Just because you have a deep-seated fear of gas stations, doesn't mean you can't have a nice ride. Here are ten cars picked by Jalopnik readers that show you don't have to settle for a Prius.
All fuel economy figures come from FuelEconomy.gov, unless otherwise stated.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
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Photo Credit: Porsche
10.) BMW 335d
Suggested By: ufarrochil
City: 23
Highway: 36
Why it's eco-awesome: It's a rear-wheel drive turbodiesel manual wagon! It's a handsome, spacious, fun-to-drive all-rounder that you can hypermile until the cows come home.
Photo Credit: BMW
9.) Porsche 912
Suggested By: rawtoast
average: 27.6 (Porsche)
Highway: 30
Why it's eco-awesome: In the 1960s, Porsche thought they needed and entry-level car to slot in under the new 911. What they did was just cram their old four-cylinder engine in the back of a 911 shell. It was down on power, but it lost a lot of weight and gained a lot in terms of safe and stable handling. These things are getting pricier and pricier as collectors catch on to its charms, though.
Photo Credit: FurLined
8.) Suzuki Swift GTi
Suggested By: Jstas
City: 25
Highway: 33
Why it's eco-awesome: If you can get past the fact that all your friends will shame you for driving what is basically a Geo, the official car of people who have given up, you'll have one of the greatest secrets in the car world. The Swift GTi is an absolute featherweight, and its 100 horsepower 1.3l four-cylinder is more than powerful enough to keep you entertained. It's the great forgotten hot hatch.
Photo Credit: André
7.) Porsche 918
Suggested By: BecauseFamilyCar
Combined: 74 (Porsche)
Why it's eco-awesome: You don't buy a Porsche 918 because you're stingy with the gas bill. In fact, you can't really buy a 918 at all, because they're not in production yet. However, when Porsche does start building these things for rich sheiks and what not, they'll get to enjoy a 770 horsepower monster with Le Mans-grade flywheel hybrid technology.
Photo Credit: Porsche
6.) Lotus Elise
Suggested By: Chucky332
Urban: 34 (Lotus)
Extra-Urban: 56
Why it's eco-awesome: The Chapman-esque philosophy of light weight and simple cars pays off not only in the corners, but at the pump, too.
Photo Credit: Lotus
5.) Toyota MR2
Suggested By: Gothmog3VZ - Red AW11 makes my Camry all jelly
City: 23
Highway: 29* (32 MPG according to many owners)
Why it's eco-awesome: It's like an Elise that you can actually afford! From the 1980s angular mini-Ferrari to the curvy and swoopy later generations, these little midengined Toyotas are excellent to own and they are light and efficient enough to top 30 mpg in the real world.
Photo Credit: BrunoAmaru
4.) Fiat 500 Abarth
Suggested By: SennaMP4
City: 28
Highway: 34
Why it's eco-awesome: Again, the simple recipe of keeping a car light and giving it a zingy engine works for hatchbacks, too. The 500 Abarth gets great mileage, and is a blast to drive. If you happen to not fit in it, you can always swap it for a Mini.
Photo Credit: Fiat
3.) Mazda Miata
Suggested By: Buckus
City: 22
Highway: 28
Why it's eco-awesome: While FuelEconomy.gov doesn't think that a Miata can crest the 30MPG mark, plenty of our readers will attest to their economy. Their appeal as a driver's car certainly is unquestioned.
Photo Credit: aidan.cavanagh
2.) Honda CRX
Suggested By: SennaMP4
City: 29
Highway: 37
Why it's eco-awesome: Designed as super-economy commuter car, Honda's CRX of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s turned out to be amazingly fun to drive. If you pony up the few grand it takes to buy one, you will be cowering under the height of today's mega-SUVs and pickups in a little tin can, but it will be worth it once the road starts to get twisty.
Photo Credit: James Spahr
1.) Volkswagen GTI
Suggested By: mingoesbueno
City: 21
Highway: 31
Why it's eco-awesome: If you want a fun, economical new car, go for a GTI. If you want a fun, economical old car, get an old GTI. They are the default choice for anyone who wants to have a nice, engaging car but doesn't want to be paying its price over and over again at the pumps.
Photo Credit: absoluteczech