Fuel economy is a major purchase consideration for new-vehicle shoppers; in fact it’s the No. 1 thing they look for in a car or truck. Consumers continue to demand ever greater mileage, and so does the federal government. Washington keeps turning up the wick on its Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations. In response to these stimuli automakers are working day and night to improve the efficiency of their products.

Of course not everyone is in the market for a shiny new ride. Many people opt for a pre-owned vehicle instead. Used cars and trucks can be terrific values, especially when certification programs and extended warranties are factored in. If new-vehicle buyers want better fuel economy it’s a safe bet second-hand shoppers are salivating for it as well. Here’s a list of 10 economy-minded used vehicles that will maximize you MPG. To qualify the cars and trucks listed are at least one generation behind the latest model on the market.

Fuel efficiency is at the forefront of every new car-buyer’s mind. No one wants to spend $30,000 and find themselves throwing money away at the gas pump, so we’ve compiled a list of the cheapest vehicles that get 40 miles per gallon (combined) in order from most expensive to least expensive.

While great advancements have been made in internal combustion engine technology over the past few years it still comes as little surprise that every car on this list is a hybrid. For those looking for cars that get 40 mpg on the highway alone, keep an eye open for our top-10 next week! And before the comments start rolling in, the $32,000 Prius PHEV Plug-in seen above, did not make our list, due to its limited availability. For fans of the plug-in Prius, check out our latest review.

An ode to the underdog, AutoGuide.com has compiled a list of 10 cars that just don’t get the respect they deserve.

They fly under the radar for a variety of reasons. Some are meant to be that way, while others are haunted by a reputation too daunting to drop.

Whatever the reason, every car on this list is available today and worth a second look.

Since its founding in 1936, Consumer Reports has become the go-to source for shoppers. From new refrigerators to bottles of wine, Blue-ray players to homeowner’s insurance, if it’s on the market it’s likely the non-profit organization has scientifically tested it. Of course the consumer watchdog is probably most famous for its vehicle reliability ratings.

Conscientious shoppers in the market for a new ride turn to the magazine’s pages for advice. They search out cars and trucks with most the red dots, and shun ones that get black marks. The group’s survey methodology, while controversial, paints a broad and easily understood picture for buyers.

To earn a coveted “Recommended” rating, vehicles must perform well in the organization’s testing and have a reliability score of average or better. But what about cars and trucks that fail to make the grade? Here’s a list of the Top 10 Least Reliable Vehicles according to Consumer Reports. If you’re familiar with their ratings you’ll know products from the Detroit Three typically don’t score as well as their Japanese competitors. Needless to say there’s trouble brewing in Dearborn. Team America… oh no.

Your grip on the steering wheel tightens. Your eyes fixate on the yellow line. Your brain screams about the trees just beyond the shoulder. Wait for it… wait for it… ok, NOW! You pounce on the clutch as your right foot stabs the accelerator. A wrist-flick completes the downshift. Feather the brake, turn into the corner and scrub off some speed; the radius decreases slightly. You nail the apex, tires howling like a bloodhound on the trail. You roll back on the throttle for a speedy exit and dive into the next corner.

This scenario plays out on back roads and racetracks around the world every day. An enthusiast putting his or her machine through its paces can be a beautiful thing, a pure expression of automotive bliss; just don’t attempt the same feat in a pickup.

A week or two ago we presented the Top 10 Reasons to Get a Truck, now sports cars get their chance to shine. Why should you put one of these quick and amusing vehicles in your driveway? Here are more than a few good reasons.

Sometimes automakers have holes in their line-up bigger than Van Halen did in 1985. Due to a lack of time, resources or manufacturing facilities, the company looks for a quick fix. The solution? Grab a vehicle from another company that fills the void and rebrand it as their own. But like Wade Boggs in a New York Yankees uniform, these rebadged vehicles never look quite right. And, like any decision made by cobbling together bits and pieces from here and there, it doesn’t always work.

