New federal guidelines for fleetwide fuel economy improvements as well as consumer demand for better fuel economy have spurred automakers to strive to improve their vehicles' gas consumption. The hard work has paid off, as industry analysts Baum and Associates found new cars that came onto the market in the first half of 2012 set the record for high fuel efficiency.

The average fuel economy of new passenger vehicles in the first six months of 2012 was calculated to be 23.8 miles per gallon (mpg), which is a 1.1-mpg improvement over the previous six months. The estimated averages are already ahead of expert predictions of 23.4 mpg for the year, and they will only get better as the year progresses.

"Thanks to a bumper crop of fuel efficient models in the most popular segments, consumers don't have to choose between fuel efficiency and performance," said Alan Baum, principal of Baum and Associates. "No matter what type of vehicle you want, midsize car, minivan, SUV or pickup truck, car makers are now upping fuel efficiency performance across the board. The new era of fuel efficiency is truly here."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sets fuel economy guidelines for automakers to meet, and last year they set the new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard to be 54.5 MPG by 2025. These guidelines will be finalized by the fall, which means consumers can expect to see the average fuel economy continue to improve over the coming years.

While new cars, in many cases, have vastly improved mileage over their predecessors, this does not mean there are not fuel efficient used models available. In fact, there are many options available for used car shoppers at NJ Auto Auction. Plus, every vehicle on the lot is CARFAX certified, so drivers know they'll be getting behind the wheel of a reliable ride.