With people's choices tending towards environmentally friendly there is overwhelming evidence that the most popular cars are no longer the big V8's or V6's but the smaller 4 cylinder cars and especially diesel 4WD's due to their excellent fuel efficiency. However, hybrid vehicles are also becoming a popular choice for those serious about saving money on fuel.

Fewer and fewer ?big 6? cars are being bought and those car companies specializing in this area are putting more and more resources into increase the technology within these bigger engines. Pretty soon we will see big engine cars that have the same fuel economy as the 4 cylinder vehicles we see now.

With fuel prices always increasing and burning a huge hole in our pockets, now is the time to convert to the more convenient 4 cylinder vehicles and save thousands of dollars each year. The price of fuel is always a factor when making a decision on the purchase of a new car. This is evident in our changing tastes in cars.

There is one good thing about the high petrol prices. As things start to hurt the wallet it makes us think of new ways to save money. Cars are by no means an investment, and always cost us more and more money with repairs, services and the unavoidable government charges. So why should our car cost us more to run by constantly filling it up with record high petrol prices.

So where do you start when researching for new cars?

There are heaps of websites that offer access to the range of cars and the features they have like NewCarShowroom, BetterDeal and more. By researching online first will give you a rough idea of what you want, and trust me, there are heaps of fuel efficient models that hold the same look and performance of the larger ?juice guzzlers?.

From this point you should arrange to test drive the cars you are interested in and get a feel and to make sure you are purchasing the car of your dreams. This car will last you for a good 5-10 years normally and you want to make sure it is a good buy.

How do you know you won't get ripped off?

Usually, you will only know this once you have bought the car, after going around to heaps of dealers, and then speaking to a friend or co worker that saw it for $2000 less.

However, there are services that can save you thousands and one in particular BetterDeal actually guarantees you the lowest price on a new car. By utilizing a reverse auction system this company actually makes the dealers bid lower and lower to ?win? your business.

Many four cylinder models will give you the features, safety and space you want without sacrificing style and performance, and can be up to 50 percent cheaper to run. Small car design is leading the industry and many four cylinder models these days have more features and benefits than some of the bigger engine models.

Focusing on maximizing interior space whilst maintaining style and comfort, these small car companies are at the forefront of new car development.

A new car in the four cylinder model range these days is probably the smartest decision anyone can make when purchasing a new car. Rest assure your new car will be fuel efficient and have the ?zip? to take on even the newest of V6 models based on technology, weight and torque.