Featured (was)
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Two weeks ago, we noted that drivers of the Chevrolet Volt had covered 100 million electric miles. What we neglected to note at the time was that Nissan Leaf drivers are keeping pace, having covered more than 100 million electric miles as well. And it's appropriate to note that total today, just one day after the two-year anniversary of the first Nissan Leaf delivery to take place in the U.S. As of today, in fact, both cars are comfortably over 100 million electric miles. The actual number is 113.7 million for Leaf drivers globally, and 106.8 million for drivers of the Chevy Volt...
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2013 Tesla Model S: Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy 2013Two years ago, our first-ever Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy award went to the first modern battery-electric car sold in the U.S. How far we've come. This year, our third annual winner is the 2013 Tesla Model S, a car that takes the all-electric vehicle to a new and far more elevated level. But...
John Voelcker -
Consumer Reports: New Ford Hybrids Don't Meet Mileage Ratingsit's always nice when the big boys say, "You're right." We reported three weeks ago that Ford's new 2013 hybrids were not achieving their 47-mpg EPA gas mileage rating in real-world usage. Now Consumer Reports has confirmed that finding, based on its own testing, in videos and a blog post published...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S 60-kWh Version: EPA Range Rated At 208 MilesWithout any fanfare, the EPA has released its range rating for the second version of the Tesla Model S to come to market. The 2013 Tesla Model S fitted with a 60-kilowatt-hour battery pack has a rated range of 208 miles. That compares to 265 miles for the Model S version with the largest 85-kWh...
John Voelcker -
2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek: First DriveEvery auto journalist has biases; ours is a predisposition to Subarus, of which we've owned four. So we were eager to test the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek, a new model this year. It's essentially the Impreza compact five-door hatchback, with larger wheels and tires, higher ground clearance (8.7...
John Voelcker -
New Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Is Likely On The Way, And Soon TooToday, if you want a crossover utility vehicle that gets good fuel economy, you can have a hybrid or a diesel--but only in a mid-size vehicle. There are no hybrid compact crossovers sold today, but Toyota may be about to change that. A hybrid version of the new 2013 Toyota RAV4 crossover "would not...
John Voelcker -
Three-cylinder cars are increasing common in Europe, but aside from the Smart ForTwo, they’re a rarity in the U.S. That’ll change next fall, when the 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost goes on sale here. Its 1.0-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine puts out 123 horsepower (at a high 6,000 rpm) and a fairly useful 148 lb-ft of torque (at a lower but still-high 4,000 rpm). That’s more than the 120 hp and 112 lb-ft produced by the Fiesta’s standard 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine--which is rated at 33 mpg combined (29 mpg city, 39 mpg highway). Ford has issued few projections...
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2013 Honda Civic: Updates And Live Photos From LA Auto ShowIt's quite unusual for an auto company to make significant changes to a car--especially a successful one--just a year after it launched. But the 2013 Honda Civic introduced this morning at the Los Angeles Auto Show has updated styling, significant changes to the interior, and new standard features...
John Voelcker -
New Tesla Model S Pricing Announced For Jan 1, Battery Pack Costs TooAs of January 1, it'll cost you more to buy a 2013 Tesla Model S--as the company said last week. Now, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] has released the details of the price increases on the different versions of the Model S all-electric luxury sport sedan. The new prices are $59,900 for the base version...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Fiat 500e Electric Minicar: Los Angeles Auto Show PreviewLater this morning, Fiat will unveil no fewer than four new models of its 500 minicar. Among them will be the 500e, a limited production electric conversion of the hatchback that it really doesn't want to build--as company officials have said repeatedly. The 2013 Fiat 500e is a compliance car meant...
John Voelcker -
2014 Ford Fiesta Updates: Styling, Interior, MyFordTouch, And EcoBoostAlong with the new, ultra-fuel-efficient 2014 Ford Fiesta with the 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine, Ford's subcompact gets a number of other changes for the 2014 model year. These include a revised interior that adds a 6.5-inch LCD touchscreen display and optional MyFordTouch infotainment...
John Voelcker -
Ford Hybrids' Fuel Economy Failing To Live Up To EPA Ratings?This is starting to look not so good. It appears that two new hybrid cars from Ford--the 2013 C-Max Hybrid hatchback and the 2013 Fusion Hybrid sedan--may not deliver real-world gas mileage that's anywhere near their 47-mpg EPA ratings. Automotive journalists have been quietly discussing this for a...
