With the price of gasoline hovering around $4 nationally (and exceeding $5 in many areas), Americans are putting fuel efficiency higher on their lists of priorities when purchasing a new vehicle. In response, automakers have engineered many of their vehicles to achieve never-before-seen levels of fuel economy.

Here are the top eight 2013 model year vehicles ranked by fuel economy in ascending order. The annual gas cost figures assume that owners drive their cars 15,000 miles per year, with 55% of those miles traveled in the city and 45% logged on the highway.

8. Acura ILX Hybrid

MPG highway: 38

MPG city: 39

Fuel tank capacity: 13.2 gallons

Annual Gas Cost ($4/gallon): $1,560

Annual Gas Cost ($5/gallon): $1,950

MSRP: $28,900

This sedan may be the top choice for people who want strong fuel efficiency without having to sacrifice creature comforts -- or break the bank buying it.

7. Lexus CT 200h

MPG highway: 40

MPG city: 43

Fuel tank capacity: 11.9 gallons

Annual Gas Cost ($4/gallon): $1,444

Annual Gas Cost ($5/gallon): $1,805

MSRP: starting at $29,120

With a sporty look and a 134-horsepower engine to go with fuel savings and the Lexus nameplate, this hatchback -- at under 30 grand -- might be the best value on the list.

6. Honda Insight

MPG highway: 44

MPG city: 41

Fuel tank capacity: 10.6 gallons

Annual Gas Cost ($4/gallon): $1,424

Annual Gas Cost ($5/gallon): $1,780

MSRP: starting at $18,500

That sticker price is the lowest on the market for a hybrid vehicle. No longer are hybrid technology and affordability mutually-exclusive concepts.

5. Ford Fusion Hybrid

MPG highway: 47

MPG city: 47

Fuel tank capacity: 17.5 gallons

Annual Gas Cost ($4/gallon): $1,280

Annual Gas Cost ($5/gallon): $1,600

MSRP: starting at $27,200

You may notice that the data puts the Fusion in a tie with its C-Max brother below, but the sedan is just a few thousand dollars more.

4. Ford C-Max Hybrid

MPG highway: 47

MPG city: 47

Fuel tank capacity: 17.5 gallons

Annual Gas Cost ($4/gallon): $1,280

Annual Gas Cost ($5/gallon): $1,600

MSRP: starting at $25,200

This five-seat hybrid hatchback allows the whole family to travel in comfort and help the environment at the same time.

3. Chevy Volt

MPG highway: 93

MPG city: 101

Fuel tank capacity: 9.3 gallons

Annual Gas Cost ($4/gallon): $620

Annual Gas Cost ($5/gallon): $775

MSRP: $39,145

Chevrolet is hoping that the 2013 model's gaudy MPG numbers will help overcome some negative press and perceptions about recent Volts.

2. Ford Focus Electric

MPG highway: 99

MPG city: 110

Fuel tank capacity: 12.4 gallons

Annual Gas Cost ($4/gallon): $591

Annual Gas Cost ($5/gallon): $739

MSRP: $39,200

Yes, three of the top five most fuel-efficient cars for model 2013 are Fords. And the Focus Electric also boasts 184 foot-pounds of torque.

1. Honda Fit EV

MPG highway: 105

MPG city: 132

Fuel tank capacity: N/A

Annual Gas Cost ($4/gallon): $0

Annual Gas Cost ($5/gallon): $0

MSRP: $36,625

Those goose eggs in the gas cost columns are because the Fit EV doesn't have a gas tank; the MPG ratings are electric equivalents per charge. But this vehicle won't be on sale in 2013. It will only be offered as a lease in Oregon and California.

Ready to purchase your new 2013 vehicle? Save money on car insurance as well as gas. Get your price quote from SafeAuto.com today!

Over the past few decades, the consumer auto insurance industry has become a lot more competitive. In addition to the emergence of new companies that offer car insurance, the entire process for obtaining coverage and/or a quote has become simpler, faster, and more convenient for Americans. And with so many insurers advertising low prices for auto insurance, you'd think that the cost of premiums would be dropping.

In fact, the average cost of car insurance is getting higher, not lower. The Insurance Information Institute reported that from 2008 to 2010, auto insurance rates jumped by an average of 10% -- and then rose another 4% in 2011. Altogether, average auto insurance costs have skyrocketed 31% since 2000.

This seems to go against everything that Americans' learned in their economics classes. If supply (the number of auto insurers) has increased, then why aren't costs decreasing?

