The Toyota Prius IV at 44 miles per gallon fuel economy was declared best family car by Consumer Reports.

Hybrid vehicles ranked high on the recently released Consumer Reports listing of the most fuel efficient cars.

The magazine, published by the global non-profit testing organization Consumer’s Union, named the most fuel efficient cars based on its latest series of auto-test programs for fuel economy.

Hybrid vehicles Toyota Prius IV, Lexus HS 250 h, and Ford Escape Hybrid made it to Consumer Report’s best cars list.

"Hybrid and diesel vehicles provide better fuel economy than conventional cars, but they usually cost more to buy, and as gas prices rise, the pay-back time gets shorter," noted David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ auto test center.

"All-wheel drive usually reduces gas mileage by about 2 miles per gallon while a manual transmission can improve fuel economy by 1 to 2 miles per gallon," added Mr. Champion.

The publication conducted a comprehensive auto-test program of the cars at their Auto Test Center in Connecticut. The 327-acre center is the world’s largest independent automobile testing center devoted to consumer interests.

Aside from real-world fuel economy tests, the cars were also tested for reliability and safety.

In the case of the hybrids, the Toyota Prius IV (44 miles per gallon) was declared the best family car; the Lexus HS 250 h (31 mpg) was the best upscale/sports sedan; and the Ford Escape Hybrid (26 mpg) was best small sports utility vehicle.

In their specific categories, the hybrids bested the Ford Fusion SEL (V6, AWD), Chevrolet Impala LTZ (V6) and the Mazda6 V6 (20 mpg); the Lincoln MKZ (20 mpg); and the Dodge Nitro SLT and Jeep Liberty Sport (16 mpg). These vehicles were named the worst on their respective classes.

Other categories included the best subcompact car for fuel economy which went to the Honda Fit (30 mpg); the best small station wagon went to the diesel-fuelled Volkswagen Golf TDI (38 mpg); while the best small sedan went to the Toyota Corolla LE (32 mpg).

The Chevrolet Aveo LT (25 mpg); Scion xB and Subaru Impreza Outback Sport (AWD) (23 mpg); and Subaru Impreza 2.5i (24 mpg), respectively were named as the worst vehicles on the above-named classes.

Fuel economy important

Consumer Reports suggests that the best way to cut gasoline use is to buy fuel-efficient cars, and people just might give in to this tip.

A survey conducted by Consumer Reports last May found 62 percent of the respondents intend to choose models with better fuel economy on their next car purchases. More than half of the respondents, at 58 percent, said they are willing to pay more for fuel-efficient cars.

In another survey conducted last April, more than half (56 percent) of Consumer Reports respondents said they expect their new vehicles to be of the same sizes as the models they currently drive. Of the quarter of the respondents who are willing to downsize, 67 percent said they would do it for environmental concerns, while 92 percent would downsize for improved fuel economy. (Jen Balboa)

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