Although gas prices are dropping quickly, buying a car with good fuel efficiency is still a top priority.  The economy is in an official recession, and consumers have an increasing interest in doing their part to preserve the environment.  So, it's only natural that consumers would first consider Japanese cars, with their proven track record for delivering high gas mileage. For the 2009 model year, Toyota ranks high in this category.

To find the most fuel-efficient cars of 2009, you must look at each model's combined city and highway gas mileages, provided by Environmental Protection Agency, and check those findings against the manufacturers' gas-mileage claims. Of no surprise, the popular Toyota Prius, which gets an EPA combined fuel economy of 46 mpg, is at the top of the list. The only vehicle that approaches its gas mileage is the Honda Civic hybrid, which delivers a highly respectable 42 mpg.  New diesel models produced by Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz follow.

Determining the best in fuel efficiency isn't all about the type of fuel;  the shape and size of a car play a role as well.  Fuel efficiency in consumer vehicles has been rising steadily since 2005. In every market class--from economy car to full size SUV--new innovations in fuel use and further reduction of vehicle size have driven average gas mileages from 23.1 mpg for cars and 16.7 mpg for light trucks in 2004 to 24.1 mpg for cars and 18.1 mpg for trucks in 2008. On top of this, new federal standards, set in 2007, state that each manufacturer's average fleet gas mileage must reach 31.6 mpg by 2015 and 35 mpg by 2020.