The Top Eco Car of 2011

July 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
toyota prius 2011, nissan leaf 2011, chevy volt 2011, top eco cars

These fuel economy figures are lame! Image via Wikipedia

After gasoline prices tanked in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and the pain at the pump eased, there wasn’t as much of a monetary incentive for people to get rid of their gas guzzling sports cars, trucks, and SUVs and trade them in for more practical, fuel economy friendly vehicles.

Now that gasoline prices are back to pushing all-time highs, it seems as if buying a fuel efficient vehicle is back in style.

Today, CNET published a great article by Wayne Cunningham entitled By The Numbers: The Top Eco Car, which, as you probably guessed, talks about the most environmentally friendly and fuel efficient vehicles on the market today, and compares all of them based on the following criteria:

  • Cost
  • Range
  • Annual fuel cost
  • Seating
  • Cargo capacity

Looking through the EPA listings for 2011 model year cars, we picked out the most fuel efficient and compared them by a few different data points. Topping the EPA list is the 2011 Nissan Leaf, with its massive 99 mpg equivalent fuel economy. This number represents the combined city and highway mileage.

The 2011 Chevy Volt is more difficult to place, as the EPA lists two fuel economy figures, 93 mpg equivalent for electric operation and 37 mpg for gasoline operation. A simple average shows 65 mpg, which isn’t particularly accurate but will do for this comparison.

That hybrid stalwart, the 2011 Toyota Prius, rings in at 50 mpg, and is the top fuel economy performer that can’t be plugged in. We also decided to throw in a diesel, the 2011 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen, which gets 34 mpg. We chose the Sportwagen because it gets the same fuel economy as the sedan, yet has more cargo area.

So, which car drove away with the award?  If you guessed the old favorite, the Toyota Prius, you’d be right, although, there were some caveats:

Given these categories, the 2011 Toyota Prius comes out the winner. Its base price is the lowest and it offers the most range, while at the same time having the largest passenger compartment.

That fact, however, does not mean the Prius is the best choice for everyone who wants an ecologically sound car. If the majority of your drives come under 35 miles, than the Leaf or Volt might make a better choice. If you don’t have easy access to the charging stations or need to maximize cargo volume, the Jetta TDI Sportwagen would serve well.

Which would you have picked?  Leave a comment below!

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Gas Prices Still Heading Downward

July 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Over the past two or three months, we’ve seen wild fluctuations in the economy, stock markets, and commodity markets.  People have been spooked that austerity measures will hurt the worldwide economic recovery (which, I would argue, never really started), which, in turn, would drive down consumer spending and demand for pretty much everything.

This, of course, affected the price of both oil and gasoline, as you can see in the chart below:

oil prices, price of oil, gas prices, gasoline prices, price of gas, price of gasoline

As you can see, this chart (courtesy of GasBuddy.com) shows pretty wild fluctuations in the price of both oil and gasoline, with the most “violent” fluctuations occurring in the price of oil.  That being said, at least the general direction of both prices is downward.

As of this morning, oil futures were trading at $75.70, and the national average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline stood at $2.72, which is down one cent from where it was last month, and exactly where it was one week ago.

Currently, only Hawaii ($3.45), Alaska ($3.38), California ($3.09), and Washington, D.C. ($3.06) are reporting average gas prices above $3 per gallon.  South Carolina currently has the lowest average price, at $2.40 per gallon.

Since we’re currently at the peak of summer driving season, it’s hard to envision a scenario where we could see gasoline prices spike higher from current levels.  That being said, a rough hurricane season or a major impact from the offshore drilling moratorium could change things and are worth keeping an eye on.

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Toyota’s Recall is Exactly What Detroit Needs

January 28, 2010 by 5 Comments

For years, it has been a common perception – or misperception as the case may be – that Japanese cars, particularly Toyota and Honda, were of better quality than their American counterparts, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.

Don’t get me wrong, American cars did plenty to substantiate those perceptions, especially considering they were behind the curve when it came to moving from massive trucks and SUVs to more fuel efficient sedans, compact cars, and hybrids.

However, with the news the Toyota has recalled 2.3 million vehicles – including some of its best selling models –due to a problem that could make the vehicle’s gas pedal stick, and its announcement that the company will halt sales of all affected models for the time being, is the tide finally starting to turn in Detroit’s favor?

