Small
-
The 2014 Mazda 3 is the one of the more eagerly-awaited compact cars hereabouts, and now we've had a chance to spend 90 minutes behind the wheel. During a recent test drive that brought together Best Car To Buy 2014 finalists, every High Gear Media editor got a chance to drive a variety of vehicles through the scenic rolling hills of Georgia. Collectively, we swapped cars, compared notes, and winnowed down the field to each site's final nominees. MORE: Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy 2014: The Nominees We still need to spend more time in a Mazda 3 to do a proper fuel-economy test; our...
-
Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy Nominee: 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel
The 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel is a somewhat daring car, and one that diesel fans have been urging a U.S. maker to sell for years, if not decades. It's the first diesel-engined passenger vehicle sold by General Motors since 1986, and it's a fully modern car with the latest in emissions control...
John Voelcker -
Lexus CT 200h Compact Hybrid Faces New Mercedes, Audi Competitors
As luxury brands expand their efforts to sell more fuel-efficient cars, Lexus will join Audi and Mercedes-Benz in offering a range of compact models in years to come. Reports say that the Lexus CT compact hybrid hatchback will likely be offered in a variety of body styles--including a four-door...
John Voelcker -
2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid Priced From $26,820
Subaru's first production hybrid goes on sale later this year.
Stephen Edelstein -
2014 Nissan Rogue To Sell Alongside Old Model, Now 'Rogue Select'
Nissan will continue to offer the current Rogue as a bargain alternative to the new 2014 model.
Stephen Edelstein -
2014 Mazda 3 Sedan Live Photo Gallery: 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show
The all-new 2014 Mazda 3 was revealed at the end of June, but only as a five-door hatchback--the model that will be the mainstay in Japan and Europe. Now we've had our first look at the 2014 Mazda3 four-door sedan in person; it was displayed at last week's Frankfurt Auto Show. The pictures show the...
John Voelcker -
This morning, Nissan pulled the covers off a pair of all-new compact crossovers at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Though they're sold under different names in Europe, the vehicles are what we'll come to know in North America as the 2014 Nissan Rogue. The new 2014 Rogue will arrive at dealers this November, with a starting price just above $23,000. It promises not only fresh styling, more features, and a greater array of options for family buyers, it will also be slightly more fuel efficient. The well-known 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) found in...
-
2014 Chevrolet Volt Price Cut By $5,000, To $34,995
The 2014 Chevrolet Volt electric car will carry a base price of $34,995, a cut of $5,000 from the 2013 model. That price includes an $810 destination fee, but not any optional equipment. Chevrolet has "made great strides in reducing costs as we gain experience with electric vehicles and their...
John Voelcker -
Subaru Swamped By Demand For XV Crosstrek In U.S., Hybrids In Japan
If any carmaker should already have had a hybrid in its lineup, it's Subaru. We've said that before, and before the end of the year, we'll know much more about the 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid that was unveiled at last spring's New York Auto Show. But it turns out that Subaru now has two...
John Voelcker -
2014 Mazda 3 Launches: Two SkyActiv Engines, High MPG Expected
Mazda launched its all-new 2014 Mazda 3 compact hatchback today at coordinated events in New York, Melbourne, Istanbul, St. Petersburg, and London. The new Mazda 3 lineup, which will include a four-door sedan version as well when it goes on sale this September, is the second model designed around...
John Voelcker -
New 2014 Toyota Corolla Unveiled, Eco Model Aims At 40 MPG Highway
The Toyota Corolla has been the most popular compact car in the U.S. for more years than we can count. But this year's model is the oldest model in a category that has seen every one of its competitors refreshed in the last three years. The new 2014 Toyota Corolla, the 11th generation of a...
John Voelcker -
2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel: First Drive
It’s not every day Chevrolet executives talk about launching at car that competes directly with … a Volkswagen. The new 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel, however, aims directly at the only affordable compact four-door sedan with a diesel engine sold in the U.S. until now: the Volkswagen Jetta...
