Toyota Prius

Honda Fit gets Consumer Reports' overall best value honor

In addition to its varied category and overall best and worst category lists, Consumer Reports has a best value list and the 2011 Honda Fit has emerged as a double winner — best small car value and best overall value in 2011 among more than 200 different vehicles analyzed. “A low price doesn’t necessarily make a car a good value,” said Rik Paul, automotive editor at Consumer Reports. “At a time when people need to make every dollar count, our best value list highlights the models that give you a lot for your money.” Consumer Reports uses performance, reliability, and ownership cost data to calculate value scores, with all cars in the same category — the entry level Honda Fit

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Toyota shines in Consumer Reports' 2011 Top Picks list

The Ford Mustang (Sporty Cars) and Kia Sorento (Family SUV) are among six new models named to the Consumer Reports annual Top Picks car list for 2011. The diverse selections include eight brands from six manufactures, with Toyota models claiming three categories. The redesigned Hyundai Elantra, which now comes standard with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), also tops the list in the Small Car category. The previous Hyundai Elantra SE was Top Pick for Small Sedan for the past three years. The Honda Fit, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Sienna and Chevrolet Avalanche are new additions to the list. The Infiniti G37, Toyota Prius and Nissan Altima are returning selections from the 2010 list. Consumer Reports’ Top Picks are the best all-around models

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Toyota defines hybrid terms: one is Prius, two is Prii

If the opinions of nearly two millions voters interested car names count, which apparently they do for Toyota, the proper plural word for automaker’s popular Prius hybrid is Prii. And it’s correctly pronounced PRE-EYE. Toyota allowed the public to decide the answer to grammatically puzzling question when it launched its “Prius goes plural” ad campaign earlier this year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Japanese manufacturer reported 25 percent of the more than 1.8 million votes cast selected Prii. Finishing second was Prius with 24 percent, followed by Priuses (20 percent), Prien (18 percent) and Prium (13 percent). The word Prius means “beforehand” in Latin, and it’s not supposed to be pluralized. But linguistics experts report

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Honda gets "green" car top honors, Chevy Volt shorts out

For the 8th year, the 2011 Honda Civic GX has claimed top honors as the “greenest” car in the United States, according to the 14th annual ratings for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Some newcomers — including an electric vehicle and a plug-in electric hybrid — did well, while several of the regulars held their ground and other cars, most notably the Chevrolet Volt, fared poorly. This year’s ratings reveal a face-off among plug-ins, gasoline hybrids, diesels, natural gas vehicles, and improving “conventional” gasoline vehicles. notwithstanding changes to Green Book® rating methods that boost. The all-electric Nissan Leaf places second, followed by the gasoline-powered Smart Fortwo. Hybrids take the next three spots, followed closely by Ford’s new

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Chevy Volt 2011 car review

The new compact Chevrolet Volt hatchback sedan is the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle with extended range. It’s the most radical  General Motors high-volume car since the 1960s Chevy rear-engine Corvair, which was virtually buried  by the then-new conventional Ford Mustang. The front-wheel-drive Volt is the most mass-produced aerodynamic car Chevrolet has made to get maximum fuel efficiency. One aerodynamic trick is giving the car a phony grille. Air is fed to the engine compartment via an “under-grille” scoop below the bumper. The futuristic aerodynamic 1960s Studebaker Avanti used the same type of air induction. Still, the Volt drew few extra glances despite clever design features, such as unusually aerodynamic rear styling. That’s the way Chevy wants it. “It’s more

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Toyota cleared of sticky accelerator mess, civil claims remain

The long-awaited results of the Obama administration’s review of the Toyota Motor Corp’s unintended acceleration of electronic throttles and faulty floormats and the subsequent recall of more than eight million vehicles, revealed no systemic flaws in the software driven systems of Toyota or Lexus vehicles. Federal safety regulators investigated reports that as many as 89 U.S. crash deaths since 2000 may have been linked to unintended acceleration in Toyotas and Lexus vehicles. “There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. The recalls, government scrutiny, which included testimony by Chief Executive Akio Toyoda at congressional hearings a year ago, and more than $30 million in fines, damaged Toyota’s reputation.

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Chrysler working with EPA on hydraulic hybrid engine

In the wake of ever-increasing hybrid and other alternative engine vehicle infiltrating the automotive industry, Chrysler has announced it’s working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to introduce a hydraulic hybrid system to hopefully use on its Town & C0untry minivan. Chrysler is the only major automaker in the U.S. market without a hybrid offering. The announcement came at a joint appearance by Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. The project, according to a Reuters report, comes as automakers work to meet strict new fuel economy standards expected to take effect after 2016. The EPA has worked with supplier Eaton Corp to develop a hydraulic hybrid system now being tested in heavy work trucks as a

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Nissan Leaf, Tesla Roadster top 2011 'gas' mileage honors

The influx of hybrid vehicles and intensified competition among manufacturers has shuffled the  annual listing of most efficient cars. For 2011, some cars are familiar, but there are a few surprises. Compiled by editors of the web site, thedailygreen.com and published on Huffington Post.com, the Nissan Leaf, the first standard production, all-electric car on the road in the United States, shares the best “gas” of any car in the country, the equivalent of 99 mpg, with the Tesla Roadster, the limited production electric sports car. Here’s the description of the Leaf and the list of the top-15 cars for 2011 with the best gas mileage averages: “The first all-electric car on the road in the U.S. is the Nissan Leaf,

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Toyota debuts two new Prius models at Detroit Auto Show

