Buying Guides
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Let's say you're in the market for a small car, and you want the most economical one around in your budget. What are the options? Quite varied ones, actually - everything from electric cars, through hybrids, range-extended vehicles, gasoline and diesel. You might notice a few glaring omissions from the list - notably, the 2012 Toyota Prius and 2012 Toyota Prius V, both of which would otherwise feature. That's because, according to the EPA, they're actually too big. The EPA classifies the Prius as midsize due to its passenger volume, while the similarly-sized Chevy Volt is actually a compact...
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2012 Toyota Prius V Hybrid vs Mazda5: Saving Money On Wagons
Let's imagine for a second that you have a family, and you need a vehicle to transport them around in. However, you're also looking to get a good mix of practicality and gas mileage, as gas prices aren't making those long vacation trips any easier. Your eye may have been caught by the 2012 Toyota...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Toyota Prius Vs 2012 Toyota Camry: Economy Or Speed?
If you've been following over the last few weeks, you'll have seen us pitch two cars from particular manufacturers against each other. While there are often clear differences between the models, the exercise highlights what someone in the market at a particular price point can expect, when...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Toyota Prius C Hybrid Vs 2012 Toyota Yaris: MPG Battle
A few days back we took a look at two similar, yet very different Hondas. The 2012 Honda Insight and 2012 Honda Fit share a platform, but different bodystyles and the use of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology in the Insight, makes each model unique. The same could be said of the...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Honda Fit Vs 2012 Honda Insight Hybrid: High Gas Mileage Battle
If you're in the market for a fuel efficient vehicle your choice is better than ever. Virtually every manufacturer now offers a high-mpg vehicle, but Honda could lay claim to being one of the first. Since the Civic arrived back in the 1970s, the Japanese carmaker has made fuel economy a high...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Ford Escape Pricing Released, Sort Of
Ford has released 2013 Escape pricing, "for survey purposes only," on its dedicated Escape microsite.
Kurt Ernst -
As demand for electric and plug-in cars continues to remain high, many dealers and some private individuals are offering cars like the 2012 Chevrolet Volt on auction sites like eBay. With “Buy-It-Now” prices well above the starting sticker price of $39,995, these Volts pose an interesting dilemma for anyone not already on a waiting list for an electric car. Do you pay a premium to jump the queue, or do you wait your turn? To help you make up your mind, here are some things you should bear in mind about buying nearly-new electric cars on sites like eBay. You might not be able to...
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2012 Toyota Prius: GreenCarReports' Best Car To Buy 2012
The late-night arguments are over, the statistical comparisons and product specs are put away, and we've made our choice. The GreenCarReports Best Car To Buy Award for 2012 goes to a pair of cars: the 2012 Toyota Prius V wagon and the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid. The two new 2012 entries...
John Voelcker -
2012 Fiat 500: Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2012 Nominee
GreenCarReports nominates 2012 Fiat 500 as one of the six contenders for its Best Car To Buy 2012 award, given to the car or cars that provide the best and most practical alternatives for car buyers who want to drive green.
John Voelcker -
Green Car Reports To Name '2012 Best Car To Buy' Next Week
'Tis the season for 'car of the year' awards, and we're right there with the rest of the media. Next Monday, we'll announce the winner of our second annual Green Car Reports "Best Car to Buy" Award winner for the 2012 model year. At the same time, our sister sites--MotorAuthority and...
John Voelcker -
The Top 10 Highest MPG Cars On Sale Today
If you're in the market for a new car and your top priority is fuel efficiency, what do you buy? With so much to choose from now including gasoline, diesel, natural gas and electric cars on the market as well as a range-extended electric vehicle and hybrids galore, the options are bewildering. If...
Antony Ingram -
2012 Chevrolet Volt V 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid: Which Is Cheaper To Drive?
If you need a plug-in car that is capable of traveling long distances between charges but can’t afford the 300-miles per charge option offered by the 2012 Tesla Model S, the chances are you’re looking at buying a plug-in hybrid. But which of the two main plug-in hybrids on offer today...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
You’re an SUV owner looking to upgrade your current car, but you’re also getting tired of increasing gas prices and the way those hybrid and electric car owners look at you on the freeway. At the same time, you’re not about to downsize to a sub-compact in order to get good gas mileage. What do you do? There is an answer: A more fuel-efficient SUV. And to help you chose, here’s just five of the highest economy SUVs on the market in 2012. 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid FWD City: 34 Highway: 31 Combined: 32 Starting Price: $31,395 If fuel economy is your primary concern you...