John Voelcker -
Nissan has revealed detailed specifications of the Japanese-market 2013 Leaf. The updated car, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. early next year, features a host of minor upgrades. The changes are aimed at attracting a few more customers than the current 43,000 who have taken the plunge, since the car went on sale in December 2010. UPDATE (9:30 am, Tue, Nov 20): Nissan Americas has released the following statement: Specifications for the 2013 Nissan Leaf in Japan were released [today], and apply only for that model designed for the Japanese market. Information on the 2013 Nissan Leaf in...
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2013 Ford C-Max Energi Plug-In Hybrid: First DriveThe 2013 Ford C-Max Energi is the first plug-in hybrid from Ford to hit the road, and the company sold 144 of them in October even before letting journalists drive the car. It’s the pricier and more capable of the two C-Max models, and Ford compares it directly to the Toyota Prius Plug-In...
John Voelcker -
2016 Toyota Prius Rumor Roundup: 60 MPG, AWD, Lithium-Ion BatteryOver the next 14 months, you can expect leaks, rumors, suppositions, spy shots, and outright guesses about the 2016 Toyota Prius to proliferate. The fourth generation of Toyota's quintessential hybrid car is a crucial model for the company. If Toyota sticks to its model cadence, we expect that...
John Voelcker -
2014 Chevy Spark EV Prototype Electric Car: First DriveAs GM's first battery electric car since the EV1 of the 1990s, there's more riding on the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV electric minicar than its size would indicate. The company maintains the electric Spark is not just a compliance car, but a fully developed product to be sold not only in California...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S Buyers Face Year-End Deadline: $7,500 At StakeMore than 13,000 people have put down deposits to join the waiting list for the Tesla Model S electric sports sedan. Each of us eagerly awaits delivery of our much-decorated, cutting-edge car. But as 2012 winds down, several hundred of us at the front of the queue are especially antsy. It's not...
David Noland -
Green Car Reports To Name Best Car To Buy 2013Electric cars, hybrids, plug-ins, diesels, CNG- and gasoline-powered vehicles--they can all be green cars, and all are a part of the growing movement to cleaner emissions and better fuel efficiency. Just one of them will be Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy 2013. On December 10, we'll announce the...
Martin Padgett -
With the 2012 Toyota Prius hybrid family now comprising four members, the subcompact Prius C hatchback is the one least like its siblings. It's smaller, with a smaller engine and battery, and less cross-section to cause aerodynamic drag. So does it consume less fuel? The EPA rates it at 50 mpg combined, as it does the larger Prius liftback--but the little Prius C gets a better city mileage rating (53 mpg) and a worse highway rating (46 mpg) than its big brother, which is rated at 51 mpg city, 48 mpg highway. This weekend, over our usual test route of about 320 miles--which is roughly...
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2013 Honda Civic: Revised Model Debuts At L.A. Auto ShowHonda has unveiled its new 2013 Civic Sedan, which is set to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month. A new Civic may not be exciting, but as one of Honda's top-selling models it's certainly important, and one of the better-known gas-sippers on the market. Honda has revised the 2013...
Antony Ingram -
Skyfall Sequel: Five James Bond Cars For A New Green AgeJames Bond, Agent 007, has now been driving his Aston Martin DB5 sports cars since 1964. With the new film, Skyfall, opening tomorrow, we thought we'd propose some new motor cars for Commander Bond. He's ventured into many other vehicles, including airplanes, submarines, and newer Aston Martins...
John Voelcker -
Electric Cars: Are They Really A Dire Emissions Threat?This seems to be our time for debunking dumb stories about plug-in electric cars. First, we had to educate a Forbes columnist (and oil-industry consultant) about how the auto industry works. Now, it's time to offer some gentle guidance to all those journalists who covered last month's release of a...
John Voelcker -
Should I Buy A New Suzuki (Now That It's Leaving The U.S.)?There's nothing like a bargain price on a brand-new car. And since Suzuki has announced that it'll stop selling cars in the U.S., there are bargains galore on new Suzuki models. But is buying a brand-new car from a departing manufacturer a good deal? That depends on how the carmaker exits; unlike...
John Voelcker -
2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid: First DriveThe 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid gives VW something it hasn’t had before: a way to appeal to hybrid buyers who won’t consider its TDI diesels—no matter how fuel-efficient they may be. The result is a relatively sporty, conventional looking compact sedan that’s fun to drive...
John Voelcker