Fuel Efficiency

A new website allows buyers to track the overall environmental impact of new cars.

Crossover utility vehicles are popular the world over, and they're going to get smaller. What started out as full-size and mid-size trucks are now most popular as car-based compacts--and subcompact crossovers are coming fast. MORE: 2013 Mazda CX-5 & 2012 Mazda 3: Real-World Mileage Boost From...

California is looking to get older vehicles off the road, and is paying drivers to trade them in.

As German luxury brands have moved to smaller turbocharged engines with much-improved gas mileage, Volvo's entire U.S. lineup has remained powered by five- and six-cylinder engines. Yet with the introduction of a new generation of so-called Drive-E engines—and eight-speed automatic...

Ford recently built its two-millionth EcoBoost engine. The small turbocharged engines are available in 90 percent of Ford vehicles.

The all-new 2014 Mazda 3 was revealed at the end of June, but only as a five-door hatchback--the model that will be the mainstay in Japan and Europe. Now we've had our first look at the 2014 Mazda3 four-door sedan in person; it was displayed at last week's Frankfurt Auto Show. The pictures show the...

At the 2013 G-20 Summit in St. Petersburg, world leaders agreed to begin the process of ending oil subsidies, and to phase out HFCs.

The EPA is expanding its used car gas-mileage label tool. It now allows sellers to create a graphic for online ads.

The EPA has released fuel economy ratings for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E 250 BlueTEC, and they put it ahead of its diesel midsize luxury sedan rivals.

Elio Motors new home was saved from potential demolition, but the startup carmaker will not control its fate.

Diesel engines and typical American-style commuting conditions are already a great match. Longer daily-driving distances get diesels up to their peak operating temperature—and hopefully out to higher highway speeds, where they return their best fuel economy. In low-speed stop-and-go driving...

Audi and corporate parent Volkswagen believe clean diesels are being ignored by government regulations and incentive programs that promote hybrids and pure electric cars.

For such a small car, the Elio three-wheeled vehicle certainly has a big following. It might not meet everyone's idea of what constitutes a great car, but for those looking to reduce their driving costs or their impact on the environment, a small, inexpensive, resource-light three-wheeled vehicle...

The Nissan Versa is one of the largest "subcompacts" on the market. For 2014, a new hatchback model called the Versa Note joins the all-new sedan launched last year. We spent several hundred miles with a prototype 2014 Versa Note over three days of this past weekend, and came away relatively...

Imagine it's 2025 and the full impact of tougher gas-mileage regulations has taken effect. That year, it's easy to buy a mid-size sedan--perhaps even something a bit larger--that returns 40 mpg in regular use. Here's the thing, though: For 2013, there are already a handful of sedans that do that...

What cars available in dealers today make the most efficient use of energy? The answer turns out to be four battery-electric vehicles and one plug-in hybrid. Gasoline and diesel cars don't even come close; internal combustion engines waste two-thirds to three-quarters of the energy in their fuel on...

Ford spent nine months justifying the 47-mpg fuel-efficiency rating of its new 2013 C-Max Hybrid--before it bowed to public pressure and lowered it to 43 mpg late Thursday. While its three latest hybrid models continue to sell well, the latest reversal draws attention to Ford's challenges when the...

Oh, North Carolina: Are you cutting off your nose to spite your face? That's the impression at least some commentators have gained on learning of a state bill that will become law on August 25, with or without the signature of Gov. Pat McCrory. The bill would invalidate Durham County's Commute Trip...

The specification list and gas mileage for the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage read more like a car from the 1980s--but it's coming to market with a distinctly 2013 price tag. A five-door, light weight and aerodynamically efficient hatchback, the Mirage straddles the minicar and subcompact markets, but its...

For Ford, it's all about "customer satisfaction"--a phrase it's repeated hundreds of times over the past nine months. During that time, it's grappled with the realization that not only did its 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid not achieve anywhere close to its 47-mpg EPA rating, but the shortfall had made...