Top 10 Efficient Non-Hybrids

Top 10 Efficient Non-Hybrids

A car that sips gas rather than gulps, looks good in dim light, and is lively to drive is the new renaissance in motoring. The coolest cars today are the green Hybrids, and fuel- efficient non-Hybrids, that share an unconventional styling. Here are 10 non-Hybrids that save on fuel while being practical, good looking, and fun to drive. The future of the automotive universe is in the garden. The 2006 Acura RSX is a luxurious, well engineered sports car, that has a green thumb. 23,845. Historically, the RSX is the successor to the ever popular Acura Integra, which was an entry level sports car in Acura's line up; while the top of the line, NSX, boasted a top speed of 155 mph. The 2006 RSX is quick by modern standards while being incredibly frugal on fuel. In a recent shootout, sponsored by Car & Driver magazine, the RSX beat out the Dodge SRT-4, Subaru Impreza WRX, Chevrolet Cobalt SS, and the Saturn Ion Redline. In terms of horsepower, two versions of the RSX and RSX-S are available in either 155 horsepower, or 201 horsepower respectively.

The steady refinement of Honda's VTEC technology makes it possible to deliver torque at both low and high rpm's. Consequently, the RSX-S is able to rev up to 7,000 rpm - much like a motorbike and still be effective saving fuel. Unfortunately, RSX's dominion of the two-door sporty segment is being phased out in 2007 to give way to the Honda Civic Si and the Honda Civic Hybrid. Acura believes this will prevent intra-brand competition with other Honda products, namely the Civic. For now, the 2006 RSX is a reputable earth-friendly vehicle worth owning on its own merit. You don't have to be a South American dictator to enjoy power, good looks, and fuel efficiency that distinguishes the 2007 Honda Civic Coupe from other cars on the road. The fast, safe, and elegant Civic embodies Soichiro Honda's personal philosophy of an uncompromising sports car everyone can own. 18,710, the 2007 Civic lives up to the hype of exhilarating performance, while achieving 40 mpg on regular gasoline (and 51 mpg for the Hybrid). The Honda Civic delivers vicarious fun in both its regular and Si iterations.

The regular Civic delivers 140 horsepower from an i-VTEC, 16-valve, 1.8-liter engine that's mated to a drive-by-wire throttle to make sure you arrive early at your meetings on time; and the Si unloads 197 horsepower from a 6-speed manual transmission. An alternative to the VW GTI, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and the Mazda RX-8, is that the 2007 Civic possesses an assertive personality to successfully capture its share of the compact sports car limelight. Once you've sampled higher fuel efficiency of Japanese engineering, there's no going back. The 2007 Mazda3 is a compact sports car that averages 28/35 mpg. Unlike the retro sensibility of the Mini Cooper, VW GTI, and the Honda Civic - the Mazda3 serves up a fresh perspective in design. The external aesthetic purity, functional cabin ergonomics, and the indescribably "zoom-zoom" sound from the peppy engine make it stand out from the crowd. In our test drive, we sampled the larger 2.3-liter engine that has 160 horsepower from a normally aspirated four-cylinder engine. Our verdict: the 2007 Mazda3 is a sensational, fun-loving car to drive.

The engine is happy zooming up to 7000 rpm in no time. The low- end torque could be better below 2000 rpm, but once you reach mid revs, the engine is eager to please. Mazda has done well applying variable valve timing and variable-length intake runners to the 2.0-liter engine as well, giving it 150 horsepower at 6500 rpm peak torque. Additionally, the standard five-speed manual shifter is smooth due to frictionless synchronizers and cable linkages. For 2007, the Mazda3 is also available as a hatchback offering an additional 17.1 cubic feet of storage compared to 11.4 cubic feet for the 4-door sedan. 17,500 makes it well positioned for the fresh out of college crowd, and driving enthusiasts alike. What happens when you place a mighty fat epinephrine needle in the rear quarters of a thin, frisky rabbit? Does it run faster? Does it look edgy? In this case, the mighty fat epinephrine needle is the highly responsive 197 horsepower engine that utilizes Audi's R8 racing technology to create a fuel-efficient turbo peaking at 5,100 rpm.

And the Rabbit, totally redesigned VW GTI, is bigger and tighter than the vehicle it replaces. VW claims rigidity is up by 80 percent, due to high-strength steel panels and 230 feet of laser- welded seams. You certainly will not hear many squeaks and whistles in this vehicle. Step on the accelerator and the car responds immediately. There's virtually no lag from the turbo as the car accelerates from 0 - 60 in 6.5 seconds while averaging 24/31 mpg. When the first VW GTI was introduced, it was 1983, Michael Jackson was doing the moonwalk and the GTI was competing with the Chevy Camaro Z-28, and the Datsun 280 ZX. 20,340 and is competing with the Mazda3, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and the BMW 3 Series. More curves than a wonder bra commercial - defines the wholesome look of the 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse. After16 years of refinement, things are looking up for the fourth generation 2007 Eclipse, but there is a lot at stake for Mitsubishi.