There are all kinds of features that people have traditionally looked for in cars. Reliability is near the top, but it is certainly not everyone's biggest priority. People worry whether a car is stylish, whether it is big enough to carry their family and any equipment they need, how fast it goes and how well it drives, how safe it is in crashes, and how much it costs to maintain. Nowadays, however, one feature is replacing all of these as the most important quality in an automobile. That feature is vehicle gas mileage.
A few years ago, everyone thought that we would be driving electrical vehicles by now. Although some of us are, in general the technology has taken longer to gain mainstream acceptance. You see, electronic vehicles have a lot of problems. They have limited range, are difficult to service, are expensive to buy, and are slow and heavy compared to similar internal combustion cars. Given all of these facts, most people like to compromise. The newest thing is to buy a car with good automobile gas mileage and to try to take less trips.
Even used car reviews feature vehicle gas mileage as one of the most important criteria for cars nowadays. With current gas prices, most of us can afford a little bit of gas guzzling, but as things continue to get worse and the price of oil continues to rise, you'll thank yourself for investing in a fuel-efficient automobile. Not only will vehicle gas mileage save you a lot of money in the long run, but it will likely earn you government bonuses and subsidies. Already, carpool lanes in some areas allow highly fuel efficient hybrid automobiles to drive, even if they are only occupied by one person. The government gives tax breaks to people who buy fuel efficient cars, and vehicle gas mileage will only become more fashionable.
Nonetheless, there is a drawback to all of this focus on vehicle gas mileage. There are so many people out there who think that they are saving the world by buying a fuel-efficient car that they forget that it is always better to walk, take public transit, or bike ride. I have met a lot of rich yuppies who were impressed with themselves that they could spend the money to buy a Prius, but who never walk anywhere. The lesson is simple. The less gas you use, the better, and walking uses no gas at all.
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