The reason is because the actual costs associated with paying claims have risen dramatically over the past decade or so. More specifically:

• Car repair costs have increased. All those fancy technological improvements that have been made to vehicles? Many of these components cost more to fix when they get broken in an auto accident. As a result, the average total auto repair bill has gone up.

• Medical costs have surged. Health care costs continue to climb due to a higher incidence of disease from an aging population and unhealthy lifestyles. When you add in exorbitant medical malpractice judgments and the superfluous tests begotten by a fear of lawsuits (as well as additional taxes and fees imposed by health care regulations), you get higher patient medical bills that must be paid for by auto insurers to claimants who are injured in collisions.

• More uninsured drivers are on the road. Almost 1 out of every 6 drivers is reportedly uninsured. When they cause accidents, companies who insure the victims have to eat the costs -- and these insurers then turn around and pass these costs onto all of their customers in the form of higher premiums.

• Legal fees and court-imposed damages have risen. Sometimes, lawyers file frivolous lawsuits in an attempt to get more money from insurance companies. Other times, insurers refuse to pay claims even though they are legally obligated to do so. The end result is more lawsuits and higher legal costs associated with paying out auto insurance claims.

• Accidents in certain demographic groups have increased. If you live in a geographical area, fall into an age classification, or drive a specific vehicle category that has seen a rise in auto accidents nationwide, then your premiums will increase as a result -- even if your personal driving record is spotless.

Is there anything you can do to combat these auto insurance price hikes? Here are a few suggestions:

• Get "pay-as-you-drive" insurance. This involves installing a device in your vehicle that records your personal driving habits and patterns, and then sets your insurance rates accordingly. This way, you can avoid the "guilt by association" cost increases if your peer group is prone to more accidents.
• Revisit your policy. There may be some discounts for which you are eligible that you didn't know about.
• Be proactive. Taking a driver's education course or adding an anti-theft device to your vehicle can lower your auto insurance premiums.
• Shop around. Since insurers target different driving demographics, another auto insurance company might offer you a lower rate.
• Stay safe. Continue to obey the law and avoid accidents. After three years, you may be eligible for safe driver discounts.

Times are tight. We understand that at SafeAuto, which is why we focus on "minimum cost" insurance. You shouldn't have to pay a lot to get out on the road.

People are always asking us how low we can get our auto insurance rates, so here are some tips from the practical to the... not so much.

- Buy a car that nobody wants to steal and is as safe as humanly possible. Limiting insurance costs is all about limiting risk, both to yourself and your vehicle. If your car is unlikely to get stolen and unlikely to kill you, we're less likely to have to pay out your policy... so we'll ask you for less money to keep it.

- If that doesn't work for you... drive a junker. Seriously. Most older cars just aren't worth that much, so you can get away with insuring them to your state minimum requirements and absolutely nothing else. Of course, this can put you in a situation where it makes more sense to total your car than to perform basic repairs.

- Drive your car as little as possible. The less time you spend on the road, the less chance you'll get in a wreck. Carpool with friends to work, have grocery-shopping trips with friends, and so on. The less time your car is on the road, the cheaper your insurance will be.

- Drive safely when on the road. Tickets and accidents where you're at fault increase how risky you are in the eyes of insurers.

- Raise your deductible. The higher the amount of damage you're on the hook for, the less likely an insurance policy will be required to pay out. We wouldn't recommend this one unless you like gambling, though.

- Make sure your bills are paid on time. Many insurers use an "insurance score" to determine certain factors, including cost, and it's weighted heavily towards paying your bills on time. Keep your credit score clean as well.

- Move. If you live in an area noted for high rates of auto theft, auto accidents, or other problems, you're likely going to be paying a higher rate solely because of where you happen to be. Even moving one county over can have some surprising effects on your insurance rates. You can even move to low-risk states... which we'll get to.

- Be a discount hawk. Insurers offer all sorts of discounts -- ranging from AAA membership discounts to veteran discounts to safe driver discounts. Ask what we've got available and what you qualify for; it's what we're here for.

- And finally, if you really just don't want to deal with all of this, you hate the paperwork, you don't want to compare quotes, move to New Hampshire, Wisconsin, or California. All three allow you to drive without having any car insurance whatsoever.

You might be wondering what the catch is, aside from having to live in those states. The catch is that you'll still need to prove you can cover damages, so you'll need to file a bond or give the state a five-figure deposit, in cash, to cover any liability.

See, isn't getting car insurance so much easier?

Remember, these stack. So, if you have a boring car that nobody wants that you drive as little as possible as safely as possible with a policy that has a high deductible with as many discounts as you can get in a place with the lowest rates of auto theft and accidents, you will have the lowest insurance rates you can get. Whether or not you’ll have any fun is another story...