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The Nissan Versa 1.6 Base 4dr    Hyundai Accent GL 2dr hatch

Chevrolet Aveo5 LS 4dr hatch   Mazda2 Sport 4dr hatch 

Toyota Yaris 4dr     Kia Rio 4dr   Kia Soul 4dr hatch

Honda Insight 4dr hatch Ford Focus S 4dr  and the  Ford Fiesta S 4dr .

The 10 cheapest cars to own

What do all these cars have in common ?  They are exceptionally cheap cars to own considering the following factors .

1. All the vehicles on the list are small  either compacts or subcompacts or simply  because they tend to have the lowest market price.
2. They have the  best fuel economy .
3. They have  reasonable insurance rates since premiums tend to rise with horsepower.

However ,when buying any of these cars you should note that with the lower price tag  you may have to pay for the following :

1. You may  have to pay extra for automatic transmission .
2. Air conditioning .
3. Safety features like anti-lock brakes .
4. Only half of these cheapest cars have standard stability control .

Fuel efficient cars like the Prius are on Demand

Although the rule of thumb says that a car loses at least 10 percent of its value the moment it leaves the dealership,things are turning around as more Americans are considering used cars that are fuel efficient .

Apparently,used cars that are fuel efficient are suddenly on high demand .Yes ! High demand .

So what has suddenly raised the value of used cars beating the old known adage of ” A car loses at least 10 percent of its value the moment it leaves the dealership” ? No other reason apart from the always escalating gas prices making Americans awe about what next to do .

Matter of fact most Americans are hesitant to pay for a new car. According to auto analysts who track prices used cars over all are retaining a higher percentage of their original value than ever before.

The the National Auto Auction Association has noticed that compact cars that are one to five years old are worth, on average, about 30 percent more on the wholesale market now than just six months ago .

Lets look for example at a three-year-old Focus which retained just a third of its original value, a difference of more than $5,000. And the value of a 2010 Chevrolet Aveo LS (highway mileage: 35 m.p.g.) by $3,448. Seen the stats people ?

The main factor which is making many consumers seeking a higher-mileage vehicle to consider a used car as more affordable than a new one stands to be that of unprecedented gas prices.

Added to all that ,there are shortages of Japanese models at many new-car dealerships because of the March earthquake and tsunami, prompting some shoppers to check used-car lots instead.

The biggest gainer ,the Toyota Prius a hybrid car, which was offered at big discounts last year but regained popularity as gas prices climbed. The Prius is in particular demand because the Japanese factory that builds it closed for a month after the earthquake and tsunami.

According to the National Auto Auction Association,if you want to buy a fuel efficent used car ,check out their unbiased resource guides.These guides are freely available for download from their website here .They have guidelines of 2011 and earlier editions from last year as well .

According the the New york times ” Mr. Shen, 30, found a buyer who paid $25,500 for his 2010 Prius II. He had to spend $1,000 on repairs and pay a fee to the dealer because the car had been leased. Even so, his net take on the deal was $121 more than he paid for a 2011 Prius II — and the new car came with hands-free Bluetooth phone connectivity, a feature his old car did not have.”

Mr.Shane was quoted saying “I think it’ll be the only time I ever make money on owning a car .”

Well ,with that lets brace ourselves for the ever increasing fuel prices.But as noted from above,buying a fuel efficient car is a good practice on the way to saving bucks in the long run.

Article sources quoted include:

The Newyork Times’s “Used Gas Sippers, Keeping That New-Car Value”

Gist.org’s Used fuel-efficient compact cars increase 30 percent in value

Popular mechanic's how to save gas tips

Given the increase in Gas today in the US to almost $4 per gallon we aught to acquaint ourselves with driving tactics that can save some fuel and some bucks along the way .

In a previous article  here at autopartsbazaar.com ,we looked at “tips to help  increase miles per Gallon and efficiency of your car’s  fuel economy“  which included keeping car tires properly inflated ,Keeping your vehicle well maintained and rolling  up the windows on the highway among other tips that all can help beat our mile per hour MPG.

