2012 toyota camry hybrid leToyota has always been the front runner when it comes to hybrid technology but it seems the past generation Toyota Camry Hybrid was severely lacking. The car cost a few grand more than the base 4-cylinder model and only returned a 22% better fuel economy. But the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid is cheaper than the previous model and gets much better fuel economy. In fact the Camry Hybrid has retaken best-in-class fuel economy honors which were previously held by the Ford Fusion Hybrid. But what makes the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid such a good gas mileage sedan? Read the rest of this entry »

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range rover evoque gas mileageThe new 2012 Range Rover Evoque not only looks beautiful, the gas mileage ratings are equally as nice with the SUV getting 18 MPG in the City and 28 MPG on the Highway. Luxury SUV’s are not known for being fuel efficient. This is because the more luxury amenities a vehicle has, the more it weighs. And luxury SUVs are some of the heaviest vehicles around; think Cadillac Escalade. The luxury SUV’s that top the list of best gas mileage are mostly comprised of hybrids. But the Range Rover Evoque has a few tricks up its sleeve. And the Evoque ties the Lexus RX450h for top honors regarding highway MPG. Read the rest of this entry »

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2012 toyota camry hybridBelow is a list of the best gas mileage cars for the 2012 model year. As you can see Hybrids dominate the list. But the first 2 positions are taken up by electric vehicles. The EPA still gives these 2 MPG ratings based on energy usage but its apples and oranges. Really the Toyota Prius Hybrid is the 2012 car with the best gas mileage. Read the rest of this entry »

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buick lacrosse gas mileageThe Buick Lacrosse was redesigned in 2010 and with it came a new motor that promised better gas mileage; the EcoTec direct injection engine. The premium model has an MSRP price of just under $38k. That buys you a 3.6 liter V-6 engine that has over 300 Horsepower. Bummer is that car is more expensive by $8k and the engine is less fuel efficient. The larger V-6 can only manage 17 MPG in the City and 27 MPG on the Highway. Nothing too exciting. This car is built with quality and luxury in mind. But what is even more impressive is that a hybrid model of this car is out on the market. The new 2012 Buick Lacrosse eAssist hybrid has a smaller 2.4 liter EcoTec 4-cylinder engine. Mated to the powertrain is a small electric motor that is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. This electric motor adds power and fuel efficiency up to 25%. The Hybrid with e-assist gets 25 MPG in the City and 36 MPG on the highway. The hybrid only has 182 HP but torque is ample at 172 ft-lbs. Oh and the hybrid starts at about $30k. Read the rest of this entry »

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Toyota Prius V Gas Mileage
Did you know that Toyota has sold over 1 million Prius hybrids here in the U.S. over the past decade?  Go ahead and up that number to 2 million worldwide.  So with such great success why not create a whole family of automobiles around the Prius.  There is still no match for the Prius when talking hybrid gas mileage figures.  Sure the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are out there, but these cars not only cost thousands more, they are inconvient for most of the population.  So the Prius remains the old standby and has grown larger with the release of the 2012 Prius V in an effort to attract more buyers.  But Gas Mileage has gone down from 50 MPG combined for the standard model to 42 MPG for the Prius V.
With 50% more cargo room than the standard Toyota Prius, the V stands for Versatile.  But while the PriusV has grown, the fuel economy has shrunk.  Earlier in the year when the Lexus CT 200h, I could not figure out why a car with the same drivetrain as the Prius gets much lower gas mileage.  It’s the same conundrum for the Toyota Prius V.  The car has the same shape and the exact same drivetrain as the standard Prius but the gas mileage is lower by 15%.  Let’s take a look into the reasons for the loss in fuel economy.
1) Weight – the Prius 5 weighs over 230 pounds more than the standard Prius.  This may not seem like much but coupled with the other changes; weight does play a role in Gas Mileage loss.
2) Size – the Prius V is 6 inches longer and 3 inches taller than the standard Prius.  The wheelbase is a tad longer and by stretching the Prius V out, much was changed in the Prius V suspension to make the car more like a nice sedan.
3) Drag Coefficient – the 2011 Toyota Prius has a Drag Coefficient of 0.25 while the changes to the exterior of the Prius V have caused the Drag Coefficient to drop to 0.29.
While these changes may seem minor, they reduce the gas mileage on the Prius 5 by 15%.  Estimated figures put the Prius V gas mileage figures at 44 on the Highway and 40 in the City.  The standard Prius gets 52/48 respectively.  This goes to show that the Prius is so perfectly engineered for getting the best fuel economy possible that even a few little tweaks can drastically reduce those figures.  Good news is the Prius V will only cost a bit more but will offer you 50% more cargo room and should be a great buy for those looking to increase gas mileage without losing utility.
I crunched the numbers and if you drive an average of 15,000 miles per year; it will only cost you $200 more to drive the Prius V over the standard Prius (with gas costing $3.50).  This actually seems like a drop in the bucket considering how much more interior space you get.

