Shopping for a fuel-sipping auto? Get EPA data on your phone.

ToyotahighlanderhybridfuelcostHere’s a nice find from Gear Diary although folks outside of the U.S. won’t benefit. If you point your mobile to http://www.fueleconomy.gov/m/ you’ll get a mobile version of the EPA fuel-economy numbers for autos built from 1985 on. Checking the numbers makes me darn glad I dumped my 2001 Dodge Dakota 4WD for a 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Aside from over 100% better fuel economy due to the change, I can see from the data that my car’s carbon footprint is nearly half of what it used to be.

You can also see what the expected annual fuel costs are for each model, based on a assumed gas price per gallon. By the way, with my improved "hypermiling" skills, I’m starting to exceed the EPA fuel estimates by around 15%. Of course, I’m getting passed by kids on skateboards in the process.

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