John Voelcker -
The 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel went on sale this week at a handful of top Chevy dealers, and company executives said two of its first three buyers were new to diesel cars. The new diesel Cruze, fitted with a 151-horsepower 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine built in Germany, is GM's first diesel passenger car sold in the U.S. since 1986. Two of those first buyers had not previously owned diesel cars, but were attracted by the 46-mpg EPA highway rating for fuel efficiency. One had just switched jobs and had a 100-mile daily roundtrip commute with lots of highway miles, GM marketers...
-
2014 Acura ILX Sport Sedan: More Features, Hybrid Later
For its second model year, Acura has added new features to the ILX compact sedan, which serves as its entry-level vehicle. The 2014 Acura ILX will go on sale tomorrow at dealers for Honda's luxury brand, but an announcement of new features and upgrades thus far applies only to the two...
John Voelcker -
2013 Nissan Leaf: Driven Through Tennessee Countryside
After our quick drive of a 2013 Nissan Leaf before the New York Auto Show in late March, we were finally able to spend some extended time with the updated electric car outside Nashville. Our initial impressions remain the same: The Leaf is a perfectly normal, competent compact five-door hatchback...
John Voelcker -
2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 BlueTEC: Fuel Efficiency Drive Report
Launched for 2009 and notably refreshed for the 2013 model year, the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class luxury compact crossover has never been particularly green. But with the mid-year addition of a new diesel version, its fuel efficiency goes up by a third--which isn't bad for a pricey, heavy crossover. Two...
John Voelcker -
2013 Dodge Dart Limited: Gas-Mileage Drive Report
The 2013 Dodge Dart has gotten off to a slow start in the market, but it's a vitally important car for Chrysler. The first vehicle based on shared underpinnings from its parent Fiat, the Dart has to show Chrysler can build competitive cars--and, even more important, top-quality small cars that...
John Voelcker -
2013 Ford Escape 2.0-Liter EcoBoost: Gas Mileage Drive Report
The Ford Escape is one of the most popular compact crossovers on the market today, and its all-new 2013 model goes head-to-head with the Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4. Both of those vehicles were redesigned in 2012 or 2013, so crossover competition is now fierce. We spent six days with a pale green...
John Voelcker -
At the end of last week, Chevrolet posted an official recall notice for all 2013 Sonic cars after it discovered a fault in the system responsible for detecting a blown turn signal bulb. Under normal operation, the unit, called the Body Control Module (BCM) should detect when a turn signal lamp has broken, alerting the driver so it can be repaired. However, during regular internal tests, GM engineers discovered that the ‘signal bulb outage detection’ feature was disabled on the BCM unit fitted to all 2013 Sonics. With that particular feature disabled, the car will not alert the...
-
Young Buyers Like Small Cars, Don't Care About Fuel Economy
Statistics are curious and often contradictory things. That's doubly so when they reveal shopping habits, because shoppers are curious and contradictory creatures. For example, we've heard time and again that even if Millennials (aka "Generation Y") could afford to buy cars, they wouldn't flock to...
Richard Read -
Lexus Discontinues The HS 250h Hybrid, Quietly
“It’s better to burn out, than to fade away,” once penned songwriter Neil Young, addressing the hazards of a life lived in the spotlight. If you were a fan of the Lexus HS 250h hybrid, you’ll be saddened to learn that fading away is exactly the fate of Lexus’ compact...
Kurt Ernst -
Official: 2013 Kia Rio Will Come With Optional Stop-Start System
More often than most automakers would care to admit, that new car that you see debuted at a major auto show will undergo some minor -- and sometimes major -- alterations before it hits the dealer forecourt. Take the 2012 Kia Rio, for example. Officially launched at the 2011 New York Auto Show, Kia...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Chevy To Get Compact Crossover Version Of Buick Encore?
If you want to cover all of the potential new car sales bases, having a compact crossover vehicle is essential. Mazda sank serious development money into its CX-5, as did Ford with its new Escape. Radical changes were necessary for those makers to compete against the new Honda CR-V, and even MINI...
Kurt Ernst -
2012 Toyota Prius C Compact Hybrid: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show Debut Live Gallery
Among the concept cars and pre-production prototypes being unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show this week, there were a handful of production-ready cars quietly making their public debut. Among them was Toyota’s 2012 Prius C hybrid hatchback. Smaller than the 2012 Prius, the 2012 Prius C...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield