In this era of $100 a barrel oil and gas at the pump selling for well over $3 a gallon, our attention in 2008 will remain forcibly diverted toward gas mileage and fuel-saving cars. Following is a brief guide to the mileage performance of 2008 small cars, hybrids and the new breed of crossover SUVs. All cars are assumed to have automatic transmissions and the mileage figures used are the latest improved EPA estimates.

SMALL CARS

For city driving, Toyota's small car the Yaris is the champion with its EPA estimated mileage at 29 mpg. The Honda Fit and the Nissan Versa tie for second place at 27 mpg. The Scion XD is next with 26 mpg followed by the Mini Cooper and Kia Rio with 25 mpg, and the Mazda 3, the Volkswagen Rabbit, Ford Focus, Hyundai Accent and Honda Civic all in the 21 to 24 mpg region.

In highway mileage, the Civic leads the pack at 36 mpg followed closely by the Yaris, and the Rio with 35 mpg highway. The Fit is next with 34 mpg followed by the XD, the Accent and the Focus with 33 mpg and not far behind is the Versa and the Mini Cooper at 32 mpg. Bringing up the rear is the Mazda 3 at 31 mpg and the Rabbit at 29 mpg.

Toyota Yaris

HYBRIDS

To get better mileage than these small cars offer requires spending a bit more to bring home a hybrid. These vehicles deliver fuel-sipping performance through the use of specially designed “Atkinson Cycle” gas engines, powerful electric motors, continuously variable transmissions, engine cut off when stopped, and regenerative braking.

Please note when comparing hybrid mileage with small car mileage that with the exception of the Honda Civic hybrid, all the others are midsize cars.

The best city mileage from a hybrid is an impressive 48 mpg from the Toyota Prius. The Honda Civic is next with 40 mpg, followed by the Nissan Altima at 35 mpg, the Ford Escape at 34 mpg and the Toyota Camry at 33 mpg. The spanking new Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu hybrids deliver 24 mpg in the city.

On the highway, the Prius and Civic tie for the best mileage at 45 mpg, followed by the Camry at 34 mpg, the Altima at 33 mpg, the Aura and Malibu at 32 mpg and the Escape with 30 mpg.

CROSSOVER SUVs

For those who must have an SUV in 2008, crossovers are the way to go. They are a little smaller than the traditional truck based SUVs but offer better handling and ride as well as better fuel consumption. Of the roughly 20 medium sized crossover SUVs considered for this article, gas mileage fell between 15 mpg and 18 mpg in the city and 20 mpg and 24 mpg on the highway. The Hyundai Santa Fe topped this group with 18 city/24 highway mpg followed by the Pontiac Torrent at 17 city/24 highway mpg, the Mazda CX-7 and the expensive BMW X-5 with 17 city/23 highway mpg. The thirstiest of this group was the Acura MDX at 15 city/20 highway mpg, using premium gas.

Smaller crossover SUVs such as the Honda CRX, the Toyota RAV-4 and the Nissan Rogue delivered 20 mpg to 22 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

WHAT'S NEXT

Expect other fuel economy improvements to be announced this year, such as “plug in” hybrids where drivers boost mpg by charging additional batteries in the car overnight and run further on the electric motor before requiring the gas engine. Electric cars with longer range and faster charge batteries will be developed for introduction in the next few years. Economical and clean diesel engines will slowly appear in the marketplace, starting in 2009 or 2010. Diesel hybrids are being developed, but introduction of these may be delayed for some time. Fuel cells are still a long way from being price competitive. A further increase in gas cost will accelerate all these efforts, a trend we are watching.

Motoring since 1952, Austin Lynas has owned 55 cars and at one time raced mini-sedans in England. An aerospace engineer, he was instrumental in developing the anti-skid systems used in British military aircraft that preceded today's ABS systems. Lynas can be reached by e-mail at austin@sandiegometro.com.