Sport-Utility Vehicles
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The Ford Escape Hybrid occupies a special place in green-car history. It was the first hybrid built in the U.S., the first one from a U.S. carmaker, and the first hybrid crossover utility. That makes it one of our five best used green cars. A pet project of then-CEO Bill Ford, the Escape Hybrid was an immediate hit and remained popular through its eight-year model run. While Ford likely never made money selling it, the hybrid Escape won the company green credit as it phased out the Excursion, the largest sport-utility vehicle ever sold for passenger use. Our Used Escape Hybrid comments also...
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Bentley EXP 9 F Concept For Plug-In Hybrid SUV: Geneva Motor ShowWe heard the rumors, but didn't really quite believe they were true. They are: Bentley took the wraps off a concept for a sport-utility vehicle at today's Geneva Motor Show, the first-ever such vehicle in the 94-year history of the marque. Assuming it goes into production in a few years, this is...
John Voelcker -
Third-Row, 7-Seat Family Vehicles With Highest Gas Mileage
We get asked a lot about hybrids with seven seats. The answer is simple: There's only one, the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. But the question is really more about fuel efficiency: What family vehicles with a third row of seats that can carry seven people get the best gas mileage? It's a major...
John Voelcker -
2013 Tesla Model X Crossover: What We Know Before Jan Reveal
Tesla would like all eyes to focus on its 2012 Model S electric sport sedan this week. But there's a second model lurking in the background: the 2013 or 2014 Tesla Model X crossover, the next vehicle to use the platform that underlies the Model S. A lot of information has emerged in bits and pieces...
John Voelcker -
2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid: Drive Review
Over a varied road test of more than 600 miles, including Manhattan traffic and upstate New York two-lane roads, we were surprised and pleased to get more than 27 mpg in our 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid sport-utility vehicle. It's fast, handles superbly, and is a pleasant place to spend...
John Voelcker -
Big SUV, Small Engine: EcoBoost V-6 In 2012 Lincoln Navigator?
We're beginning to sound like a broken record: One of the ways carmakers will meet new, tougher gas-mileage requirements will be to use smaller, more efficient engines in their vehicles. Those may be 1.0-liter three-cylinder engines in subcompacts, but they may also be more powerful V-6 engines...
John Voelcker -
It's taken a long time to arrive, but Ford's fuel-efficient 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine is now available as an option on both the 2012 Ford Explorer and the 2012 Ford Edge crossover utility. It's the first time any Ford Explorer has been offered with a four in the model's 22-year history; previously, the mid-size sport-utility vehicle was offered with a variety of V-6s and even a V-8. The Ford Edge, similarly, has had only V-6 engines since its launch as a 2007 model. The EcoBoost model was unveiled way back in February 2010, but is finally on sale for the 2012 model year. The...
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Five Reasons Gas-Guzzlers Won't Die--And Shouldn't--Any Time Soon
Writing about green cars can be a challenge. On the one hand, this site attracts many new-car buyers who want to learn more about more fuel-efficient alternatives to what they're driving now. Consider the Ford Explorer driver who bought a Honda Fit because it was really all he needed. But on the...
John Voelcker
