The war with Iraq, the struggling economy, and environmental concerns have turned some Americans on to fuel-efficient automobiles again, while pushing them away from the gas-guzzling vehicles so popular in recent years.


Manufacturers, meanwhile, are making it easier for consumers to buy fuel-efficient cars, auto dealers here say. True, most automakers fuel-efficient options simply are their smaller coupes and sedans. Some, though, either are reintroducing diesel fuel as an efficient energy source or are mainstreaming hybrid-electric technology by applying it to conventional-looking vehicles.


The price tags on fuel-efficient cars, ranging roughly between $7,000 and $44,000 here, are as varied as the technology behind those vehicles.


To be sure, sales representatives at Spokane-area auto dealerships say the vast majority of customers arent changing their car-buying ways. Most people shopping for a new vehicle look first for something that fits their personalities and lifestyles, which often leads them to sport-utility vehicles, trucks, and other less gas-conscious options, says John Wood, general sales manager of Jaremko Nissan Saab, of Spokane Valley.


There are fuel-conscious people that come in, but for some reason our SUV market is not suffering, he says. They say, Im going to buy my SUV and pay for the gas.


Jeff Koppa, a sales manager at Spokane Chrysler Inc., sees a similar trend.


People are after the slice out of the pie that tastes right to them, he says. In the early 60s, you could get the green sedan or the white one. Nowadays, its any


thing. Any niche that you want is out there, and consumers want whats perfect for them.


Gas-electric hybrids


Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the conventional engine of a fossil-fuel-powered car with a battery-powered electric motor. The technology has been used in limited applications for years. Some buses in Seattle, for example, run on electric power from overhead wires and on diesel fuel when theyre not in contact with the wires.


An HEV has batteries that supply power to an electric motor, as well as a fuel tank for gasoline that powers a conventional engine. The cars work in one of two ways: Either the engine and the electric motor both turn the transmission, in a system that is called a parallel hybrid, or the electric motor turns the transmission on its own in a system that is called a series hybrid. In the former scenario, the gasoline flows directly to the engine, while the batteries power the electric motor. The motor provides extra power during acceleration, and when the car is cruising the motor becomes a generator and recharges its own batteries. In the other type of system, the gasoline flows to a generator that charges the batteries, which power the electric motor. In the latter case, the cars engine runs the generator, but doesnt power the vehicle directly. Thats done by the batteries.


The only hybrids on the U.S. market today are the 2003 Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, and Toyota Prius, says the U.S. Department of Energy. The Hondas are parallel hybrids and the Toyota is a cross between the parallel and series technologies.


The Honda Insight is the smallest of those. Its a two-door, two-seat car with front wheel drive, and it sells for just under $20,000, says Ray Agnew, sales manager at Downtown Honda. A five-speed Insight gets an average of 61 miles per gallon in town and 68 mpg on the highway, and an automatic-transmission Insight gets an average of 57 mpg in town and 56 mpg on the highway, he says.


When you need the power, the electric motor kicks in, Agnew says. The engine reduces the cars speed while youre going downhill, so theres less wear and tear on the brakes, he says.


The Insight has a 1-liter, three-cylinder engine that produces 67 horsepower. Agnew compares the cars looks and size to the old Honda CRX, but adds that the Insight is aluminum so its lighter and doesnt rust.


A five-speed Civic Hybrid gets an average of 46 mpg in town and 51 mpg on the highway, and an automatic can get 48 mpg in town and 47 mpg on the highway, Agnew says. At about $21,000, the Honda Civic Hybrid is a little more expensive than the Insight, but offers more space and power, he says. Its a four-door car that looks exactly like Hondas gas-powered Civic, and its 1.4-liter, four-cylinder engine kicks out 85 horses.


In a lot of ways, the Civic Hybrid is more desirable than Hondas gas-engine Civic, Agnew asserts.


It drives nicer than a regular Civic because the batteries give it a little extra weight, he says.


Toyotas hybrid, the Prius, looks like a Corolla, says Justin Hunt, a salesman for Downtown Toyota. Its a four-door car with a four-cylinder, 1.6-liter engine. The Prius, which sells for about $21,000, is only available with an automatic transmission. The car is built to use gasoline on the highway and electricity much of the time around town, so its gas mileage is better on shorter trips: it gets 42 mpg on the open road and 52 mpg in the city, Hunt says.


Diesel makes a comeback


In the 1970s, diesel-engine cars were smelly and noisy, but todays turbocharged, direct-injection (TDI) diesel engines are quieter, cleaner, and more energy efficient than their predecessors, the Department of Energy says.


Volkswagen has three models of diesel-engine fuel-efficient vehicles available in the U.S., the Golf TDI, New Beetle TDI, and Jetta TDI. In Spokane, the most popular of those is the Jetta in a wagon model, says Jay Affleck, Volkswagen sales manager for Appleway Automotive Group. Steve Olson, a senior sales associate there, says demand for that vehicle has created some major frustrations.


The wagon is built in Germany with limited production. Its nothing but waiting lists and brain damage for salesmen, he quips, I could personally sell 10,000 in a month.


The car sells for between $20,000 and $26,000, he says.


More plentiful, but still fairly scarce, are the four-door Jetta TDI sedan ($19,700 to $26,000), the two-door New Beetle TDI ($18,500 to $22,900), and the Golf TDI ($18,500 to $22,000), the latter of which comes either as a two- or a four-door, Affleck says. Volkswagen says that its diesel-engine cars get between 34 and 49 mpg.


