The CAR WIZARD shares which vehicles TO Buy & NOT to Buy for Fuel Economy

Ford Excursion - will pass anything except a gas station. Eight mpg isn't fuel mileage that's a fuel leak.

Definitely get a 7.3 diesel if you want an excursion. The 5.4 is gutless and the V10 guzzles fuel like crazy.

I was shopping for a car in 2016. Started looking at used Prius. For about $2,000-$3,000 more than a loaded Prius, I got a used 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited. Now it doesn't get Prius mileage, but it gets 35 MPG in town, 40+ on the road, but it's big and comfortable and loaded with features -- heated and cooled seats, radar cruise, navigation, etc.. In addition it's been very reliable. I haven't spent a dime on unscheduled maintenance.

Believe It! Wizard, I used to own a 1973 Continental Mark IV. After a tune-up the car averaged 6 to 8 mpg! People regularly came up to me to say how beautiful the car looks parked in my driveway. I would usually reply, "yes, I'd rather look at it than drive it". And no, I wasn't joking!

Hey gas is also $1.80 in France ! ...per liter :(

In 2008 during the recession those used Geo/Chevy Metros were popular, selling for like $7k or $8k at the time.

I have a 2008 Volvo S40 1.6 Turbodiesel. it's basically the beautiful version of the Ford Focus from back then (same chassis, platform, suspension etc, but SO good lookin). I was sceptical about the "small" motor, and it's not great performance-wise, but I get about 50 MPG combined, so it always puts a smile on my face when I'm fueling up :)

Own a 2005 lesabre for the last 7 years. Amazing car! I replaced all suspension components... and bearings all around....flawless! Love it! 173k so far

I'll throw my hat in the ring. I absolutely LOVE my 05 Crown Vic. Base model with a 3 speed. 18-20 city, 22.5 -24 highway with 600,000 to damn near a million mile reliability engine wise. And parts are DIRT CHEAP😁

There is a old lady around where I live that drives a 70s lincoln like the one you showed. Except it's blue lol

The Gen2 Prius does have one costly quirk: there’s a bladder in the gas tank (designed to reduce emissions) that can collapse over time and limit how much gas you can get in the tank. I can only get about 6 gallons at once in my 2008 Prius (when I should get 11+). The only fix is a complete replacement of the gas tank, which is an $800 part and lots more in labor. So if you are looking to buy a Gen2, find a way to verify it holds a full tank.

I'd like to hear a Wizard's "Buy/Not Buy" on vehicle safety. May have experience from ones that have come into the shop almost totalled from a 5 mph bump, or things that have been in serious collisions and haven't had a dent on them. Things like land yachts look safe but they fold like paper bags in crash tests.

I own a 2008 Prius that I ALSO bought from EuroAsian Bob. It’s been one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Proud to have a car that the Wizard approves of.

11:00 The Prius Prime has a Li-Ion battery. The Prius (regular 2nd gen, 3rd gen, 4th gen) have NiMH battery packs. They're all 200V packs but the MaH is drastically different (obviously).

My 2016 Corolla S is easy on the wallet. I compute gas mileage at the station with a calculator, and I get 35 in the city and 40 on the road. The computer measuring the fuel economy is optimistic in the city and self-deprecating on the highway. 0-60mph is 10 seconds, which is manageable in all but the most relentless traffic. Interestingly, it seems to be an intelligent drivetrain. When I drive spiritedly for a while, it is more responsive but the mileage drops 1 mpg or 2; when I go back to gramps mode it slowly creeps back up to optimal mileage.

My friend has a jetta TDI and we all worship that car. It's a manual transmission, it was an Arizona car so it's rust free, over 200,000 miles and makes turbo sounds. He's had it for around a year and he claims he's never getting rid of it. He also went almost 10,000 miles without an oil change and you'd never even know it.

I love my 08 Gen 2 Prius. It’s only got 75K miles, and the city mileage is down to about 43-44 in the city, but it works great and never a problem.

Would love to see a Saab what to buy/not buy

The 1.9 VAG TDI is one of the most reliable diesel engines ever. It runs forever.

Loved the appearance on Car Trek 2! Have a great day.