Decision Process

Two Paths to Clean Diesel

As more clean diesel vehicles begin to hit the market, consumers should be aware that diesel car manufacturers are taking different technology paths. The two main paths mean different responsibilities for car owners, although the goal is the same: to reduce emissions.

Top 10 Tips for Buying a Fuel-Efficient Car

For many years, new car buyers considered cup holders more important than fuel economy. Forking over three dollars for every gallon of gas has shifted those priorities. The auto industry has responded to the new desire for fuel economy by offering a growing number of fuel-efficient models—not just hybrids. Auto engineers are getting more and more sophisticated, but buying a fuel-efficient car doesn’t have to be rocket science—if you follow these common-sense shopping tips.

Top 10 Hybrid Myths

Five years ago hybrid cars were an unknown commodity. Today vehicles powered by a combination of gasoline and electricity are all the rage. Like any new technology, until you get your hands on it—in this case, on the steering wheel—it's hard to get your mind around it.

CODA Delivers Its First Cars

On Friday Coda enthusiastically announced it had delivered its all-electric mid-sized sedan to its first three California customers.

Two early reservation holders from the Southern California area, and one from up north stepped up to take delivery of their five-passenger batter electric vehicles that are based on Chinese chassis and which receive final assembly in California.

Two Tours in Iraq Give One Ex-Marine a New Perspective On Saving Fuel

In the past, it was more common to hear of military personnel who'd served overseas and couldn’t wait to get home and spend their hard-earned money on a new car. However in many cases, said car was often something sporty and perhaps a bit frivolous. Tales abound of returning GIs from Vietnam forking out on brand new V8 muscle cars like the Chevy Chevelle SS, Dodge Charger R/T or Pontiac GTO. Even a generation later, after the first Gulf War, many were still drawn to the notion of buying a Camaro, Corvette or Mustang after their tour of duty was up.

Today however, things are arguably different. With many of us having to deal with tighter budgets, saving our precious money has become more of a priority. Not only that, more of us are also increasingly energy conscious and that includes those who serve.

A good example of this, is Bob Tanner of Toms River, NJ. After returning stateside following his second tour in Iraq, Bob decided to buy a new car; only it wasn’t a Camaro or Mustang, but rather a 2012 Chevy Volt.

Lexus Again Tops J.D. Powers Survey

We already knew Toyota Motor Corporation’s products, including its hybrid cars, enjoy a strong following. Today, research firm J.D. Power and Associates added another award to further solidify its reputation.

For the fourth consecutive year, Lexus ranked highest in customer satisfaction among luxury brands in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study. Lexus achieved an overall CSI score of 861 on a 1,000-point scale, 15 points above the segment average, and the highest numerical score in the study, regardless of segment.

Department of Energy Tool Makes Comparing Lifetime Vehicle Ownership Costs Easy

The Department of Energy has come up with a handy and powerful new tool that takes a lot of the guesswork (and tedious back-of-the-envelop math) out of cost-to-own calculations for vehicles.

Making Plug-in Hybrid Comparisons

The Fisker Karma, Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Plug-in all run on both gas and battery power, but there are key distinctions, stemming mostly from the differences between PHEVs and REEVs.

Consumer Reports Pans Sonata Hybrid

According to a recent Consumer Reports review, the Hyundai Sonata hybrid comes up short in several areas—with the publication recommending that consumers steer clear of the model in favor of the gas-only Sonata.

Report: Carmakers Squander Fuel-Saving Potential of Hybrids, Pad MSRPs With Forced Features

The Union of Concerned Scientists has released its annual Hybrid Scorecard for 2011. The group found that the auto industry often wastes the fuel-saving potential of gas-electric technologies, delivering paltry fuel economy gains and pricing the cars out of the reach of most consumers.