In the world of rebadging, Australian General Motors division Holden is king. The company will rebadge anything and everything for the Australian market. Since Holden could have a top ten list entirely their own, we’ll skip them. Instead, let’s focus on vehicles most in North America will recognise in either current or rebadged form. We are not talking platform engineered cars within a company or ones co-developed between two companies, but rather vehicle rebrand jobs that seem to come out of left field and are thinly disguised.

Sadly, there are plenty of cars worth forgetting. That’s why after the success of the original, we’re back with another installment of the Top 10 cars you’ll forget ever existed… if you haven’t already.

First, there’s the Toyota Paseo. It came as a coupe during most of its relatively short U.S. lifespan, but there was a convertible offered with the 1997 model year.

The name means “walk” in Spanish and in many ways you might have been better off doing that.

Hybrid technology is improving at an impressive rate and is continuing to find its way into more and more vehicles.

A significant number of new and exciting hybrids are coming to market this year and early next. No, these aren’t all Prius wannabes. There are some interesting cars on the way, like the ultra efficient VW XL1 seen above. Check out some of these hybrid luxury sedans, rugged crossovers and even a pair of supercars.

If you’re not yet convinced to hop on the hybrid bandwagon, this should help. And if you already are, but haven’t found the right gas-electric vehicle for you, perhaps it’s coming soon to a dealership near you.

The sales numbers are in for April 2013, and we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best-selling cars for last month.

Kicking off the list is the Hyundai Elantra with a starting MSRP of $16,965. The compact model from the Korean automaker saw 45.2 percent more sales this year than last in the month of April, and has sold 78,991 units so far this year. It’s worth noting that 25 percent of Elantra sales come from the Coupe and Elantra GT hatchback models, which weren’t available last year.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Review

Americans love trucks. We adore them more than fast food, football games and country music. They’re like 4,000-pound hamburgers made with two all-freedom patties, liberty sauce, Willie Nelson, sparklers and Old Glory, sprinkled with bacon bits and built on a sesame-seed frame. Drivers lust after these utility-focused rigs like hungry children crave chicken nuggets; month after month, year after year, we just can’t get enough of ‘em!

America’s peculiar obsession with pickups is a bit of a mystery. Certainly people from other countries don’t understand it. No doubt, Japanese motorists wonder why Americans want to park such fuel-swilling behemoths in their garages. Drivers in Germany probably ask themselves why we want to own vehicles that handle like an overloaded garbage hauler with a busted steering box and no front brakes.

Find the Perfect Truck for You

America is a land full of opportunity. We do things, build stuff and go places; trucks are central to the way we live. And let’s be honest, the founding fathers Tom Jefferson, Benny Franklin and George “the big-man” Washington would have totally rolled in a GMC Denali if gasoline had been invented in 1776. Now that’s a Declaration of Independence from crappy small cars. Grab your cowboy hat and throw on some work boots, here are the top 10 Reasons to own a truck.

Compact cars are affordable, they’re usually a lot of fun to drive and can deliver impressive fuel economy numbers. As government regulators push for ever-greater efficiency, small sedans and hatchbacks are becoming increasingly important.

While their list of virtues may be long, C-Segment cars do have some liabilities. For starters they’re usually not very spacious. Tall passengers can find their back seats about as roomy as a straight jacket. Likewise, luggage space is severely constrained. No one buys a Civic for hauling sheets of plywood.

Still, compacts are frequently called upon to lug loads of junk to upstate colleges; they’re asked to handle an extended family’s worth of Christmas shopping during the holidays; and they’re even enlisted to serve truck duty by hauling bags of topsoil or ready-mix concrete from home-improvement stores. Like mini moving trucks, drivers put these vehicles through their paces, and even though they may not have a lot cargo or passenger volume, room is an important factor to consider.

Here’s a list of the Top 10 Small Sedans with the Most Trunk Space.

Hatchbacks have a ton of versatility and use, and they’re also quite affordable, not to mention fuel efficient.

When it comes to the most affordable hatchback, there’s quite a few options out there. Unlike the Honda GEAR concept pictured above (which could preview a new affordable subcompact for the Japanese brand) all the cars on this list are easily attainable, and are competitively priced. Our top ten is seperated by a slim $4,000 margin from cheapest to most expensive. Check out the whole list, and see which cheap hatchback is the right choice for you!