Fuel Economy

In U.S. trim, the 2012 Scion iQ is capable of delivering fuel economy as high as 36 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Those numbers are based on the iQ’s 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine, which is the only option for U.S. buyers. European buyers can opt for a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder...

The all-new 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 does a surprisingly good job of blending fuel economy, performance, comfort and value in a midsize sedan.

Featuring some pretty nifty fuel-saving technology, like its redesigned continuously variable transmission and Easy Fill Tire Alert System, the 2013 Nissan Altima has always promised to be a green car. But now it’s official: according to the EPA, the 2013 Nissan Altima is the most...

At the moment, plug-in electric car sales are chugging along between 3,000 and 4,000 a month. So with the upcoming 2012 Tesla Model S added to the mix, it seems likely that 30,000 to 50,000 electrics will be sold in the U.S. this year--more than double last year's sales. But lately, the auto press...

Like so many Americans, perhaps you've been thinking you really have to replace your old car this year. And maybe you're thinking your next car should get much better gas mileage, to protect against fluctuating gas prices. (They're down this month, but who knows for the future?) Well, looks like...

Over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in the amount of driver-friendly technology being added to cars to make them easier to use. Normally, that includes things like iPod connectivity, satellite navigation and bluetooth hands free, but the 2013 Nissan Altima -- along with all of...

Both Toyota and Honda are hybrid pioneers. Both companies sell subcompact gasoline models (the Toyota Yaris and the Honda Fit) and separate subcompact hybrid models (the Toyota Prius C and Honda Insight). What most U.S. buyers don't know is that those companies also sell hybrid versions of the...

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...

There was a time, not so long ago, when car owners were expected to carry out basic maintenance and regular servicing on their car using a handful of wrenches and common automotive tools. Nowadays, most of the maintenance is carried out by professional garage mechanics and dealers. but there are...

Historically, when gas prices are relatively stable, fuel efficiency doesn't rank very high on car buyers' lists of priorities. But that seems to have changed recently. A new survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that fuel economy was the leading consideration of 37 percent...

With the 2012 Toyota Prius V wagon, 2012 Toyota Prius C, and 2012 Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid all launching within the past 12 months, it’s been easy to forget that there are other Toyota hybrids outside of the Prius brand. In fact, the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid and 2012 Toyota Highlander...

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...

Oh, for heaven's sakes. We're all for saving fuel by buying fuel-efficient cars, driving economically, cutting out unnecessary trips, planning ahead, carpooling, and all the other sensible, practical steps anyone can take to cut gas costs, lower their personal carbon footprint, and otherwise...

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...

More often than most automakers would care to admit, that new car that you see debuted at a major auto show will undergo some minor -- and sometimes major -- alterations before it hits the dealer forecourt. Take the 2012 Kia Rio, for example. Officially launched at the 2011 New York Auto Show, Kia...

With gas prices high, you'd expect people to buckle down and hang onto their existing cars rather than spending the money to buy new ones, right? Errrrrrr, actually not. According to Mike Jackson, the outspoken and always quotable CEO of AutoNation, buyers who've put off their new-car purchases are...

Ever since the early 1950s, Americans have loved the easy-to-drive charms of the automatic gearbox so much, that most Americans today don’t know how -- or want -- to drive a manual stick-shift car. Historically, those who want to drive manuals have been sports car fans eager for the extra...

For years, spark plugs have been used to ignite the compressed fuel-air mix inside the cylinders of a gasoline engine to produce power. Now a new prototype engine is promising a future in which a gasoline engine behaves like a diesel engine, self-igniting the fuel as it is injected into the...

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...