2012 Toyota Prius V side view white color

Did you know that Toyota has sold over 1 million Prius hybrids here in the U.S. over the past decade?  Go ahead and up that number to 2 million worldwide.  So with such great success why not create a whole family of automobiles around the Prius.  There is still no match for the Prius when talking hybrid gas mileage figures.  Sure the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are out there, but these cars not only cost thousands more, they are inconvenient for most of the population.  So the Prius remains the old standby and has grown larger with the release of the 2012 Prius V in an effort to attract more buyers.  But Gas Mileage has gone down from 50 MPG combined for the standard model to 42 MPG for the Prius V. Read the rest of this entry »

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Lexus CT 200h 1I love the new Lexus CT 200h and think it’s a really great little car. It not only has the lowest MSRP price of any Lexus at $29,120; but it also gets the best gas mileage of the Lexus family of cars. Moreover, the fact that the Lexus CT 200h gas mileage ratings are the best in the Luxury Car Segments cements the fact that Lexus is the Hybrid Luxury car king. They finally got it right after the poor fuel economy of the Lexus HS 250h. The Lexus CT 200h gas mileage figures are 43 MPG in the city and 40 MPG on the highway. But after researching the Lexus CT 200h and realizing the car has the exact same powertrain as the Toyota Prius; I can’t help but wonder why the Prius gets almost 8 MPG more than the Lexus CT 200h. Read the rest of this entry »

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fast electric carMany Electric Vehicles have come and gone over the past decade or so.  And there are very few companies who are actually still around (Tesla).  But of course every large can manufacturer says they are working to produce an electric car but here we are 15 years after the GM EV-1 and you still cannot buy an Electric car from one of the major companies.  Yes I know the Leaf and Volt are coming out!  Anyways see my little list of the fastest electric cars. Read the rest of this entry »

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2011 hyundai sonta hybrid gas mileageWhile the 2011 Hyundai Sonata has not bee officially released, the company still has listed the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Gas Mileage on their website.  According to Hyundai USA, the Sonata Hybrid will get 37 MPG in the City and 39 MPG on the highway.  Consider the Ford Fusion Hybrid gets 41 MPG in the City and 36 MPG on the highway.  Now why does the Ford Fusion Hybrid get better gas mileage than the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid in the city?  Well read on to find out. Read the rest of this entry »

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cadilac cts mpgThe Cadillac CTS has taken its cues from the big German automakers.  You can now get the Cadillac CTS in a broad range of configurations like the coupe, sedan, sport wagon, and even all-wheel drive.  In some cases the Cadillac CTS MPG numbers are good and in others like the supercharged version, the Cadillac CTS gas mileage ratings are not so great.  But see below the various Cadillac MPG figures. Read the rest of this entry »

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3rd row suvSee some of the gas mileage and fuel economy ratings from large SUVs with 3 passenger rows.  These are resonably priced thrid row SUV so that means big luxury SUVs and Hybrids were not on the list since those are out the price range for most.  What is shocking is that all these 3rd row SUVs have similar gas mileage ratings.  The highs came in at about 24 MPG on the highway and most averaged 17 MPG in the city.  Read the rest of this entry »

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