Slideshow: 5 Least Expensive Cars to Own

HYBRIDS AREN'T THE only solution to budget-busting gas prices. Believe it or not, owning a good old-fashioned compact car will save drivers more money overall. Online auto web site Cars.com did the math and found a handful of small, fuel-efficient vehicles that offer drivers significant cost savings over the most popular green alternatives.

The company's survey evaluated all the current compact car models on the road. It calculated the total driving costs by combining the base sticker price with lifetime fuel costs of $4 a gallon and average annual driving distance of 15,000 miles over an eight-year period. The results netted five 2008 model-year vehicles that provide a savings of nearly $4,000 or more versus the incredibly popular Toyota Prius.

How is it that the hybrids, with their superior fuel efficiency, cost so much more to own? It all comes down to the sticker price. Fuel-efficient compacts typically cost less than $11,000. The Toyota (TM) Prius, meanwhile, starts at around $21,000, but car buyers will most likely have to pay a premium on that price tag since the cars are in such hot demand (there's actually a Prius waiting list in much of the country). Honda's (HMC) Civic Hybrid is a bit more expensive at $22,600. And even with the aid of a $525 federal tax credit, which expires at the end of this year, the Civic is still more expensive to own than a fuel-efficient compact.

To find out which compact cars provide the most bang for the buck, view our slideshow:

There's no smarter way to tool around town than in a Smart ForTwo. This European import gets an impressive 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 miles per gallon on the highway, giving quite a few of the hybrids a run for their money. And since its sticker price is about half that of the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid, owning the Smart ForTwo will save you a total of about $6,000 over its lifetime. If that wasn't reason enough to buy one, this two-seater can also fit into virtually any parking spot.

* The auto maker recommends premium fuel for the Smart ForTwo, which Cars.com priced at $4.30 a gallon.

Forget the Prius. If your true goal is to save money, consider Toyota's other gas sipper. The Yaris is the Japanese auto maker's smallest offering, which comes as either a two-door sporty hatchback or a four-door sedan. Both models are highly fuel efficient, getting 29 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway. Starting at just $11,350, owners who opt to buy the Yaris over the Prius can save nearly $5,000 over the lifetime of the car.

Hyundai has always put an emphasis on affordability and the Accent is no exception. This sporty compact combines a modest sticker price of just $10,775 with exceptional fuel-efficiency (27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway). Over eight years, Accent owners will save a total of $4,000 as a result of forgoing the Prius. Best of all, the Accent is under warranty for an impressive 10 years or 100,000 miles. This gas-friendly compact does have one serious flaw, though: Despite six side airbags, it performed miserably on the side-impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Don't blame the Rio if you overspend on gas. This bare-bones compact enjoys 27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. While Kia's entry-level vehicle may not be fancy, it does match the Hyundai Accent's confidence-building warranty of 10 years or 100,000 miles. There's just one catch: Like many compacts, the Rio's low sticker price of $10,890 (which provides nearly a $4,000 savings over the Prius) is reserved for models that come with a manual transmission. Drivers who can't handle a stick will pay a small premium for an automatic and forgo some fuel efficiency.

This isn't your father's Chevy. The Aveo5 is geared toward first-time buyers who like brightly-colored cars and want to plug their MP3 player into the stereo. Made in South Korea by General Motor's (GM) Daewoo subsidiary, this four-door hatchback is relatively easy on the pump and gets 24 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway. Sure, it's less fuel efficient than the others on this list, but it's still $3,800 cheaper than driving a Prius.

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