Buying Guides

  • 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco Quick Drive and Live Photos

    So you're in the market for a new car. Fantastic. You've done the research--looking at list prices, EPA fuel ratings, and all manner of other factors--and you know you want something fuel-efficient and easy on the environment. But what will that car really cost over, say, five years of ownership? We've done the math for you on five different types of cars, all of them significant models in the market. For an efficient gasoline vehicle, we chose the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco compact sedan. Regular hybrids, of course, have to be measured by the 2012 Toyota Prius liftback. The Volkswagen Jetta...

  • 2004 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon GL
    Five Top Used High Mileage Cars To Help You Survive High Gas Prices

    Unless you don’t own a car, or happen to drive an all-electric car, the chances are you’ll have noticed that gas prices have risen dramatically over the past few days. But as growing uncertainly in the Middle East -- not to mention the knock-on effects of a large gasoline refinery fire...

  • 2012 Toyota Prius C, drive event, La Jolla, CA, Feb 2012
    Top 10 Most Economical Small Cars You Can Buy In 2012

    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...

  • 2012 Toyota Prius V hybrid wagon, test drive in Catskill Mountains, Jan 2012
    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...

  • 2011 Toyota Prius with PLUS Performance Package
    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...

  • 2012 Toyota Aqua hybrid (2012 Toyota Prius C)
    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...

  • 2012 Honda Insight EX with Navigation

    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 priority in its cars. These days cars like the 2012 Honda Insight and 2012 Honda Fit are Honda's main contenders for inexpensive, fuel-efficient vehicles. But if you're looking to improve your gas mileage, reduce costs and go greener, are you better off with the hybrid, or the efficient gasoline option?...

  • 2013 Ford Escape, launched at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Nov 2011
    2013 Ford Escape Pricing Released, Sort Of

    Ford has released 2013 Escape pricing, "for survey purposes only," on its dedicated Escape microsite.

  • Chevrolet Votls for sale on eBay
    Buying An Electric Car: Pay More Now, Or Wait A Bit?

    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...

  • 2012 Toyota Prius V station wagon, Half Moon Bay, CA, May 2011
    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...

  • 2012 Fiat 500 live photos. Photo by Joe Nuxoll.
    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.

  • Best Car To Buy?
    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...

  • 2012 Mitsubishi i  -  First Drive, U.S.-spec MiEV

    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 MPG is your ultimate priority, we've drawn up a list of the top ten cars on sale in the U.S. today, ranked by average MPG and MPG equivalent (MPGe). 2012 Mitsubishi i - 112 MPG Top of the list is Mitsubishi's powered jellybean, the "i" electric car. The looks might not be to all tastes but with an...

  • 2012 Chevrolt Volt Gas Station Advert
    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...

  • 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid
    Five High-Mileage SUVs You’ll Want To Check Out For 2012

    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...

  • 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid 4-door Sedan Angular Front Exterior View
    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...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf, Nashville, October 2010
    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...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt
    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...

  • 2011 Toyota Prius

    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 most popular to date. And with more 1 million Prii sold since it launched in the U.S. 11 years ago, the Toyota Prius is now a regular on used car lots and websites across the U.S. To help you, we’re covering the basics first and then dealing in-depth with each vehicle on its own page. Follow the...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt on test in Little Rock, Arkansas, July 2011
    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...

  • Ryan Reynolds Nissan Leaf Spokesperson
    2012 Nissan Leaf: The Electric-Car Basics You Need To Know

    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...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf
    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...

  • 2010 Toyota Prius high-voltage battery pack
    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...

  • 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring
    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...

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