An article  By Mike Allen of Popular Mechanics goes the practical lane by outfitting an ordinary ten-year-old car with an extremely accurate fuel economy gauge and trying out all the gas-saving driving tactics they could think of .Finally they came up with six strategies that actually save gas for your car.

Popular mechanics fuel-sipping basics include : monitoring tire pressure,planning  errands carefully,Warming up the engine and avoiding  ethanol when possible .

For more on the six practical and informative gas saving tips click here

Have you noticed that during winter when a car is parked for long its battery’s chances of failing to start are high?                                          

Efforts to jump start a dead battery -Photo courtesy of Old shoe woman

Dead Batteries affect cars across all makes and car models even with perfectly good batteries especially more so in the winter months.Damp, cold weather is the main cause here, but it can also be caused by low CCA rating (cold cranking amps)the capacity of the battery to perform well in the winter/cold months. Sometimes, a low acid level can also cause batteries to go dead.

Dead batteries are a leading cause of cars failing to start during winter especially after long weekend.

Autopartsbazzar.com looks at the tips you can use to keep your battery in top notch shape during winter to avoid the unlikely event of a dead battery ahead of time.

•  The simplest way to prevent your car battery going dead in winter is by keeping it operational. Go the DIY lane and Scrub the battery connections with baking soda to make sure they don’t corrode.
• If you live in the nothern very cold states and your car battery is more than 5 years old, then have it checked by a pro mechanic for Cold cranking amps (CCA).C C A is an indication of how well your battery will work in the winter months.
• If you live in the southern warmer states its recommended that you have the battery checked for battery acid levels.
• Remember also to turn off your car’s interior lights as this is the most common reason for a flat battery.
• As a rule of thumb, always have your car serviced before winter sets in, asking the mechanic nicely to check the alternator. General car maintenance sees to it that you avoid small car failure issues like a dead battery on a Monday morning.

 As a bonus to the battery maintenance tips , Interstate the battery experts give you more solid tips on how to keep your car  battery in top shape always .Please click here for more…….

With that ,no more excuses for a bad battery on a Monday morning i guess .

Car refilling at a gas station

 

In today’s costly fuel times,all car owners ought to consider how to improve the efficiency of their cars’ fuel economy.In so doing autopartsbazaar.com looks at sources of informative and educating Car fuel economy management online .

Tips to increase miles per Gallon and efficiency of your car’s  fuel economy  include ;

• Keeping car tires properly inflated as bad tire pressure can affect fuel economy.Car bibles recommends Checking  your car tire pressures regularly at least once a week is ideal .
• Keeping your vehicle well maintained as a car in poor running condition will use more gas than one that has been tuned up or properly maintained.A regular service can fix engine problems which could be seriously affecting your fuel economy .
• Using cruise control (if your car has this feature) as letting the car regulate its own speed saves gas by reducing unnecessary acceleration.
• Rolling  up the windows on the highway – Yes we agree air conditioning uses fuel, but not as much as the added drag on the car of driving fast with the windows open.
•  Replacing your car’s fuel filter according to your manufacturer’s recommended schedule. This will go a long way to enhancing fuel efficiency.

1.How to Improve Your Fuel Economy:23 Top Tips for Better Gas Mileage. 

2 . The Independent’s Ten tips to improve your car’s fuel economy .

Do you practice idling while waiting for some one ? Find out from the independent how not idling your car – will save you a buck of fuel, so stopping the engine when waiting saves a lot of money.More …..

3.  How to Increase Fuel Mileage on a Car by wikihow 

Wikihow properly explains how Planning your trips, Lightening  your car  load and Slow down can all help to improve your cars fuel economy .

4.How to Get Better Fuel Economy by howstuffworks

Thoughtfully written car fuel economy advise .Howstuff works lives no stone unturned .From altering your driving style and maintaining your vehicle .find out more…..      

5. Gas mileage tips by fueleconomy.gov
 If you haven’t heard of fueleconomy.gov then you have been missing on gas mileage fuel economy tips.The trusted government website show cases daily tips on how to manage car fuel efficiency. They in general include; Planning & combining trips, Keeping your car in shape and driving more efficiently .More …

All in all ,car fuel economy is dependent on how often you service your car .