Gas prices seem to be going up and up. The price of oil is still very unstable, which means gas prices are unstable. That also almost always means they will continue to rise.

The best gas mileage cars also happen to be new models. Unfortunately, it defeats the purpose of saving money on gas if we have to spend even more money buying a brand new car.

For $21,100 the Toyota Prius gives us a Combined EPA Mileage of 42 mpg. Other top performers include the Mini Cooper, the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Corolla. Surprisingly though, the Toyota Altima is on the list as well.

While many of the top gas mileage cars this year are ones that might come to mind right away, like the hybrid Toyota Prius, some aren't so obvious.

Gas prices are tied to oil prices, and neither one is very stable right now. Nor are they likely to stabilize in the very near future. In fact, the price for a gallon of gas will almost certainly continue rising. Fortunately, this has at least led to some energy conservation.

Even though gas prices aren't likely to drop in the near term, there are steps we can take now. If we can't drive the best gas mileage car, we can make the care we do drive more efficient by keeping the tires inflated properly, making sure they're aligned, and keeping our engines properly tuned.