As the economy continues struggling to recover, and people’s household budgets are getting smaller, over paying at the pump and not getting sufficient gas, mileage is a huge issue. In 2011 alone, the annual vehicle gas cost was $4,417.08, which is a rough $368.09 a month just put in the gas tank for day-to-day transportation needs. This does not include the annual cost to maintain a vehicle, things like oil changes, repair cost, and mileage maintenance. At some point, people will start thinking enough is enough, and start looking into purchasing an “economy based” vehicle to meet their everyday needs at a lower overall cost of ownership and gas price. Two of the leading cars for the economy today are; the Toyota Prius and the Ford Fusion, they are both gas efficient; however, they do differ in purchase price and lifetime performance. Those are two main things I would take into consideration when purchasing a vehicle in this economy. If we take into consideration the financial situation, the United States is in today, having a car that does not cost a fortune at the pump to fill and would be easy to maintain is ideal. When purchasing a vehicle an area that often overlooked during the purchasing a vehicle is the gas tank capacity. The Toyota Prius gas tank size is on the smaller size side at only 12 gallons, which means the national average to fill this car is only $45.12 each time you go to the gas station. This vehicle also comes with an alternative power option, the Prius runs on electricity as well called a (Plug in option), not only meaning that you are saving on gas but also air pollution as well. The Prius gets an estimated 44 MPG city and 40 MPG highway, not too bad for a compacted car. The Ford Fusion has a much bigger gas tank at 17.5 gallons, with a national average of $64.23 to fill every time you go to the gas station. The Fusion does not come with an alternative power option and has an estimated gas mileage of 22 MPG city and 34MPG highway. Both of these cars come in a four-cylinder engine option, meaning that there is another way to cut down on gas price they do not use as much gas when meeting your transportation needs. As we start to think about purchasing a vehicle, the first thing we think about is how much they cost. Along with the amenity’s we want, there is quit the difference between the standard package and the fully loaded option on both of these vehicles. Deciding between the two can mean thousands of dollars, which you will either save or spend. The standard off the lot package for the Prius starts at $25,000, where the Fusion starts at $23,000. The standard package is usually manual everything, locks, windows, and gears. However if you were to go with the fully loaded option, that is power everything, widows, locks, and in most cases a sunroof choice. With this package option you are looking at spending anywhere from $29,000 to $32,000 for the Prius, and between $27,000 and $29,000 for the Fusion. There is a big difference in price, also in what you get for the price that you pay. So if you have decided how much you are willing to spend on your vehicle, have you taken into consideration the annual cost of ownership? Things like normal maintenance, licensing fees, and unexpected repair cost along with parts. Based on five-year ownership cost, you could result in paying more than the original price of the vehicle even after taxes are applied. Over a five-year span, the Prius estimates to be lower in overall maintenance cost at $29,100 but rates high in buying replacement parts seeing how you have to order most of the parts, where the Fusion is $35,500 for five years. If you look maintenance issues in the first five years the Fusion has a better overall rating, and cost less when buying parts because you can get them locally instead of having to order them like you would with the Prius. Nowadays everyone is looking at making financially wise decisions; in order to save a dollar but this should not mean putting your family’s safety at risk. When looking at a new vehicle you should always look at the overall safety rating received. The highest possible safety rating is (Good), this means that the vehicle passed on all leaves of passenger and driver safety. Both the Prius and the Fusion received a Good rating in overall safety; however, the Prius has more air bags throughout the interior, meaning that not only is the driver and front passenger safe but also the passengers in the back seat. The Fusion has standard placed air bags in the front of the vehicle, so if in a side collision accident the passengers in the back would not be as protected as they would in the Prius but would still be safe according to crash test ratings. When you are making an economic based decision in purchasing a car, you also want to be efficient in the research that you do. Making sure that the vehicle will meet the transportation needs of your family while keeping them safe doing it. As gas prices continue to rise across the United States, a gas efficient vehicle is not a bad route to consider but also consider your purchase option before choosing the vehicle for you. In addition, remembering the five-year ownership cost and related maintenance that goes with every car purchase is important. My number one priority as a mother is the safety of my children, if they cannot be as safe as the person driving than that is not the car for me. If you are on a tight budget but looking for a safe reliable car to fit that budget the Ford Fusion would be the best vehicle for you. If you are looking for a little more quality and the best purchase price, with low ownership cost, good safety rating, and are also gas efficient with an alternate power option then I would really recommend looking into becoming a new owner of a 2013 Toyota Prius.