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Road-Tested Economy Cars

Five economy cars to handle the Long Island commute.

Commuting can be a paycheck killer. 

You can keep your budget in check either by buying cheap insurance, a fuel-efficient ride or budget wheels. Paying less up front is probably the surest way to tramp down expenses. Think cheap, cheap instead of beep, beep.

But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for less. Here are five economy cars with plenty of style and substance that Long Islanders can buy now:

Ford Fiesta

Everyone’s pick for affordable fun, its base price of $14,200 and 39 miles per gallon (highway) give it two powerful incentives. It comes in hatchback or sedan options. A 120 horsepower engine gets you there. This car is available at Hassett of Wantagh and Levittown Ford.

Toyota Prius

At 48 mpg, this hybrid can run on gas or battery power. So it’s not just efficient, it’s environmentally friendly. A pre-collision system, lane departure alert and radar cruise control are a few tech safety features. It’s base price starts at $24,200. This car is available at Millennium Toyota in Hempstead.

Dodge Dart

Perhaps the most striking car on this list, the Dart has a spacious interior for a compact. It’s $15,995 starting price, 160 horsepower engine and 41 mpg efficiency are all winners. This car is available at Garden City Chrysler Dodge Jeep.

Kia Soul

This crossover has a lot of looks and legroom for its $14,400 base price (30 mpg). It gets high marks for safety. Or look to the smaller Rio, which is $800 less. These cars are available at Auto World Kia in East Meadow.

Chevrolet Cruze

Stylish and fuel efficient (42 mpg), this compact model starts at $17,130. It features 10 airbags and a five-star safety rating. This car is available at Robert Chevrolet in Hicksville.

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Sara Rietbroek May 15, 2013 at 10:18 pm
Not sure why that happened. May have been a technical error.
JACK COLLINS May 15, 2013 at 06:45 pm
Did I really need this anouncement 22 times?
Tyson Marion May 13, 2013 at 01:45 pm
If can get in and out without a problem I would not. I would rather ask them to move their carRead More back. It's not worth making a life long enemy.
paul May 11, 2013 at 11:20 pm
Yes my answer was serious.... I gave you different comments regarding your question. The pics youRead More provided is how I based my answer.... Point was did it create an issue for you and does it occur all the time. If it was a one time incident as small as it was you decide?
det2659 May 11, 2013 at 10:51 pm
Are you serious Paul? Look at the photos. A yes or no...period. If I were present I'd have saidRead More "You're blocking the driveway".