Chevrolet

Chevy Volt, Honda Insight top best gas mileage cars in past quarter century

With gas, hybrid, electric and now natural gas vehicles now all vying for better gas mileages averages and the marketing fuel efficiency among manufacturers at its peak, it’s hard to keep track of what carmakers top the list. What might come as a surprise, it’s not all current models make the all-time list of best gas mileage average — at least dating to 1986 — or the last quarter century. Here are the top-10 gas mileage average (internal combustion engines) dating to 1986: 1. Chevrolet Volt (2011–12), Plug-in hybrid, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, auto (variable gear ratios), premium gasoline, 60, city; 58 highway, combined, 62.2. Honda Insight (2000), 3 cyl, 1.0L, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline, 53/49/61.3. Toyota Prius (2010–12), 4

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Chevrolet Camaro, 2012: Iconic sports car gets top NHTSA safety honor

The Chevrolet Camaro built its enduring legacy on performance. Now with the debut of 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe, the iconic vehicle has another major attribute — safety leader. The new Camaro is the first vehicle to receive the highest possible five-star score in every individual safety rating segment of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program since the federal testing procedures were revised for 2011.

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World debut of 2013 Camaro ZL1 Convertible at LA show

The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible, which like its sibling the ZL1 Coupe, has 580 horsepower and 6.2-liter V8, will make its world debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. "The Camaro ZL1 convertible will be one of the most powerful and most capable, convertibles available at any price," said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. "This is a car that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you drop the top – or hit the gas." The Camaro ZL1 convertible's power is complemented by advanced powertrain and chassis technologies designed to deliver exceptional performance on the road or track. In fact, it's the same balance of acceleration, handling and ride quality that enabled a Camaro

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Chevrolet at 100: iconic cars, Dinah Shore and American Pie

From its iconic models — Corvette to Impala, Bel Air to Camaro — and its inclusion in pop songs sung by Dinah Shore, Don McLean and Bob Seger, Chevrolet has been in public consciousness for exactly a century. Which means, of course, the automaker, co-founded by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant on Nov. 3, 2011, is celebrating its 100th birthday today (Nov. 3, 2011). Nearly everyone or someone in nearly everyone's family in the United States has a story to tell about a Chevrolet — a first date to family vacations. Beyond memories of driving experiences, the brand and its importance in popular culture has been absorbed into society with at least three massively popular songs. In 1956 The

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Mitsubishi pummels Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius, gets 126 mpge

Amid all the promotion and hype of the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf and other mass-marketed hybrid and/or electric vehichles, the car with the best gas mileage in the United States is the unheralded Mitsubishi i. A comprehensive review of the Mitsubishi i, with debuted in Japan as the i-MiEV, is posted on the online edition of Motortrend. The i-MiEV was initiated in Europe in 2010 and now it's available in the United States. Yet, despite its lofty mileage status, the Mitsubishi i has yet to built a substantial buying appeal. One reason, accpording to the Motortrend site, is the question of whether or not "United States' consumers are ready for "a small, underpowered and range-limited EV?" But for pure economic

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World Series, 2011: Patriotism, Chevys and Ray Charles

Chevrolet will celebrate its 100th birthday November 3, and what better time to promote the occasion than two weeks early during the World Series. During the opening game between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals and throughout the World Series, viewers on FOX will see "Then and Now.' The one-minute spot features Ray Charles' singing a live version of America the Beautiful. The voiceover at the end of the commercial is handled by long-time actor-spokesman Tim Allen. Footage shows vintages photos from Chevy's archives, fans, employees and Flickr. The "Chevy Runs Deep" tagline is included, and following a shortened rendition of Ray Charles singing America The Beautiful, Allen concludes the commercial with the words: "For the first 100 years

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Chevy Spark EV set for U.S., global debut in 2013

The Chevrolet Spark EV mini-car will join the manufacturer's expanding fraternity of electric vehicles and beginning in 2013 will be sold in California among other select markets in limited qualities in the United States and globally. "The Spark EV offers customers living in urban areas who have predictable driving patterns or short commutes an all-electric option," said Jim Federico, global vehicle chief engineer for electric vehicles at Chevrolet. "It complements Chevrolet’s growing range of electrified vehicles, including the Volt extended-range EV and the 2013 Malibu Eco with eAssist technology." Feedback from participants in Chevrolet’s electric vehicle demonstration fleets in Shanghai (Sail EV), Korea (Cruze EV) and India (Beat EV) are being incorporated into the Spark EV. A123 Systems will supply

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Chevy Volt gets coveted Consumer Reports recommendation

The Chevrolet Volt has received a recommendation from Consumer Reports magazine adding to the growing list of honors for General Motors' plug-in car, described by the carmaker as a "range-extended electric vehicle." The Volt has also been named Motor Trend Car of the Year and North American Car of the Year. Consumer Reports, highly regarded, anonymously purchases all the cars it tests from dealers rather than using cars provided by manufacturers. The magazine does not accept advertising. The magazine tests cars at its Connecticut track as well as on roads. To be "Recommended" a car must perform well in several tests and must be deemed to have at least average "predicted reliability." "Predicted reliability" is based on surveys taken by

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Jeff Gordon edges Jimmie Johnson in Atlanta NASCAR

