Best Highway Car

What does best highway car really define? If we are talking about best torque at freeway speed, it is probably a Dodge Viper SRT10. If we are discussing best sound control and comfort, I would assume it is the Cadillac CTS. However, based on the current and recent state of the economy I believe most readers want to hear about best fuel efficiency or most economical.

The two terms aren’t necessarily synonyms. When comparing cars most people are thrown numbers like 45/42 mpg (2009 Prius) and 24/35 mpg (2009 Focus). If that is all one had to make their decision it would be an easy one. However, many people don’t really consider the total cost of a vehicle. There are things like maintenance, repairs, insurance, and of course up front cost that need to consider not just MPG.

I’ll start with the biggest and fastest growing economy car on the road. The Toyota Prius. It is an incredible car. Toyota has invested considerable time and money into creating and efficient yet practical vehicle. It comes at a base price of about $22,000. It gets impressive mileage around town due to its electric motor. It has a very small gas powered engine that gets an impressive 42MPG on the highway. It produces a maximum of 75hp. Also, with a sluggish 10.5 0-60 time, it offers no thrills to it drivers. The car is made to get great mileage and get you from A to B.

Next is the 2009 Focus. It has been rated at 24MPG city driving and 35MPG highway. The drop in mileage is due to its much more powerful 140hp engine and a lack of an electric motor. However, the biggest advantage is its much lower MSRP of around $15,000.

On that stat alone, the Prius would have to save its owner around $7,000 in fuel savings alone. Then factor in insurance on a more expensive vehicle and higher maintenance costs on the Prius’ small engine. A smaller engine has a harder time pulling the car at high speeds. Not to mention the interest (if you can’t afford to pay cash) on the higher loan. Now, just looking at the numbers the Focus is a better choice for the average American who drives around 12,000 miles per year. On the typical five year ownership the cost is $38,466. That is very close to the cost of ownership of a Toyota Prius at $38,753. However, if you are like most Americans you like to have a little fun. That 140hp engine has a tame (compared to sports cars) 0-60 of 8.6 seconds. But it is significantly more fun than the Prius.

On another note, Prius drivers like to buy their hybrid car to make a statement about how they feel about the environment. With the auto industry collapsing, why not buy an American economy car, save a little money and support an American auto maker who started it all.