EV Demand Is Slowing: 4 Affordable Gas Cars That Have Lower Emissions, Too
Until recently, it felt like electric cars had earned exclusive rights to the future of the auto industry. But EVs went mainstream so quickly that everyday consumers got an intimate look at their drawbacks: inconvenient charging, poor cold-weather performance, expensive repairs, etc. The result? Buyers tapped the brakes on shopping for EVs.
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In early March, Morgan Stanley slashed Tesla’s price target from $345 to $320, citing weakening demand for electric vehicles.
America appears to be ending its honeymoon phase with EVs, but plenty of drivers still want to burn less fuel, spew fewer emissions and save money on gas.
Those eco-conscious but EV-shy drivers should look for vehicles that modify or expand on the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) to reduce fuel consumption and get more miles from every gallon.
Also see EVs that have more than 250 miles of range.
2022 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
The Hyundai Ioniq is one of the biggest names in EVs, but the lineup didn’t go fully electric until 2023, when the Korean automaker discontinued Ioniq’s plug-in hybrid and hybrid variants.
But if you’re in the market for a gently used vehicle that requires gas, looks and drives like a traditional car and doesn’t need an in-home or public charging station, a 2022 Ioniq hybrid delivers an impressive 59 combined mpg. With an 11.9-gallon fuel tank, it has an exceptional driving range of up to 714 highway miles.
“The Hyundai Ioniq represents a forward-thinking approach to gasoline vehicles, providing a bridge for consumers moving toward more sustainable driving options but who are not yet prepared to make the leap to fully electric vehicles,” said industry expert Joe Giranda, director of sales and marketing for CFR Classic, an international car shipping and relocation company.
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Unlike EV-adjacent plug-in hybrids, conventional hybrid vehicles can fully recharge their electric batteries through regenerative braking while driving on gas power.
Kelley Blue Book says the national average fair market value for a 2022 hybrid Ioniq is less than $19,000, a nice break from its original $24,695 starting MSRP.
Cars With Turbocharged Small Displacement Engines
If even a non-plug-in hybrid is too close to an EV for your liking, the next-best configuration is an ICE engine designed to provide increased power as needed without increasing fuel consumption.
“Turbocharged small displacement engines are another way automakers boost fuel economy and lower emissions output,” said William Green, an automotive engineer who has worked as a transmission control engineer at Ricardo, a vehicle validation coordinator at McLaren, and as a control and simulation engineer at Contract Innovation. “Brands like Honda with their 1.5-liter turbo Civic, VW and the 1.4-liter turbo Golf, and Ford’s EcoBoost line make the most of smaller boosted engines to achieve excellent mpg ratings.”
2016-Present Honda Civic
Green recommended the Honda Civic first.
Honda writes, “The 1.5-liter Turbo engine debuted in the U.S. in the 2016 Honda Civic and is currently available in multiple Civic, CR-V and Accord models.”
You can find it in used Civic sedans, coupes, hatchbacks and Si models.
Most late-model Civics with turbocharged small displacement engines are fairly affordable, especially considering the longevity and durability that the Civic is famous for. For example, KBB says most turbo options in the 2018 lineup have a fair market value of roughly $15,000 to $18,000.
2019 Volkswagen Golf
Next, Green suggested the VW Golf, which received a 1.4-liter turbocharged small displacement engine in 2019.
That year, Car and Driver ran this headline: “2019 Volkswagen Golf’s Excellence Is Undiminished by a Smaller Engine.”
The publication wrote that the downsized turbo engine “helped the Golf achieve its highest fuel-economy ratings of any gasoline-powered Golf yet, with an EPA-estimated 32 mpg combined for the 2019 models (automatic or manual) compared to 28 mpg for the automatic-equipped 2018 Golf and 29 mpg for the 2018 manual. We got very close to that combined number over nearly 900 miles of driving, averaging 31 mpg overall. And on our 75 mph highway test loop, we saw 43 mpg, beating the EPA highway estimate by a huge 6 mpg.”
KBB says the fair market value for a 2019 Golf is $13,132.
2022 Ford Mustang EcoBoost
Finally, Green suggested any vehicle from the Ford EcoBoost family.
According to Ford, “EcoBoost engines combine three technologies — turbocharging, direct fuel injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) — for power and efficiency.”
The technology is different, but the concept is the same as the Civic 1.5 and the Golf 1.4 — a smaller engine that burns less fuel but still provides adequate power on demand.
Ten Ford models have EcoBoost engines, including the vaunted Mustang. The 2024 model starts at $30,920; but, in 2022, Miracle Ford rated that year’s Mustang as boasting the best fuel economy of the entire 10-strong EcoBoost lineup.
According to KBB, you can get a 2022 two-door Mustang EcoBoost Coupe for $25,000.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: EV Demand Is Slowing: 4 Affordable Gas Cars That Have Lower Emissions, Too
