Toyota 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 »

The 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 »

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 »

See 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 »

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. Read the rest of this entry »

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!

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. Read the rest of this entry »

My Prius gets 65 MPG!  Well big hairy deal.  Next years car will get 100 MPG….guaranteed!  The real news is the $10 Million purse the X PRIZE Foundation will give to the first company to produce a vehicle to break that golden 100 Mile Per Gallon barrier. This foundation is the same that recently paid…you guessed it….$10 million for the first suborbital space flight a few years back.  X PRIZE is dedicated to offering large amounts of money to make huge leaps for humanity.

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Flex Fuel is Cheaper but you get bad gas mileage and you cannot go as far on a tank of gas.  What’s the deal with Flex Fuel.  You see those big suv’s rocking the little badge on the back, but what exactly is “Flex Fuel.”  Well Flex Fuel is also know as E85.  The “E” is short for Ethanol which make up 85% of the mix, the rest is gasoline. Read the rest of this entry »