Over the past several years, American car makers – Ford in particular – have received praise for drastic improvements in reliability and quality. In fact, the Ford Fusion was recently named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 2010, which is a pretty big deal.

I think when you couple Detroit’s momentum with Toyota’s huge setback, I think we’re on the verge of viewing American cars as being at least as good as, if not better than, their foreign counter parts.

What do you think? Leave your comments below!

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12 Greenest Cars of 2010

January 20, 2010 by 3 Comments

Looks like even though we’re out of the 2000’s, we’re not going to be able to get away from the word “green.”

The American Council for Energy Efficient Economy has released their list of the 12 Greenest Cars of 2010. You can view pictures of each of the models listed below by clicking here.

For the sake of brevity, here’s the list of cars, as well as a breakdown of each model’s gas mileage:

1. Honda Civic GX – The cool thing about the Civic GX is that it runs on Natural gas, and gets an equivalent of 36 MPG highway
2. Toyota Prius – Most well known Hybrid on the road, gets 48 MPG highway, 51 MPG city
3. Honda Civic Hybrid – The hybrid version of one of the best selling cars in the U.S. gets 45 MPG highway, 40 MPG city
4. Smart ForTwo – Has tiny 1.0 liter, 3-cylinder engine which allows it to get 41 MPG highway (I’d be afraid to take this out on an interstate), 33 MPG city
5. Honda Insight – Honda’s equivalent of the Prius gets 43 MPG highway, 40 MPG city
6. Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Hybrids – first American car on the list, and the Detroit Auto Show 2010 Car of the Year, gets 36 MPG highway, 41 MPG city
7. Toyota Yaris – Tiny and cheap, and gets 36 MPG highway, 29 MPG city
8. Nissan Altima Hybrid – Just another hybrid on the list. 33 MPG highway, 35 MPG city
9. Mini Cooper – Fun, zippy car gets 37 MPG highway, 28 MPG city
10. Chevy Cobalt XFE – Small, 2.2 liter, 4-cylinder engine gets 37 MPG highway, 25 MPG city
11. Hyundai Accent Blue – A new car under $10 grand that gets 36 MPG highway, 27 MPG city?
12. Honda Fit – 33 MPG highway, 27 MPG city. Really nothing much else to say.

So, if you’re in the market for a new car, be sure to check out all of the cars listed above!

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Ford Wins in Detroit – More Sales Next?

January 12, 2010 by 1 Comment

So much for American cars being unable to shake their “not good enough” image!

Kicking off what it hopes will be a strong year, Ford won both the Car and Truck of the Year awards at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. The Ford Fusion Hybrid won Car of the Year, while the Ford Transit Connect van won Truck of the Year.

I know you’re probably saying to yourself, “I’d hope a domestic car maker would win awards in the Detroit Auto Show.” 

Truth be told, despite being a domestic car guy, that thought definitely crossed my mind.  So, yes, to some degree Ford winning both awards can be taken with a grain of salt.

That being said, it’s undeniable that the American car manufacturers – especially Ford – have made considerable improvements in reliability, design and quality over the past several years.

(Please note, Daily Fuel Economy Tip does not have any affiliation with any car maker, domestic or foreign.)

Unfortunately, these improvements haven’t necessarily translated to much better sales. As was reported in USA Today of the 10 best selling vehicles in 2009, all but four were Japanese vehicles. The Ford Fusion was the only domestic sedan (read: non-truck) that made the list.

Let’s hope that for the sake of the U.S. economy – in particular, the manufacturing sector – the awards for Ford are a precursor to higher sales across the board for domestic vehicles.

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What Sort of MPG do Reindeer Get?

December 9, 2009 by Leave a Comment

If you’re anything like me, you’ve gotten a late start on your holiday shopping. In an attempt to help you avoid the crowded malls and shops, wandering around searching for gifts, I’ve come up with three gifts that would be great for any interested in getting the best fuel economy out of their vehicle.

Scan Guage IIScanGauge II – This 3-in-1 compact multifunction vehicle computer with customizable display will show you your real-time gas mileage and cost per mile, in addition to acting as a diagnostic scan tool.

