Top 5 Fuel-Efficient vehicles under $30,000

Analysts set out to identify the top five vehicles based upon fuel efficiency of at least 30-mpg plus possessing desired features, options and safety equipment under $30,000. Such choices are more common in brand lineups than ever before.

The Top Five are:
The 2011 Chevrolet Aveo, 2011 GMC Terrain, 2011 Kia Soul, 2011 Nissan Sentra, and the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen.

Considering mileage may be a current economic reality, but subcompact coupes aren't the only option and a more sensible car needn’t be a downgrade. In the top five are two sedans, one SUV, a crossover and a wagon.

Currently, the national average gasoline price is $3.57 (U.S. Energy Information Administration) and this is expected to continue to rise towards $4.50 according to Paul Taylor, chief economist for NADA.

"With a nearly 22 percent increase in the cost of gasoline compared to March 2010, our team of analysts went to work to help consumers determine the top new cars that not only addressed fuel efficiency needs, but also took into consideration what you received for the value and how practical and realistic they are for today's lifestyles,” said Troy Snyder, Director of Product Development at NADAguides.

Given the plethora of car information available today, NADAguides created a tool simply called the Car Finder designed to help consumers quickly hone in on what matters most in terms of price, mileage, lifestyle needs and features. The Car Finder offers the ability to search for new and used cars based on single criteria or a combination of price, model year, make, body style, fuel economy, transmission, and number of seats, drive-train, etc.

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This page is updated on April 1, 2013.