8th Place

Vermonters rejoice! Two of your favorite rides made this year’s list, not only because of efficiency but also their overall versatility. That equates to less guilt when traveling to the Green Mountains and more moola for Ben & Jerry’s. Like the ninth place Outback, the all-wheel-drive 2007 Subaru Forester, which starts at $21,820 including destination charges, makes the cut with a non-turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 173 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 166 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400 rpm. When mated to a five-speed manual transmission, this engine is good for 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. Dropping in the optional four-speed automatic alters those figures to 23 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined.