Top Dog in the Midsize/Large Crossover segment Only hybrid or plug-in to make the list Kipplingers has released its Best New Car Values list for 2012 and one hybrid made the list, the Lexus RX 450h, a regular favorite of Kipplingers according to the magazine. With “top notch safety” and “luxury”, the RX450h took the midsize and large crossover category. According to Kipplinger the …

M for Master of hybrid speed Best performance hybrids for the money? Nissan has been a vocal hybrid bear for many years. Instead of choosing to build a hybrid drive, Nissan first leased Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, preferring to instead focus on pure plug-in electric cars. However, eventually…

The Matrix and the Millennial revolution. It’s the social experience, stupid Advanced infotainment systems. Stylish and fuel efficient compacts. Those two underlying trends will be key to the future of the auto industry, at least the portion driven by millennials and beyond, according to the latest conventional thinking. Oh …

Can the V's versatility and fuel economy reshape the crossover segment? Doe the V make any sort of sense? So a friend of mine called yesterday to ask my opinion about the new Toyota Prius V, particularly regarding battery life, an interesting bit of synchronicity since I covered this subject in a post yesterday. Ultimately, my friend — let’s call him Stan — is considering the Prius V and …

Can the V's versatility and fuel economy reshape the crossover segment? Doe the V make any sort of sense? So a friend of mine called yesterday to ask my opinion about the new Toyota Prius V, particularly regarding battery life, an interesting bit of synchronicity since I covered this subject in a post…

A real hybrid challenge to the compact segment An interesting litmus test for Toyota hybrid cars Do you really need battery technologies to achieve automotive success through the next decade? According to companies like Hyundai, the answer is no, although even Hyundai will admit that hybrids are still required even if just to maintain …

What do you mean it doesn't average 40 mpg? Time for more truth in advertising? Have you seen the 4 x 40 Hyundai rap video? It’s actually kind of amusing, except for the fact the ad is a complete lie. But who cares about the truth these days? Not politicians, nor government agencies such as the FTC. Obviously not automakers. And apparently not consumers either. Maybe America just prefers fantasy …

The dash of Dave's hybrid If only the rest of America thought the same about fuel economy Hype. Image. PR. Image over all else. That’s largely the nature of our modern world these days. Maybe it has always been that way. Automakers, for instance, are geniuses at covering up their role in the terrible geopolitical and environmental…

The platform for real Prius competition? Aims to make Jetta hybrid a contender Back in college an old girlfriend of mine used to own a Volkswagen Jetta that I drove quite often. It was a great little car, but I also remember it being a little expensive to maintain. Today, I still like that old Jetta better than the new one. The …

Ford is serving up some great marketing numbers A battery-powered improvement, but still no real guts Quite soon Ford will offer an EV with the most range with 5 seats, a hybrid that bests the Toyota Prius V, and a plug-in hybrid with greater electric range than the upcoming Toyota Prius plug-in. So, Ford is set to top Toyota as the battery king? Not quite. And, if Ford really wanted …

Washington, D.C. (February 6, 2007): Amid numerous industry claims of eco-friendly vehicles and rising public concern about U.S. oil dependence, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) today named the year's “ greenest” and “meanest” vehicles , along with environmental scorings of all model year 2007 cars and passenger trucks. … “We must boost fuel economy if we hope to replace oil with biofuels or any other energy source. The good …

How can 40 mpg sometimes mean 17 mpg? When 40 mpg actually means 17 mpg Let’s say you live in Venice, CA and commute to downtown daily for your 9-5. Every morning you cruise down Venice Boulevard — or at least you try to, but instead find yourself stuck at stop light after stop light…