2013
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Yesterday, General Motors announced it will be running a ‘customer satisfaction program’ for some 4,000 2013 Chevrolet Volts to fix a software glitch that could cause the car’s electric motor to power down while driving. In other words, GM is asking all 2013 Chevy Volt owners to visit their local dealer to have a software update applied to their car in order to fix a software bug. It just isn’t a recall, OK? As The Detroit News reports, the problem seems to only affect 2013 Chevrolet Volts whose owners have made use of the Volt’s delayed charging function. In a...
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2012 Chevrolet Volt (Vauxhall Ampera) Drives From U.K. To France, Underground
Last week, the Chevrolet Volt became the first production car to drive from the U.K. to France, using the service tunnel of the Eurotunnel underwater railway line between the two European countries. What’s more, the stunt was orchestrated by Top Gear Magazine, the more measured, printed...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid: Quick Gas-Mileage Test
Gas mileage in hybrid vehicles can be a tricky thing. Depending on how they're designed--and at what speeds their electric motors kick in--their efficiency can vary considerably. When we tested the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid six weeks ago in Los Angeles, the real-world indicated gas mileage was 37 mpg...
John Voelcker -
2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Gets EPA Rated At 45 MPG All-Round
At one time, if you wanted a green, luxury sedan with great gas mileage, you only had a handful of cars to choose from from automakers like Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Now there’s another car to add to your list: the 45 MPG combined, 2013 LIncoln MKZ. Fresh from its official EPA...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Toyota Prius, Prius V, Prius Plug-in Hybrid Pricing Announced
The 2013 Toyota Prius Liftback and 2013 Prius V wagon will cost buyers between $100 and $200 more than comparable 2012 models, Toyota announced yesterday. The pricing increase, which comes into effect immediately, means that those buying the 2013 Prius Liftback will find themselves paying $200 more...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Chevrolet Spark So Popular, GM Boosts Imports
There was a time, not so long ago, when most Americans would laugh at the idea of buying a car just a bit longer than 12 feet. But now one minicar--the 2013 Chevrolet Spark--has sold so well in its first two months on the U.S. market that Chevrolet has had to increase imports. Currently made at a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
It had been almost two years since we'd driven a Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car, and the new 2013 model has been slightly modified to boost its electric range. We took a new 2013 Chevy Volt on our usual weekend test route, which covered 360 miles that included about two-thirds freeway driving and one-third local errands. That's not an ideal duty cycle for a Volt, which can run electrically for weeks on end if you keep your trips between recharges to 30 miles or less. But it's probably reflective of why many owners buy a Volt; it's the electric car that you can jump into and drive...
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2013 Chevrolet Malibu: Gas Mileage Choices For Mid-Size Sedan
Chevrolet is fielding a three-pronged gas mileage attack on the market with the 2013 Malibu, ditching V-6 options and concentrating on fuel-efficient fours instead. New to the range is a 2.0-liter turbo. While it develops a punchy 259-horsepower, highway mileage is a respectable 30 mpg. One rung...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Ford C-Max Energi: 100 MPGe, Beats Volt, Plug-in Prius
It’s official: the 2013 Ford C-Max Energi is the most efficient plug-in hybrid to date, achieving a cool 100 miles per gallon equivalent combined in official EPA fuel economy tests. Announced last night by Ford, the $33,745 2013 Ford C-Max Energi has beaten both the 95 MPGe rating of the 2012...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Toyota's Hybrids First Cars To Appear On Home Shopping Network
If you thought no avenue had been left unexplored in the quest to promote automobiles, think again. Short of billboards on the moon and beaming adverts directly into your brain, most traditional media are already used--but Toyota has found one more, promoting its range of hybrid vehicles on the...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Nissan Leaf: Spy Shots Of New, Less-Expensive Model
With the first 2013 Nissan Leaf electric car expected to roll out of the Smyrna, Tennessee, plant in mid-December, many rumors have been flying about what changes the updated Leaf will have. Now we have the first spy shots showing some of the modifications Nissan has made to create a new, less...
John Voelcker -
New Chevy Volt Electric-Car App Shows (Low) Cost Of Home Charging
How much does it cost to charge your electric car? Do you know? That might initially sound like a simple enough question to answer, but in some homes--especially ones signed up to time of use electricity metering--it’s often far from straightforward to find an answer. Now a new smartphone app...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Smart's third-generation Electric Drive model might look similar to the car it replaces, but it's a very different vehicle under the skin. To discover just how different, our latest drive in the new electric Smart let us compare with our experiences from the previous model--and the differences are stark. The bright paintwork and relocated nose badge hide drivetrain and battery changes under the skin, making the new electric ForTwo a more viable vehicle than ever before. Old car good... We recently tested the new Smart around the congested streets of Brooklyn, but our latest drive allowed us...
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Smart Electric Drive Ad Ignores Eco Theme, Goes Big For Small Car
Hey Chevy, listen up: Aliens in electric car ads don't have to be annoying--just ask Smart. The maker of diminutive city cars has ditched all references to performance, specifications and efficiency in its latest ad (via Autoblog) for the third-generation Fortwo Electric Drive, instead giving us a...
Antony Ingram -
IIHS: 2013 Dodge Dart Named A Top Safety Pick
In the automotive world, nothing says a car is more safe than a 5-Star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and a Top Safety Pick award from the insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) While the 2013 Dodge Dart, Chrysler’s first compact...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid Titanium: Hybrid Goes High-End
Ford could have a winner on its hands with the impressively frugal 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid, but already Ford has announced a new range-topping model The Fusion Hybrid Titanium is set to top the range at $32,995, and loads on the luxury to justify the premium. Externally, front fog lamps, chrome...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Smart Electric Drive Test: Lowest-Priced Electric Car In U.S.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Smart took that advice to heart; its 2013 Smart ED3 is the third generation of its all-electric version of the two-seat ForTwo minicar. And it's the first one that's really a viable car under normal driving conditions. It's also the least expensive...
John Voelcker -
Hybrid Ad Wars: Ford C-Max Vs. Toyota Prius V
For the past decade, Toyota has unquestionably been the champion of the hybrid electric car, thanks to its Prius family of hybrids. But with a tough new ad campaign about to launch for the all-new 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Detroit’s blue oval wants to steal that hybrid crown. The gloves are...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
With the new VW Beetle launched last year, you knew there would be a ragtop, right? We now have photos of the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, which includes a unique model: the only diesel convertible available for sale in the U.S. This is only the third all-new open-air Beetle in history; the first was in 1949, the second in 2003. This time, it's not called a Cabrio but simply a Convertible. Sticking close to the restyling cues of the hardtop Beetle (actually a three-door hatchback), the new four-seat convertible Beetle has a more upright windshield and a longer, flatter roof. But unlike...
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2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid: Priced From $24,995
Volkswagen of America has finally announced pricing for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, set to be the most fuel-efficient Jetta in the line-up. Jetta Hybrids will start at $24,995, with the higher-specification SE models priced at $26,990. That means the Hybrid starts at $2,005 more than the...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Nissan Sentra Prices To Start At $16,770
It’s been just under a month since Nissan quietly released gas mileage figures for its all-new 2013 Sentra compact sedan. Now Nissan has announced pricing for this redesigned sedan. Including a mandatory $780 handling and destination fee, the base-level 2013 Sentra S, with 1.8-liter...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Chevy Spark Proves Popular With Non-GM Customers
When General Motors launched the Chevrolet Volt back in 2010, the plug-in hybrid increased GM’s market share by bringing customers to the brand who would have never before thought of purchasing a Chevy. Now it seems, the 2013 Spark is following in the Volt’s tire tracks. According to...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Nissan Altima Gets Five-Star NCAP Crash-Test Rating
With all eyes turned to the 2012 Paris Auto Show, Nissan has quietly announced that its all-new 2013 Nissan Altima has been awarded a 5-star overall rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its New car Assessment Program (NCAP) Awarded top marks for both frontal crash and...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Makes World Premiere In Paris
We’ve known about it for many months, but Mitsubishi has finally unveiled the production version of the 2013 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Referred to by Mitsubishi as being a ‘no-compromise’ vehicle, the Outlander PHEV is a series-parallel, full hybrid...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield