How important is fuel economy when buying a car?

A study conducted by Kelton Global, found that 79 percent of respondents put fuel efficiency above safety and even price. Selecting which vehicle to buy is the most important fuel economy decision you'll make. A more fuel-efficient car will pollute less and cost less to operate. If reducing environmental impact is important, getting a more efficient car is an obvious option.

If you're divided between two options, compare how much you'd spend on fuel over the life of each car to see if one represents a better value. Finally, if you want a more fuel-efficient car to save on running costs, you might consider buying a diesel car with a diesel engine, especially if you regularly drive many miles on the road. To know if buying a more fuel-efficient car makes sense, you'll need to think about your driving needs both now and in the future. The downside is that cars that offer better gas mileage tend to be more expensive than traditional gasoline consumers, but if you use your vehicle to commute to work, you could get ahead by paying a premium for greater fuel efficiency.

Automakers measure fuel economy through a series of tests conducted in a laboratory and then reported to the U.S. UH. Consumer demand may fluctuate, but the efficiency of new cars and trucks will also steadily increase as automakers work to meet stricter global emissions standards, which will require significant increases in fuel economy in the coming years. A lot of factors come into play when buying a new car, and let's face it, a lot of people are looking for the type of car that has all the added advantages, that isn't too expensive, and that also looks good.

Conducted in collaboration with research firm Kelton Global, the results of the study show that 79 percent of respondents considered fuel efficiency to be more important than other factors when buying a new car, including safety and price. It is often confused with fuel economy, a specific term that refers to the distance that a particular vehicle can travel with a certain amount of fuel. Another added benefit of buying a fuel-efficient car is that, depending on where you live, doing so could give you access to the HOV vehicle lanes of your local highway, even if it doesn't really meet occupancy requirements. That purpose is suggested by the presence of another sponsor, plastics make it possible, and material-related questions about carbon fiber's ability to increase fuel efficiency and relative safety of lighter versus heavier vehicles.

The more miles per gallon a car goes, the farther you can go with a tank of gas and the better your fuel economy will be. While many fuel-efficient models offer better fuel consumption than traditional vehicles, manufacturers tend to get it wrong because of exaggeration, and that could derail your calculations if you're not careful. Cars with a lower fuel economy rating tend to cost more to run and produce more pollution, as they burn more fuel to travel the same distance.

Bethany Pesch
Bethany Pesch

Amateur music geek. Lifelong gamer. Incurable music trailblazer. Subtly charming organizer. Extreme internet evangelist.