The Toyota Prius outsells all other hybrid cars combined. But Toyota knows its competitors have plenty to offer, which is why the carmaker debuted two new hybrid models at the Detroit auto show. The roomier Prius v and compact Prius c concept were introduced to complement the Prius and stable of 14 Toyota hybrid vehicles available globally. Toyota is also planning 11 more hybrid or other “green” vehicles during the next two years. Last year, sales of the Toyota Prius, first available in the U.S. in 1997, increased 36 percent last year to 140,928 units. “Prius has become to hybrids what Kleenex is to tissues and Levi’s are to jeans,” Bob Carter, Toyota brand’s U.S. chief, said at the media

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Lexus CT 200h 2011 car review

The new, compact CT 200h from Toyota’s upscale Lexus division shares its hybrid gas/electric powertrain with Toyota’s Prius. But the Prius feels like an appliance, while the CT 200h feels and drives like a luxury car. The 2011 front-drive, four-door CT 200h is the first Lexus hatchback and thus is more practical than the Prius. Also, compared to the Prius, the new Lexus has an ultra-rigid chassis, better suspension and a body that, while somewhat chunky, looks rather sporty, partly because of a rakish roofline and short body overhangs. However, a low front end (for aerodynamic efficiency) could be damaged in certain parking areas. The CT 200h was mainly designed for Europe’s narrow streets and tight parking spots, which means

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Honda, Lexus, Chevrolet dominate Kiplinger's/Yahoo Cars of the Decade list

The Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Corvette couldn’t be more different. And likewise, there’s nothing similar between a BMW 3 Series and a Honda Odyssey. Unless, of course, Kiplinger’s magazine and Yahoo.com happen to be compiling a list of the cars of the decade. With a vast number of vehicles from which to choose in the past decade, how could the publications possible select the top-10 cars of the decade. The Prius, for example, was selected with the following description: “When the Prius made its U.S. debut in 2001, it barely registered a blip in the auto industry. But then the Hollywood green crowd adopted the little gas-electric hybrid as a symbol of saving the planet. “Ten years and two redesigns

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Toyota, Honda claim top 2011 gas mileages, reports EPA

Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. captured six of the U.S. government’s top 10 fuel-economy ratings for 2011 models, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and Energy Department. Toyota’s Prius hybrid remains country’s highest fuel mileage car with 51 mpg (city) and 48 mpg (highway) averages. Ford Motor Co., the only U.S. automaker to rate in the top 10, finished second with the Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ hybrids. Honda finished in the third position with the Civic and Insight hybrids and in fourth with the CR-Z hybrid, according to the two agencies. Automakers selling models in the U.S. are trying to boost the fuel efficiency of their models after President Barack Obama in April ordered a five

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Honda CR-Z, 2011: The Weekly Driver Car Review

After various debuts in recent years at car shows around the globe, the 2011 Honda CR-Z (Compact Renaissance Zero) arrived for North American consumers in August as a compact hybrid electric and marketed as a sport hybrid coupe. The CR-Z combines a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain and is the successor to the second generation Honda CR-X via its design and similar name. The CR-Z is the only gasoline-electric hybrid model offered by any automaker that can be equipped with a manual transmission. The new Honda is offered in three trim levels: base, EX, and EX with navigation and has a base price range from $19,950 to $23,310. The Weekly Driver Test Drive New car models often get attention, but since the

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Chevrolet Volt, 2011: General Motors’ radical new green machine

The new compact Chevrolet Volt hatchback sedan is the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle with extended range. It’s the most radical  General Motors high-volume car since the 1960s Chevy rear-engine Corvair, which was virtually buried  by the then-new conventional Ford Mustang. The front-wheel-drive Volt is the most mass-produced aerodynamic car Chevrolet has made to get maximum fuel efficiency. One aerodynamic trick is giving the car a phony grille. Air is fed to the engine compartment via an “under-grille” scoop below the bumper. The futuristic aerodynamic 1960s Studebaker Avanti used the same type of air induction. Still, the Volt  drew few extra glances despite clever design features, such as unusually aerodynamic rear styling. That’s the way Chevy wants it. “It’s more

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Toyota announces plans to debut two Prius siblings by 2013

According to a dispatch in the Wall Street Journal from the recent National Dealer Conference in Las Vegas, one of the new hybrids will be smaller and one larger than the current Prius, the country’s largest-selling hybrid. According to the newspaper, Toyota executives briefed dealers about the new vehicles, including size details. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION Auto Shipping Quote–Car Financing–Car Insurance Quotes–Car Loans–Online Car Insurance–Rental Cars–Used Cars The pending smaller hybrid will comparable to the Toyota Yaris. The larger new hybrid will offer about 50 percent more interior space and storage than the Prius. Toyota also announced a milestone for the Prius at the same dealers’ meeting. Since its debut in 1997, Prius sales worldwide recently surpassed two million units.

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Honda, Toyota lead Yahoo Autos top-100 'green' car list

The Green Rating was developed by Yahoo! Autos in consultation with Environmental Defense, a nonprofit organization that finds practical ways to protect the planet. The Green Rating covers all the major environmental costs of a motor vehicle, including: Unhealthy smog that comes from tailpipes; Emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming; The fuel a vehicle consumes; Pollution from manufacturing the vehicle and its components. The Green Rating measures a vehicle’s environmental friendliness on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher a vehicle’s Green Rating, the “greener” it is and the lower its harm to human health and the health of the planet. Here’s the list of Yahoo Auto’s top-10 (with ties) green cars: 1. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid

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