Everyone is of the belief that in order to be fuel efficient you will need to buy a hybrid vehicle in order to save on gas and the environment. There are vehicles that are out there that are not only fuel efficient, but are inexpensive as well.

The list of non-hybrids that are fuel efficient is not very long, but it is not very pricey as shown with the Toyota Yaris. Other examples of vehicles with very good fuel economy but are not hybrids are the Honda Civic as well as the Kia Rio. All average over 30 miles per gallon on the highway and in the mid twentiues in the city.

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Kia’s sub-compact sedan, the 2009 Kia Rio, has been named as one of the “Greenest Vehicles of 2009” by the America Council for Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Rio was chosen for its low-level emissions and impressive fuel economy.

“Today more than ever consumers are looking for vehicles that are not only fuel efficient but ecologically friendly,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. “Rio demonstrates that being green and offering impressive fuel economy does not mean that value and quality need to be compromised.”

Available in base, LX and SX trims, all vehicles in the Rio lineup feature 1.6-liter DOHC four-cylinder CVVT engine, which produces a peppy110 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. When equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission – available for LX and SX trims – Rio and Rio5 are capable of 27/33 mpg.

Other features include:
• Dual front advanced airbags
• Front seat-mounted side airbags
• Full-length side curtain airbags
• Side-impact door beams
• Impact absorbing steering column
• Front and rear crumple zones
• Front and rear three-point seatbelts
• Front seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters
• Lower Anchors & Tethers for Children (LATCH)
• Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
• Four-sensor, four-channel antilock brake system (ABS) (optional)

(Source) Press

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