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Today's the day when we can talk about the all-new 2013 Nissan Altima, the latest generation of Nissan's remarkably successful mid-size sedan. And its anticipated combined EPA rating of 31 mpg puts it at the top of its competitive set, bettering the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Ford...

BMW's first-ever hybrid sedan, the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 launched for 2011, was an odd beast. Its mild-hybrid system paired a 455-horsepower 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 with a small electric motor, making it a bit faster than its conventional counterpart but only marginally more fuel-efficient. For 2013...

One of the most anticipated cars of the year is the 2013 Ford Fusion, which will be attempting to cater to a much wider audience than the current model thanks to the introduction of three separate variants: regular gas, hybrid and plug-in hybrid. While the plug-in hybrid, or Energi as Ford likes to...

Small cars are fun to drive--or at least they should be. But there may be a law of diminishing returns in adapting the very smallest cars from Asia and Europe to the U.S. market. We don't much like the driving experience in the Smart ForTwo, so we had high hopes for the 2012 Scion iQ minicar--the...

Every year, some car models pass from our midst, often dying quietly and unnoticed. Here's our list of the green cars that are no longer with us. There were, of course, more cars than just this handful of the greenest models that died in 2012; here's a more complete list. Chevrolet Aveo While the...

The Volkswagen Up is a small, simple, very modern hatchback minicar that's fun to drive, keeps up with U.S. traffic, and returns 40 to 60 miles per gallon. But you won't be able to buy one in North America. And that's a shame. We drive a lot of cars here, most of them perfectly competent subcompact...

Hybrid vehicles cost more upfront than comparable gasoline models, but get better fuel economy. So will you save money in the long run? To make the comparisons easier and more accurate, the FuelEconomy.gov site has launched a new comparison tool that provides a "Years to Payback" number based on...

Ask anyone what company makes the most fuel-efficient car on the market, and they'll likely answer Toyota. That's correct. But Toyota's reputation for fuel economy rests largely on its expanding line of hybrid-electric vehicles, led by the Prius family of four separate models. Its gasoline models...

The trend is clear: To get higher gas mileage, almost all new cars will have smaller, more efficient engines. Mazda says its new line of SkyActiv engines and transmissions, though, takes the carmaker to new heights of fuel efficiency. We recently tested two different Mazdas fitted with its...

Oh dear. This could get ugly. The owner of a new 2012 Fisker Karma that burned to the ground in Sugar Land, Texas, is trading accusations with Fisker. The fire destroyed two other cars and damaged the garage it was stored in and other parts of the house. The owner reported a smell of burning rubber...

Although a very small niche group might see minicars like the Scion iQ and Smart Fortwo as a fashion statement, or as a way to reap special parking or commuting benefits, for most Americans—and even a lot of green-car shoppers—it's quite frankly a little hard to see the point in getting...

Most Chinese carmakers have backed away from plans to attack the U.S. market, and their hopes of dominating electric cars have slowed. But Chinese maker BYD continues to develop and test the e6 all-electric crossover utility it hopes to sell in the U.S. within a couple of years. Now, we've had the...

There are many routes to outstanding fuel efficiency, but it's often diesel that's chosen to demonstrate the highest mpg numbers and longest distances. Mileage experts Helen and John Taylor achieved both, to become the world record holders for the longest distance driven on one tank of fuel, using...

This is what it looked like yesterday when the wraps came off the production model of the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV, Toyota's first battery electric vehicle in more than a decade. The exposition hall at the 26th annual Electric Vehicle Symposium is more likely to see displays of electric vehicle...

Today, Toyota revealed the production version of its eagerly awaited 2012 RAV4 EV all-electric crossover, with a powertrain designed and provided by startup electric carmaker Tesla Motors. Surprising many at the event, Toyota revealed its production plans: It expects to build and sell roughly 2,600...

Since last year, you've likely heard a lot about electric cars. You'll hear much more in the years to come. But whether you're a fan or a foe, understand this: A few of the battery-electric cars you've heard about are "real"--meaning their makers want to sell as many as they can. But quite a few of...

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...

The eagerly-awaited new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan will start arriving at dealerships in June. But the first volley of Darts won't include every model. The model with the highest gas mileage will be known as the Dart Aero, and it should go on sale sometime between July and September. At a Dart...

Hybrids have fans, diesels have fans, and while they produce their best fuel economy under different circumstances, each one tends to be a greener choice than a conventional gasoline car. But passenger cars with diesels are now just a tiny part of the U.S. market (less than 1 percent) compared to...

Always carry a camera; you never know what you'll see parked on the street. That's how our contributor, Thomas Bey, shot these exclusive spy shots of an engineering prototype for what may be a future hybrid Jeep or Dodge model to be based on the same running gear as the 2013 Dodge Dart compact...