Many factors are taken into account when one decides on a vehicle purchase. From power and handling to accessories and interior room, most potential automobile buyers keep a mental — or sometimes physical — checklist when scanning an array of vehicles. That holds particularly true for the 20- and early 30-something crowd, many of whom are on a budget and must be sensible in their selections. Because of that, two primary factors go into their decision-making: Affordability and fuel efficiency. Here are some of the vehicles that adhere to those two categories and appeal to a younger, thriftier crowd.

CHEVROLET COBALT
Starting price: $13,790
Miles per gallon: 25 city/34 highway
Of note: Edmunds.com, one of the foremost authorities on rating vehicle performance, called Cobalt “the company's best small car in years.”
The 210 take: Even better than the Cavalier and Aveo?

DODGE CALIBER
Starting price: $14,285
Miles per gallon: 23 city/26 highway
Of note: The Caliber was one of 11 nominees for 2007 North American Car of the Year.
The 210 take: Honestly, the Caliber — though a quality vehicle — looks like a minivan mated with a station wagon.

MAZDA3
Starting price: $14,490
Miles per gallon: 28 city/35 highway
Of note: The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada named the Mazda3 Canadian Car of the Year in 2004.
The 210 take: With that in mind, blame Canada if anything goes wrong.

FORD FUSION
Starting price: $18,155
Miles per gallon: 23 city/31 highway
Of note: The Fusion was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award in 2006.
The 210 take: Television ads for the Fusion feature voice-over work from Keifer Sutherland. If Jack Bauer is on board, so are we.

HONDA CIVIC
Starting price: $15,010
Miles per gallon: 30 city/40 highway
Of note: Fall Out Boy's current summer tour, which is coming to San Antonio on June 20, is sponsored by the Honda Civic.
The 210 take: Fall Out Boy? The Civic must be cool.

HONDA FIT
Starting price: $13,850
Miles per gallon: 33 city/38 highway
Of note: The Fit was named “Best Small Car” on Car and Driver's 2007 “10 Best” list.
The 210 take: With a name like Fit, could it be anything other than a small car?

KIA RONDO
Starting price: $16,995
Miles per gallon: 21 city/29 highway
Of note: The 2007 Rondo received a five-star rating in driver and passenger frontal crash tests from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The 210 take: Affordable, fuel efficient and safe? Rondo is the total package.

CHRYSLER PT CRUISER
Starting price: $15,405
Miles per gallon: 22 city/29 highway
Of note: The top choice in Good Housekeeping Institute's 2004 “What Women Want” automotive satisfaction study, which rated interior, quietness and safety.
The 210 take: The PT Cruiser is popular with the ladies and yet it resembles a car that mostly male gangsters drove in the '20s and '30s.

MINI COOPER
Starting price: $18,700
Miles per gallon: 32 city/40 highway
Of note: In 1999, Mini was named runner-up for the “Most Influential Car of the Twentieth Century” behind the Ford Model T.
The 210 take: Exactly how does a car go about being influential?

PONTIAC VIBE
Starting price: $17,345
Miles per gallon: 30 city/36 highway
Of note: The 2007 Vibe earned 9.4 out of a possible 10 points in the cumulative consumer ratings on Edmunds.com.
The 210 take: Not only that, but its name just screams “youth movement.”

SATURN ASTRA
Starting price: $16,000 (projected)
Miles per gallon: 23 city/31 highway (projected)
Of note: We say projected because the Astra — which is replacing the Ion — doesn't debut until the fall.
The 210 take: Edmunds.com said the Astra's European styling should help “Saturn get rid of its less-than-hip image.”

SCION TC
Starting price: $16,980
Miles per gallon: 23 city/30 highway
Of note: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the tC a five-star rating in its 2006 driver frontal crash test and four out of five stars in the passenger frontal crash test.
The 210 take: Note to self: If forced to choose between driving a tC or riding shotgun, always drive.

TOYOTA YARIS
Starting price: $11,150
Miles per gallon: 34 city/40 highway
Of note: Edmunds.com dubbed the Yaris' highway ride “smooth as a sewing machine.” Yes, that's a good thing.
The 210 take: They couldn't come up with a more modern analogy than a sewing machine?

VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT
Starting price: $14,990
Miles per gallon: 22 city/30 highway
Of note: Automotive Lease Guide said that the 2007 Rabbit had the highest projected resale value in its compact car division.
The 210 take: By “projected,” they mean don't treat your car like crap then bitch when you only get $1,000 for it come resale time.

CLINT HALE | 210SA