With gas prices sky-high, many drivers in the market for a new or used vehicle are looking for fuel economy above all else. The conventional wisdom might say to buy a hybrid or perhaps even one of the new all electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt. However, many of the new gas-powered models on the road are actually achieving EPA-rated miles per gallon (MPG) that surpass even their hybrid counterparts.

The Washington Post uses the new Chevrolet Cruze Eco as a prime example of automakers attempting to stretch every last MPG out of a gas-powered vehicle. At 42 miles per gallon, the Cruze Eco actually beats many hybrids, although it falls shy of the 60 mpgs that its brandmate, the Volt, is rated at while running on the combined power of gas and electricity. Still, the Cruze Eco's gas engine is much more appetizing to the American public than worrying about the range limits of the Volt.

"The buzz has been all about electric vehicles and hybrids, but to me, the real buzz should be about the old internal combustion engine," Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of Edmunds.com, told the news source. "It ain't dead yet."

Other gas-powered models, like the Ford Focus SFE and Hyundai Elantra, have also been able to crack the 40 mpg milestone, largely because automakers have reduced weight and increased aerodynamics.

Drivers who want to switch to a vehicle with more miles per gallon may want to shop New Jersey State Auto Auction, where they can save money on a car that will in turn save them money at the pump.