3 ways to save money on gas

As the cost of putting a tiger in the tank keeps going up, drivers are opting for a smaller cat under the hood.

Small-car sales have been brisk. But many buyers are sticking with midsize or larger vehicles and choosing a smaller engine instead — saving money on the sticker price and at the pump without downsizing their ride.

During the first three weeks of May, as gas prices zoomed toward $4 a gallon, more than three-fourths of the midsized cars sold in the U.S. were powered by four-cylinder rather than six-cylinder engines, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

That's the highest proportion ever in that market segment, which is the largest and includes such popular models as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu. Five years ago, barely half of midsized cars were sold with four-cylinder engines.

Across all types of passenger vehicles, four-cylinder engines accounted for more than 45 percent of sales during the same period. That's up from around 30 percent five years ago.

"We've seen this movement for quite a while, but it appears to be accelerating," J.D. Power analyst Tom Libby said. "It's pretty amazing to think about it — almost every other vehicle sold has a four-cylinder in it."

And it's not just cars. Ford, for instance, is seeing a jump in sales of four-cylinder Ranger pickups, and it's expecting the same for the four-cylinder version of its popular Escape SUV.

A four-cylinder is also cheaper to purchase than a six — from $1,500 to thousands less depending on options packages. But General Motors marketing chief Mark LaNeve hinted this week that because of increased demand, GM might reduce that traditional price break.

One reason for the engines' popularity: Today's four-cylinders perform better overall. A 1997 six-cylinder Honda Accord, for instance, produced 170 horsepower and got EPA combined mileage of 19 mpg. A 2008 Accord with a four-cylinder engine produces 190 horsepower and gets 24 mpg.

Buyer beware: "Economy" car

might drink premium

DETROIT — Car buyers looking to shrink their gasoline bill by downsizing will find that many fuel-efficient small vehicles pack a painful punch at the pump:

They're engineered to run on premium gasoline.

For example, Smart recommends that its Fortwo, the smallest new car sold in the U.S., use premium. That may come as a surprise to potential customers attracted to saving money with the tiny car that gets a combined 36 mpg.

Premium this week was costing nearly 40 cents a gallon more than regular gasoline. That can add $4 to $6 to every fill-up and hundreds of dollars to an annual fuel bill.

The Fortwo, a tiny 70-horsepower two-seater developed to navigate crowded European streets, is just one of a growing crop of new small vehicles — and even crossovers and midsize cars — that recommend or require premium gas.

Drivers traditionally have thought of premium gas as an extravagance demanded by luxury and high-performance cars, but it has worked itself into mainstream vehicles as automakers build more highly stressed engines.

A car or truck whose instructions say "premium recommended" can run on regular fuel without risking damage, but with a loss in power and fuel economy.

But cars for which premium is required should not burn regular gas. Damage is possible.

Other subcompacts that burn premium include the Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper Clubman and 260-horsepower Chevrolet HHR SS.

Midsize sedans include the Nissan Altima V6, Nissan Maxima and Volkswagen Passat.

Crossovers: Many buyers have switched to these from traditional truck-based SUVs, but several crossovers call for premium, including the Acura RDX, Mazda CX-7 and Nissan Murano.

Upscale brands such as Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Saab and Volvo generally call for premium fuel.

But most Cadillacs and Lincolns run on regular.

Parking the guzzler,

buying a thrifty "bridge" car

They're called "bridge" cars, and you may be in the market for one.

Randy, a regular reader, certainly is: His daily transportation is a 2-year-old, full-size SUV, "and the mileage is killing me. But the value of the truck has gone down to the point where I'm so upside-down that I can't get rid of it."

"Upside-down" is the term for those of us who owe more on a vehicle than it's worth. Randy — and thousands of others in his position — must continue to make payments on the vehicle to get to the point where it can be sold or traded for something less thirsty.

Until then, Randy needs a bridge car — an inexpensive vehicle that gets good mileage. He'll drive it back and forth to work and save the SUV for weekend outings with the family.

Let's say a good bridge car will cost you $2,000 to $5,000; if you can pay more than that, you may be better off paying down your gas guzzler so you can get rid of it.

Likely the first car that comes to mind is a used hybrid — but forget that. Their prices are artificially high right now.

So what is a good buy and what's not? A few suggestions:

Honda knows more about great gas mileage than anyone, and they've been doing it since back when nobody cared. The 1988 Honda Civic CRX HF, for instance, is rated at 41 mpg city, 50 mpg highway, and that's using the new, less optimistic EPA ratings. (The window sticker in 1988 said 50/56 mpg.) The HF was an ultra-high-mileage model, and there aren't that many out there, but most any Civic of any era is a good economy buy.

Toyota has the Corolla, which has always delivered good mileage and extraordinary dependability. This also goes for GM versions of the Corolla platform, such as the Chevrolet Prism and Pontiac Vibe. Also worth a look: the Toyota Tercel.

The Dodge Neon could be a good bridge car: Find one with a fresh head gasket and a working air conditioner, and the rest of the car is pretty dependable for the money and should nudge 30 mpg. Early-model Chrysler PT Cruisers are getting quite affordable, too. And if you need a cheap people-mover, Chrysler minivans with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder, late 1990s and up, are thrifty — but like the Neon, air conditioners are a problem.

Early Ford Focus models had initial problems but are pretty good used cars now. Ditto the Ford Escort.

Chevrolet Cavaliers are viable if you can find one well-cared-for.

Not a great buy: diesels. A spike in diesel prices has caught everyone by surprise, so even a Volkswagen diesel, which two years ago would have been near the top of this list, is less attractive.

Also not that thrifty: earlier Korean cars. Hyundai and Kia lagged well behind in fuel economy. A 1995 Hyundai Elantra, for instance, is only EPA-rated at 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, not great for a 1.6-liter engine.

Need a truck? Good luck. Ford Rangers with four-cylinder engines get decent mileage and don't cost much. But any full-size pickup will be far from thrifty.

Check Cars.com and Fueleconomy.gov for mileage figures on older used cars.