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Why An Old, Used Honda Civic Hybrid Is Good For Your Health
We all know that the venerable Toyota Prius is the most well-known of all hybrids on the market today, both in terms of numbers made and its impressive gas mileage. But if you’re in the market for a used hybrid you might be surprised to know that a used 2006-2010 Honda Civic Hybrid might be...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Best Electric-Car Cargo Space: 2012 Nissan Leaf, 2012 Toyota Plug-in Prius
When you’re researching your next new car it’s likely that you research not one but many different cars, comparing them on everything from fuel economy and features to reliability and interior space. Electric and plug-in hybrid cars are no different -- but the practicalities of cargo...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Chevrolet Volt: Ultimate Guide To Everything You Need To Know
The Chevrolet Volt is now here, on sale in most states, and ready to plug in--and to answer all your questions about what it is, how it drives, how to buy it and how to wade through all its new technology, there's only one solution. Here, you'll find High Gear Media's comprehensive coverage of the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Buying A Used Toyota Prius? Here’s What You Need To Know
The venerable Toyota Prius hybrid is generally accepted as the car which changed consumer’s attitude toward hybrid-electric drivetrains. While the Prius wasn’t the very first hybrid to be sold in the U.S. (the original Honda Insight beat it by a few months), it has proven by far the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Chevrolet Volt: The Plug-in Hybrid Basics You Need To Know
The 2012 Chevrolet Volt will soon be arriving at Chevrolet dealers nationwide as General Motors makes the plug-in hybrid electric car available to all fifty states before the end of this year. But on year on from the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, what are the differences between the 2011 and...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
The 2012 Nissan Leaf is the second generation of Nissan’s all-electric family hatchback, following on from the highly popular 2011 Nissan Leaf. But one year on from the original Leaf's launch, what's different in the 2012 model? Here's our list of things we think you need to know about the revised 2012 Nissan Leaf. Charging Like most other electric cars on the market, it will come complete with a level 2 J1772 charging port, capable of recharging from a suitable level 2 charging station from empty in between 6 and 12 hours, depending on the power provided by the charging station...
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Green Car People: Who Buys Electric And Plug-In Vehicles?
Once upon a time, people who bought (or built) electric vehicles were often science-minded, forward-thinking, eco-conscious drivers who sometimes had a hippie past. Times have changed. Today, there are several motivations for buying a car that plugs into the electric grid to recharge its battery...
John Voelcker -
The Ultimate Guide: Toyota Prius Battery Life, Cost, and Warranty
Like many articles, this one started with a reader question. Casey Krakowiecki wrote: I'm interested in buying a new Toyota Prius hybrid. I hope you can answer a couple of questions that will help me. (1) Are the rechargable batteries guaranteed for 8 years? If they fail at 7 years and 11 months...
John Voelcker -
Guide: How To Get Good Gas Mileage AND Third Row Seats?
"We have not yet fully accepted the fact that we need a new car. Some call it denial. But we do need one." That's how our friend Gordon Platt began a note asking our advice on what cars he should consider as he sets out to replace the family's aging 2003 Toyota Sienna minivan. "What are your...
John Voelcker -
What You Need To Know About Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt Servicing
A few months ago we asked the question, what exactly do you have to service on a 2011 Nissan LEAF? After all, the LEAF doesn't even contain many of the items that require regular attention on a regular car, such as oil changes, spark plugs, filters, transmission fluid and muffler parts. Brakes...
Antony Ingram -
How Are Car Dealers Getting Ready to Service Electric Cars?
As we've discovered, some car dealers are less than enthusiastic about the prospect of selling and servicing electric cars. Luckily, others are more game. Either way, what can you expect from your local electric car dealership when you take your shiny new EV in for a service? Training You'd be...
Antony Ingram