economy rating of vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, the most common choice among car buyers. There are two exceptions to this system. First, the hybrids are in their own category, since they easily swept four of the vehicle classes. Second, we divided the luxury category by sub-segment, in order to give shoppers a more accurate view of luxury branded vehicles.

The winner in each category gets a nice, pretty picture and a brief summary. And if the top model doesn’t please you, we list the four runners-up.. Keep in mind, too, that some vehicles are available with a manual transmission, and you can usually get better fuel economy by rowing your own gears.