We’ve crunched some numbers and come out with our latest Best Bang for Your Buck list of affordable rides. The list factors in the base price of a new car plus the cost of filling it up for eight years. We used an average gas price of $3.40 — which just a month ago was the national average — and a projected 15,000 miles driven per year, 55% city, 45% highway.
The results had the Smart ForTwo on top with a lifetime cost of $23,863. Less than $5,000 separated our top 10 list, which also includes the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa and Honda Fit.
We also have a separate list for hybrids. All five of the top hybrids had a more expensive lifetime cost than any of our top 10 traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. Check out the full list here.
