Going green with car choice often means expensive, especially if you are looking for electric or hybrid vehicles. Students are already working on a tight budget with many expenses, tuition, and increases in the cost of living so they probably can’t afford a new Tesla. The green car doesn’t have to be electric, and the fuel-efficient vehicle can have a green label without an asterisk.

There are a couple of factors to look into when trying to figure out how to choose a car for a student budget.

Things to look for in a green car

Most of 19 million barrels of oil consumed in America is burned in transportation. Cars along with trucks, planes and other vehicles account for nearly 30% of carbon dioxide emissions and more than 5 percent of the world’s global warming pollution according to Union of concerned scientists.

Cutting down on oil consumption can have short and long term positive effects. Knowing that more than 150 million Americans live with polluted air, less burned oil means better air quality in densely populated areas. Label green also represents a positive impact on the environment and climate. So, what to look for when searching for a green car?

Fuel-efficiency is the first thing to look. Run your potential new cars through EPA mileage comparison and find out how much miles per gallon will the vehicle provide. You can scream green with above 35 mpg, but 30 is also not outrageous. Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle has an excellent efficiency of 50 mpg.

Most American cars run on gasoline or diesel fuel, but there are alternatives with natural gas that produces less carbon dioxide, or with flexible-fuel vehicles that run on E85, a blend of ethanol and gasoline.

Hybrid vehicles are the most common alternative, and there are well-established brands that combine electric vehicle with gasoline. They can usually drive double miles with a single tank than the classic cars.

Electric vehicles run only on batteries and are expensive because they also include top-notch technology. The prime example is Tesla cars that popularized e-cars in the US, but every manufacturer already has his model in this category.

Most economical cars to buy

The technology of your new student car will depend on the miles you drive per year. Diesel cars are very fuel-efficient, but also pollute more, have a higher starting price and have higher maintenance and insurance costs. The best type of car would probably be a fuel-efficient gasoline car or hybrid solution. Before buying, ask for quotes on car insurance and read about maintenance costs and the price of the replaceable parts.

With their tight schedule, students often don’t have time to search for the ideal car. To get some time to browse potential new green car, they can outsource essay writing to dissertation proposal help, an online resource that can help students with writing tasks. There are also online resources for fuel economy of cars.

For every student that said help me choose a car, we made a list of most economical cars

Mitsubishi Mirage

With the price tag of $13,795, Mirage is among the cheapest and with 39 mpg the most fuel-efficient gasoline cars on the market. It has a 1.3-liter engine and only 78 horsepowers, but for student needs, this could be a perfect car.

Toyota Corolla Hatchback

A little pricier Toyota has 36 mpg in EPA scoring. For just under 20k you will get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 168 horsepower and more space in a five-door hatchback model.

Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi

Diesel cars outperform gasoline in fuel efficiency by far, and Fiesta has a wild 88.3 mpg combined consumption. Ford offers dynamic driving features and a lot of hi-tech kit like Active City Safety Stop system.

Nissan Versa

Low CO2 figures and solid mpg for Nissan cheapest car. It comes in hatchback and sedan type, has a large trunk,  and Apple Play support. Although it compromises with low-grade materials, with the price of just above $14,000, it is appealing for a student budget.

Toyota Prius/Nissan Leaf

The downside of Prius and Leaf cars is their starting price, but if that is not the problem, you will get mpg in the range of the best diesel engines and low carbon output. These cars can seem a little dull, but for students that care about the environment, Leaf and Prius may be the best choice.

Richard is an experienced tech journalist and blogger who is passionate about new and emerging technologies. He provides insightful and engaging content for Connection Cafe and is committed to staying up-to-date on the latest trends and developments.