Feb 5th, 2010 by Car Dude
Yes it’s an Oxymoron; a hybrid race car. Hybrid cars are supposed to be the picture of fuel economy while saving the environment with less emissions being produced. While race car are supposed to burn fuel at an ungodly rate and expel all kinds of harmful gasses. Well the Nissan Altima built by Braille Battery shows you can have 440 HP while saving the environment. Continue Reading »
Jan 21st, 2010 by Car Dude
About a week ago I found a great deal on a used 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid with low miles. The icing on the cake was that it had one of those Yellow CARB Stickers. This was the ultimate kicker for me since I drive the 405 everyday and believe me it is absolute torture! On the days that I carpool with my wife, the saved drive time is at least an hour each day. Well the jig is up and the original carpool program is going to expire on January 1st, 2011. Good thing I did not buy that Civic! Continue Reading »
Jan 11th, 2010 by Car Dude
If ever there was a car made for the times and the going green trend, this would seem to be it: the new Ford Fiesta. It’s a sporty compact with the seating capability of five and gets about 65mpg. It seems like the perfect car the only negative thing is, it’s not sold in the US.
Despite the Fiesta ECOnetic’s definite potential to compete with the other US manufactures, Ford has only sold the recent generations of the Fiesta in Europe. The America Ford President reportedly stated that there were business reasons as to why they can’t sell it to the US and left it at that. Continue Reading »
Jan 11th, 2010 by Car Dude
Well now the GM is on the cusp of bankruptcy and financial ruin…..they have announced the release of the long awaited Chevrolet Volt. Will it be here in time to save GM? Of course not! The slated release date for this new generation of hybrid isn’t until 2011. What’s the deal with that? GM had the EV1 electric car back in the 1990’s and it is only now that they are coming up with a half gas half electric hybrid car. The American population has been scooping up every hybrid in sight for years now. It this kind of foot dragging that has gotten GM into this mess in the first place. Continue Reading »
Dec 3rd, 2009 by Car Dude
Lately Ford has been a car maker that is concentrating on fuel efficiency. They entered into a licensing agreement with Toyota in order to use some of the Prius’ hybrid technology. The New Ford Fusion is just the tip of the iceberg. Each year is seems like Toyota is on the cutting edge of the hybrid race. Their hybrid lineup is the largest and most fuel efficient of any manufacturer. What makes Toyota so great is that you can buy a Certified Used Car that comes with a warranty. Finally Honda is always in the mix not matter what. If their Japanese counter-parts are doing something right, you can bet that Honda will no doubt try to top their rivals. And they did just that with the New Honda Insight. The Insight has a great starting price point and is backed by Honda Nameplate. Continue Reading »
Nov 5th, 2009 by Car Dude
The Environmental Protection Agency has released their list of car with the best fuel economy for the 2010 model year. And guess what? Nine out of the ten cars are hybrids which goes to show that hybrid vehicles are here to stay. Missing from this list though are cars that run on battery power alone like the Tesla, cars that are powered by CNG or Compressed Natural Gas, and diesel powered cars like the Jetta which gets incredible gas mileage. Read on to see who tops the list? Continue Reading »
Sep 27th, 2009 by Car Dude
I am going to ruin the rest of the weekend for everyone reading this who owns a hybrid. The Jetta gets 41 MPG on the highway! And that’s just the EPA rating! Real world figures are right at the 50 MPG mark. Well your Prius gets that too right? Maybe, but is you Prius turbocharged? Does it put down over 236lb.-ft of torque? No your Prius is an underpowered mouse. Continue Reading »
Sep 24th, 2009 by Car Dude
The Polo may be a step down from the already lowly Rabbit; but it is a giant step forward in terms of Gasoline powered Efficiency. has 4-doors, a reasonable price tag, and last but not least: a sweet little engine. Europeans have always known what we Americans have been missing: Turbo-diesel power is the way to go! Not only can you get the best MPG from a diesel car, the fuel burns more cleanly, and adding a turbo increases power by using wasted exhaust gasses.
The little engine that could is a 1.4L, 3-cylinder, direct injected, turbo-diesel. This bad boy pumps out a staggering 79-hp. But when combined with LRR tires, special aerodynamics, and a manual transmission; the Polo can easily obtain the 60 MPG advertised, eat that hybrids. And the little 12-gallon tank will take you well over 700 miles. Sounds good to me!
Sep 23rd, 2009 by Car Dude
Back in the 70’s when gas cost pennies, being fuel efficient was the last thing on the minds of Americans. But now our car purchases revolve around what vehicle gets the most miles per gallon. Only the rich can afford to buy supercars that drink gas like a pirate drinks rum; the rest of us have to settle for wimpy tin cans. Continue Reading »
Sep 23rd, 2009 by Car Dude
How do you figure out which hybrid vehicle best suits your needs? Can you point to a hybrid car and say that this one is undoubtedly the best car for your needs? Most hybrids that are produced target a certain kind of car buyer. And each and every car maker has one important goal in their range of activity, namely to create better green vehicles that are not only fuel efficient but that will appeal to a large audience. Continue Reading »