Delayed two days by inclement weather, Jeff Gordon claimed the AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway over teammate Jimmie Johnson on Tuesday (Aug. 6) by about a half-second. Despite continued poor weather conditions — the event was red flagged for weather with 115 laps to go and laps were ran under caution a couple of other times because of a light mist — Gordon talllied his 85th-career win to assume sole possession of third on the all-time win list. Tony Stewart was third, Kurt Busch fourth and Carl Edwards fifth. Gordon took the lead on lap 44 of the 325-lap race, and dominated much of the rest of the way. ResultsLap length: 1.54 miles(Start position

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Cadillac: Once most prestigious, now most stolen

Four Cadillac Escalade models combined share the dubious honor with numerous pick-ups trucks as the vehicles in the United States with the most and most expensive theft claims during the past three years, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). The group’s latest study shows Escalades combine to have the most theft claims and the highest average amount ($114) per theft. That’s 10 times more than the average amount lost per car. According to HLDI, the theft data in compiled from insurance companies representing about 80 percent of all privately owned vehicles. Pickup trucks, including the Escalade EXT, had higher dollar amounts of theft loss ($24), compared with SUVs ($12) and cars ($9). The HLDI suggests it’s because fewer

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Chevrolet Camaro, 2011 car review

Chevrolet finally has come up with a convertible model for its sporty Camaro, which is a car that certainly deserves a convertible version. That is, unless you don’t mind a rear seat suitable just for kids and a rather small trunk with a high opening that gets even smaller when the top is lowered. Convertibles long have been more expensive than coupes, too, and the base Camaro convertible starts at $29,150 with a V-6 and goes to $39,650 for the top-line 2SS V-8 version, which I tested with a manual transmission. My 2SS V-8 model cost $42,145. In contrast, a base Camaro V-6 coupe lists at $22,680 and the top-line V-8 coupe is $34,395, without options. The convertible actually looks

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GM recalls 16,000 Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impalas

General Motors (GM) announced it;s recalling around 16,000 Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impalas across the United States and Canada because of related to the power steering as well as sensor issues The manufacturer has not reported any injuries and crashes related to the two recalls. The company will recall the Impala and inspect its power-steering hose. GM said that if the hose was misrouted then it will probably spray hot fluid on hot engine parts and it could lead to a possible fire. The American automaker discovered the problem in its production plant in Ontario, Canada. The company is expected to resolved the problem with a protective abrasion protection. The LaCrosse has a sensor problem that affects the car’s speed

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Chevrolet Spark debuts in India with a different Beat

The Chevrolet Spark, all-electric minicar scheduled to debut in the United States as a 2013 model next year and promoted as “the smallest diesel engine in the world in mass production,” recently debuted in India where it’s known as the Beat. The Beat/Spark has a three-cylinder turbodiesel engine displacing less than a liter and is as rated, via Indian testing, at a 56.5 miles per gallon. The 936cc engine has a fixed-geometry turbocharger and vacuum-operated wastegate, giving it an output of 58 horsepower and 111 pound-feet of torque. But it also has more unique statistics: the cars weighs 2,260 pounds and can advance from 0 to 62 mph/100 kilometers in a lowly 15.5 seconds. The Chevy Beat Diesel also has

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Chevrolet Sonic, 2012: Only U.S.-made sub-compact

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, which replaces the South Korean-built Chevrolet Aveo, will be the only subcompact car built in the United States when it arrives this fall. The Sonic LS, which has a starting price of $14,495, has 10 standard airbags – the most of any subcompact — and has 138-horsepower 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine matched with five-speed transmission. Fuel economy projections haven’t been released for the base engine. But with the upgraded 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with six-speed automatic transmission, the Sonic is expected to get 40 mpg in highway driving. The 2012 Chevy Sonic will available in sedan and hatchback, in LS, LT and LTZ models. Its LT pricing begins at $15,695 (sedan) and $16,495 (hatchback), with LTZ pricing

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2011 Hyundai Elantra chosen best value in family ‘shootout’

The 2011 Hyundai Elantra has won a unique best value honor when matched among five compact cars that seat five, get more than 35 mpg and are priced at less than $20,000. The evaluation, conducted by the website Cars.com, revealed the Elantra earned the honors, according to the site’s editors, for its exterior and interior design as well as its smooth ride. “With unrelenting gas prices and continued economic uncertainty, our shootout couldn’t be timelier in terms of what car shoppers are looking for,” said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor-in-chief. “In fact, four of the five models that competed have been among dealer’s best sellers in April and May. To determine the winner of the shootout, experts from Cars.com and USA

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Smart, Bentley get top, dubious automakers' mpg honors

Smart, with its line of electric or gasoline two-seaters, has the best gas mileage average among car manufacturers, according to a new Brighter Planet study of 2011 cars and trucks. Throughout its lineup, Smart averages 61 mpg. Mini (30.0 mpg) is second across its production line. Honda (27.4 mpg) third is and the top manufacturer with a full line of cars, trucks and SUVs. Suzuki (25.5) and Nissan (25.3) round out the top five, according to the study that detailed Brighter Planet’s ranking of 39 automobile manufacturers included in the 2011 EPA Fuel Economy Guide based on miles-per-gallon fuel consumption or equivalents of all models in each company’s portfolio. Bentley has the dubious honors in the study, the lowest manufacturer-wide

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