Most fuel efficient hatchback?

[freebeard]

But it's also a bit older than what you were looking for, and there are newer options

The only one on the list with an aluminum body.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by freebeard

The only one on the list with an aluminum body.

The 1st gen Honda Insight is definitely a car to take into consideration. But I don't know much about their pricing or reliability. But the OP said he wanted a car from around 2015 or 2016, which if he's set on that puts the 1st gen Insight out of the picture.

I also understand that the 2011 and 2012 Nissan Leafs also have at least some aluminum paneling. Those actually wouldn't be a bad choice for Oklahoma if they've had the battery replaced and you can keep the car cool.

Of course the newer Ford F-150's and Chevy Silverados also have aluminum body paneling and can carry quite a bit of lumber, but probably won't get as good as fuel mileage as an Insight.

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

The 1st gen Honda Insight is definitely a car to take into consideration. But I don't know much about their pricing or reliability. But the OP said he wanted a car from around 2015 or 2016, which if he's set on that puts the 1st gen Insight out of the picture.

I also understand that the 2011 and 2012 Nissan Leafs also have at least some aluminum paneling. Those actually wouldn't be a bad choice for Oklahoma if they've had the battery replaced and you can keep the car cool.

Of course the newer Ford F-150's and Chevy Silverados also have aluminum body paneling and can carry quite a bit of lumber, but probably won't get as good as fuel mileage as an Insight.

G1 Insights have a few things that commonly go wrong, but the engine and transmission are often seen to last 4-600,000 miles, the car can be driven without the hybrid battery, and they're almost entirely aluminum - the only things that aren't are stuff like bolts, brake lines and driveshafts. One can also find them under $1000 fairly early, but it's definitely not a car I would recommend to a non-enthusiast. Little "fixes" for "quirks" are easy enough to DIY but would be thousands from a dealership, if you can find one that actually knows how to work on these cars.

[MetroMPG]

(Above pic from discussion: Removing the rear seats (turn your Mirage into a mini cargo van)

I would be remiss for not suggesting the Mitsubishi Mirage.

It's surprisingly roomy for its small footprint:

- 47 cubic feet with the rear seats folded
- vs. 53 for the Vibe).

Originally Posted by boydwgrossii

Preferably used. I haven't had a car less than 10 years old ever. I plan on getting a 2015 or 2016 (movin' on up!).

The good news is you can get a 5 year-old Mirage for less than the price of a 10+ year-old Prius. I'm seeing nice used Mirages for $3-4k CAD with reasonable miles/km on the clock pretty regularly these days.

You didn't state if you're looking for manual or auto though!

For the Mirage, go for the manual. I'm not sold on the long-term durability of the CVT for someone who's going to keep the car a long time. The cars are otherwise surprisingly reliable.

And anyway, the real world manual MPG is better than the real world CVT MPG, even though the CVT has a better EPA rating. (Because EPA ratings handicap manual transmissions.)

EG: 102 manual drivers on the Mirage forum are reporting 44.5 MPG (US) = 5.3 L/100 KM vs. 40.2 MPG (US) / 5.8 L/100 km for the CVT.


I regularly see ~55-65 MPG US in mine, which is ecomodded, and which I drive for max MPG.


Test drive one first, though. You might not like it! The Mirage is a significantly lighter car than the Vibe / Golf / Jetta. And the handling takes getting used to. The suspension is ridiculously soft: it was tuned for comfort for developing markets rather than for spirited cornering.

[Isaac Zachary]

I can't believe I forgot about the Mirage! I had almost went and bought one, but somehow let myself be persuaded to get a Toyota Avalon instead, which oddly seems to be on the opposite side of the car spectrum.

I have a friend with a Mirage that he calls "The Chicken Chaser".

[freebeard]

So, does the shotgun seat fold down? Else you just take it out and have a three passenger vehicle with good ingress/egress to the back seats.

[dremd]

Nissan Leaf, end of discussion.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by dremd

Nissan Leaf, end of discussion.

I had one of those once. It also almost ended up as the end of my marriage when it ran out of juice half way to our destination on a -15⁰F day after also attempting to hypermile with the heater off going 25mph down a 65mph highway. Funny that it made the trip just fine the day before at 0⁰F.

[dremd]

At 0F life can no longer exist in my part of the world.

[freebeard]

They're having snow in the Sahara right now. Maybe some extra socks and blankets?