Things You'll Need:
- Computer with Internet access
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Step 1
Decide whether you want a van, a minivan, a sport utility vehicle or a crossover, which blends a car-like ride with the stance of an SUV. Engine size influences MPGs. A six-cylinder engine is smaller and therefore more fuel-efficient than a larger eight-cylinder engine. In addition to manufacturer's Web sites, independent sites such as Cars.com provide buying guides to determine which vehicle fits your needs.
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Step 2
Gasoline powered vehicles are the most common, and gasoline costs less per gallon than diesel.
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Step 3
Diesel engines are more powerful and approximately 30-35 percent more fuel-efficient than similar-sized gasoline engines.
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Step 4
Hybrids offer greater MPGs than gasoline or diesel, but they are maintained differently than a traditional gasoline or diesel-powered engine.
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Step 1
While manufacturer's sites provide MPG estimates, they are not as thorough as the government site. On fueleconomy.gov, you can compare gasoline-powered vehicles across multiple manufacturers by criteria including year, size class, make and MPG rating. The site also offers an MPG comparison of diesel and hybrid vehicles.
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Step 2
The search results for gasoline-powered vehicles display the estimated city and highway MPGs as well as the estimated annual fuel cost per vehicle. Results also include an estimated carbon footprint, defined as the impact on climate change in tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. The carbon footprint estimate includes the vehicle's annual CO2 emissions in tons-per-year, along with the CO2 emitted in producing and distributing the fuel. The gasoline results also include an "energy impact score," which the site defines as "the number of barrels of petroleum the vehicle will likely consume each year." This score does not include ethanol and other non-petroleum fuels. The site also includes a list of the most and least fuel-efficient vehicles organized by size class.
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Step 3
The results for diesel-powered vehicles also include the estimated city and highway MPGs, the estimated annual fuel cost per vehicle and the estimated carbon footprint. Instead of an energy impact score, diesel results display an air pollution score for all states except California and Nebraska. The air pollution score is the amount of health-damaging and smog-forming airborne pollutants the vehicle emits. Scoring ranges from 0 (worst) to 10 (best) and does not include emissions of greenhouse gases.
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Step 4
The results for hybrid vehicles include the estimated city and highway MPGs, the estimated annual fuel cost per vehicle, the estimated carbon footprint and the air pollution score.
