As the world population becomes more educated about the environmental impact of the cars that they drive, there has been an increased interest in producing a cleaner, smarter vehicle.  The current answer to this attempt is hybrid cars, which run on a combination of gasoline and electricity, electric cars, and simply more efficient gasoline engines.  In some cases, hybrid cars fare little better than a car fueled just with gasoline when it comes to miles per gallon, but in others they allow for an impressive alternative to a pure fossil fuel source.  Unfortunately, hybrid has become something of a buzzword, meaning that many people think that a car is cleaner and more efficient simply because it is a hybrid car, rather than researching the vehicle to make sure that its stats are sound.  Simply purchasing a hybrid car doesn't  necessarily mean that it will pollute less, or that it will cost you less.  For that, you need to get a hybrid vehicle that's well engineered and efficient.

One of these well engineered efficient hybrids is the ever popular Toyota Prius.  It was the first popular hybrid car, and it continues to do far better than most of the competition in both miles per gallon and price.  When factoring in the electricity used and the converting it to a miles per gallon equivalent, this car can get 95 combined miles per gallon.  This is an incredibly impressive figure, even from a hybrid.  The initial price is high, but not quite luxury, at a range from $32,000 to $40,000.

Almost as fuel efficient as many hybrid cars are simply smaller compact cars that are engineered to run on gasoline.  One example of this is the ultra tiny, ultra efficient 2013 Smart Fortwo Cabriolet.  As two seater cars become more popular, Cabriolet is not far behind in competing in this expanding niche market.  With a combined 36 miles per gallon on premium gasoline, it can get up to 282 miles per 8.7 gallon tank.  More than that, the price starts at a tiny $17,800.

Most innovative of all are the newly minted fully electric cars that are rolling out of the factories.  The most common of these by far is the Nissan Leaf, which, despite its relatively short leash to the nearest electrical outlet, is seen far and wide.  While it can only go about 70 miles before it needs to be recharged, and while standard recharging can take some time, this car gets an impressive 106 miles per gallon electric, and hardly makes a dent in the electric bill.