This devise works on all 1996 or newer OCDII vehicles, requires no special tools for installation, and fits pretty much anywhere in the vehicle.

So, if you or someone you know is interested in testing out different ways to increase your gas mileage, this gift would be perfect!

Garmin Nuvi GPSGarmin Nuvi with Traffic Updates – The average driver could cut their carbon footprint by 21% and reduce their annual commute by four days by using a GPS with real-time traffic updates.

This particular Garmin Nuvi 780 model has a 4.3 inch display, gives turn-by-turn directions and has the option to receive traffic updates from MSN.  And the best part?  It’s currently priced at 75% off!

Gas Mileage BibleThe Gas Mileage Bible – As if the tips on Daily Fuel Economy Tip weren’t enough, this book will provide driving and car maintenance tips that could help to increase your vehicle’s gas mileage by up to 30%, with very little effort on your part.

Obviously, this isn’t an all inclusive list, but if you’re looking for great last minute gifts, any of these will be sure to bring a smile to any fuel economy enthusiast’s face!

What are your thoughts?  If you’re a gas mileage enthusiast, what do you want for the holidays?  If you’re giving gifts to a fuel economy freak, what are you planning on giving?

Per the new FTC regulations, the above links are affiliate links, and I will receive a small commission should you purchase any items after clicking the link(s).

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American Cars Can’t Shake Their “Not Good Enough” Image

October 14, 2009 by 2 Comments

For many years it has been widely believed that if you wanted to buy a quality car that would be reliable for years to come, you should avoid the big three American car manufacturers and buy something foreign.

While the American car makers did little to help themselves by mostly producing inferior products, over the past couple years it seems as if they have done a good job of got their act together and have started making better quality and better value vehicles.

In fact, just this past year, it was Ford, not Honda or Toyota, that scored the highest for quality and reliability.

While this is certainly good news for the American automotive industry, the bad news is all of the shoddy work of prior years makes it hard to shake the “just not good enough” image.

Here’s how nearly 500 people responded when asked: Do you believe American cars are the same quality as foreign cars?

  • 60% said “No, I think they are worse quality.”
  • 25% said “Yes, they are on par.”
  • 13% said “No, I think they are better quality.”
  • 2% said they had no opinion

[Read more…]

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GPS Systems Can Cut Your Carbon Footprint (and Your Commute)

October 14, 2009 by 19 Comments

According to a recent study released by NAVTEQ, the average U.S. driver that uses a GPS system with real-time traffic updates is able to cut nearly 4 days off of their annual commute as well as decrease their carbon footprint by over 21%.

Both of these data points should be reason enough for you to go out and pick up a new GPS with real-time traffic updates.  Think about it: how much would you be willing to pay to cut four days off of your annual commute AND reduce your emissions by 21%?  That would probably be worth a couple hundred bucks a year to you, right?

Well, funny, because that’s about how much a new Garmin Nuvi GPS with real-time traffic updates costs.

As the late Billy Mays would say, “But wait!  There’s more!”

[Read more…]

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Did You Get a Good Deal on Your Car?

August 10, 2009 by 3 Comments

Thanks the popular and controversial Cash for Clunkers program, and in spite of “The Great Recession,” many Americans have begun to build up the courage to buy a new vehicle, especially over the past month or two.

With the auto industry suffering from the recession and eager to move cars off lots, there are many good deals to be had.  That being said, with a most new cars costing at least $15,000, it’s not as if people have been, or should go into their next car purchase without having done plenty of research.

Based on recent data, it certainly appears as if many Americans were well informed the last time they walked into a car dealership.

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10 Simple Steps to Save Gas and Improve Gas Mileage

July 16, 2009 by 5 Comments

About this time last year, when the national average price of gasoline was over $4 per gallon, many of us were obsessed with trying to squeeze as many miles as possible out of each tank of gas. 

For a while though, as gas prices fell almost as rapidly as they climbed, many of us seemed to stop caring as much about continuing to conserve gas.  After all, it’s much easier to look the other way when it costs only $20 to fill up when compared to the $45 it cost just six months earlier.

However, with the economy continuing to crumble, the job market getting worse by the day, and money getting tighter for the average family, it seems like now would be a good time to revisit those gas saving tips we tried so hard to learn last spring and summer.

[Read more…]

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