Compact cars


Although they dont boast the gas mileage of hybrid and diesel-engine cars, conventional compact cars still burn less fuel than larger models.


The Mazda Protg ($12,000 to $20,000) gets between 25 and 35 miles per gallon, says John Zent, sales and lease manager at Foothills Lincoln Mercury Mazda. The Protg comes as a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback and has a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine that boasts 130 horsepower.


The Saturn Ion, which debuted this year, offers a similar package. The 140-horse car costs between $12,000 and $20,000, gets an average of 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, and has a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder engine, says Jeff Adkins, general sales manager at Saturn of Spokane.


Kias Rio gets between 25 and 28 mpg in town and an average of 33 mpg on the highway, says Mike Beeson, a sales manager with Spokane Kia. It has a four-cylinder, 1.7-liter engine that churns out 105 horsepower, and it sells for $7,000 to $13,500, he says. The Rio is an affordable car to insure, Beeson asserts, because it has so-called crumple zones, which cause the engine to fall to the ground in a front-impact collision. Kia claims that protects the driver better.


Also in this class is the Kia Spectra ($9,000 to $17,000), which has a four-cylinder, 1.9-liter engine and gets between 22 and 32 mpg.


The Accent is Hyundais most fuel-efficient car, says Skeeter Walker, a sales executive at Hallmark Hyundai, of Spokane. Priced at $9,000 to $13,500, it comes as either a two-door with a hatchback or a four-door, and both styles have four-cylinder, 1.6-liter engines that produce 140 horsepower, he says. The Accent gets an average of 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, Walker says.


Hyundais next largest car, the Elantra, gets an average of 28 mpg in town and 38 mpg on the highway, costs between $11,000 and $17,000, and has a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine that kicks out 140 horses, he says.


Nissans compact Sentra ($10,000 to $15,000) has a four-cylinder, 1.6-liter engine and gets an average of 28 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, says Wood, of Jaremko. The Sentra is a nice option for families who like SUVs ease of entry, he says.


The doors open wide and its very comfortable, Wood says. He adds, though, that the car is more popular among college-age consumers.


Saving money on gas is their main concern. We sell a lot of younger people Sentras, he says. Parents of young adults often choose the Sentra if theyre buying a car for their daughters who are just getting out of high school and are just going to commute back and forth to college, he adds.


The Aerio is Suzukis most fuel-efficient model, says Chuck Edlund, a sales manager with Wendle Motors Inc. Its a front-wheel drive, four-door sedan that has a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine. The car costs between $12,000 and $17,000 and gets an average of 32 mpg on the highway, he says.


The Ford Focus ($13,000 to $18,000) comes as a two-door, four-door, or station wagon model and gets an average of 34 mpg on the highway, Edlund says. The Ford Escort ZX2 ($13,000 to $15,000) is a sportier than the Focus, and gets the same gas mileage, he says.


Chryslers most fuel-efficient model is the Sebring ($19,000 to $25,000), which gets 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the open road, says Koppa, of Spokane Chrysler.


The Dodge Neon SXT is a popular fuel-efficient four-door sedan, says Tom Maine, sales manager at Dishman Dodge, of Spokane Valley. It gets between 29 mpg in town and 36 mpg on the highway and costs between $11,000 and $19,000, he says. The Neon has a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine that produces 132 horses, Maine says.


A fuel-efficient car need not be basic, says Wood, of Jaremko. The new Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan ($25,900 to $44,000) gets an average of 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, he says.


It has its own, independent European styling, Wood says. Its a fantastic winter car.


The 9-3 was redesigned for 2003 to a four-door from a two-door hatchback. It has a four-cylinder engine that produces 185 horsepower, he says.


Koppa, of Spokane Chrysler, says the PT Cruiser, a retro-styled small wagon that DaimlerChrysler introduced two years ago, gets an average of 20 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway. Its four-cylinder, 2.4-liter engine puts out 150 horsepower, he says. It sellslike hotcakesfor $17,500 to $26,000, he claims.


You either love it or you hate it, Koppa says. He says he has sold the PT Cruiser to college students, little old ladies, and everyone in between.


Mark Jones, a salesman at Parkway Chevrolet, says Chevrolets most fuel-efficient model is the Cavalier, which gets an average of 26 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. The model comes as a two-door or a four-door and costs between $11,000 and $18,000, he says. Its four-cylinder, 2.2-liter engine produces 140 horsepower.


The doors and windows very Jetta-like, the front is Saturnish, and it has the mark of Chevrolet, Jones says.


Chevrolet also makes the 3.4-liter Monte Carlo ($20,000 to $25,600), a two-door sports car with a V-6 engine, he says. That car gets 21 mpg in town and 32 on the highway, Jones says.


Cant resist?


So you care about fuel-efficiency, but you still havent kicked the SUV fever? Daniel Wendling, a salesman at Wendle suggests trying the Nissan Murano ($29,800 to $37,000). The 245-horsepower, V-6, all-wheel-drive vehicle was new for 2003, and it gets an average of 20 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.


The Murano has a continuous-variable transmission, which replaces the conventional five-gear system with a two-pulley transmission that gives the car a purportedly infinite number of gear ratios, Wendling says.


Its always at a perfect gear to give you the best fuel economy in your vehicle, he claims.


The Department of Energy says the Toyota Rav4, a two-door SUV, has the best fuel efficiency among SUVs. The Rav4 gets an average of 22 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the open road and sells for between $21,000 and $27,000, says Steve Boyd, a salesman with Downtown Toyota. Its a four-wheel-drive, 148-horsepower vehicle with a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine, he says.