Honda President, Takeo Fukui, said Honda’s new line up of hybrids will debut in 2009, with a five-seater hatchback similar to the FCX Clarity. Also in the works, a Honda Fit, and a sporty CR-Z.

All of that is great, of course, but when will we get a hybrid minivan? Come on, Fukui. I thought you might be the man to put the plan in motion. For a company seemingly in a race to catch up with Toyota, and having a very successful minivan currently in production, I think ignoring this market is a mistake.

MLive.com also has a list of “hybrid premiums” and how many years it typically takes to get your investment back (based on specific factors, including an average gas price that will soon be surpassed, shrinking these estimates some):

2008 Toyota Highlander
2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid $7,495 11.4
2008 Ford Escape
2008 Ford Escape hybrid $4,161 6.9
2008 Lexus RX350
2008 Lexus RX400h $4,407 6.1
2008 Mercury Mariner
2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid $4,904 6.0
2008 Honda Civic
2008 Honda Civic hybrid $2,803 4.6
2008 Chevrolet Malibu
2008 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid $438 2.6
2008 Toyota Camry
2008 Toyota Camry hybrid $889 1.5

Their Source: Edmunds.com
My Sources? MLive.com and Forbes.com

Photo: Honda.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Honda to Make Cheaper Hybrid by 2009

The 2009 Dodge Journey

This is the auto kind of taking the place of the sweet, sophisticated (and wildly expensive) Pacifica. Unlike some other reviewers, I did like the look of that crossover. What I didn’t like was the tiny interior. Oh, and the price. Did I mention it cost a bundle??

In any event, the Pacifica has been phased out and the Journey has been phased in. I was very hopeful there would also be an improvement in fuel efficiency, and they did okay with the base model.

We’re looking at 19 mpg city/ 25 mpg highway in the base model. It goes downhill from there.

• The seats are flat and uncomfortable
• The back seats are cramped and unreasonable for 3rd row
• Steering in AWD feels wiggy, and tough to handle

Probably the biggest complaint I’m hearing from people is over the bargain-basement style interior – a sharp contrast to the Pacifica’s cutting edge style.

There are some benefits, of course. If you REALLY need storage, the Journey has it built in. There are features up the wazoo – including SiriusTV which will be available in models later this year. Oh, and there’s the “chill zone” in the glove box that will keep your drinks cold. That is pretty cool. Any way you want it, that’s the way you’ll get it, but for a hefty price tag for the overall value.

All of that said, when you look at this from the eco-friendly point-of-view, the Dodge Journey is more harmful than the award-winning Subaru Forester (by a full four mpg in AWD) and then there’s the hybrid version of the Saturn Vue, which is only getting better this year.

While I personally did stop and take a second look at the 2009 Dodge Journey, I wouldn’t recommend buying one. The comfort level doesn’t match its inexhaustible list of features, and sure doesn’t justify the cost of having them.

Post from: EveryJoe

Some will win, Some will lose

You can see my previous post on the Current Offers and Rebates tool to find deals in your area.
If you’re in the market for a new 2007 or 2008 model, these are the most fuel efficient cars currently for sale:

2007/2008 Subcompact, compact cars

2007/2008 Family sedans

2007/2008 Wagons & Crossovers

2007/2008 SUVs

2007/2008 Minivans

2007/2008 Trucks

I apologize in advance, because the following may be a flood of related posts. I hope no one will be too aggravated. :)

Post from: EveryJoe

Best Fuel Efficiency 2007 & 2008

Scion xD. Photo from Road & Track 

Best  Wagons/Crossovers for 2007 & 2008

Pretty similar line-up from year to year, with the exception of the introduction of the 2008 Scion xD. FYI, I test drove a Pontiac Vibe yesterday, and it took a few tries start in the 11º F weather.

2007 Models

Pontiac Vibe
4 cylinder, 1.8 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
25 mpg city/ 31 mpg hwy

Toyota Matrix
4 cylinder, 1.8 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
25 mpg city/ 31 mpg hwy

Suzuki SX4
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
22 mpg city/ 30 mpg hwy

Audi A3
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic S6
22 mpg city/ 29 mpg hwy

Suzuki SX4 AWD
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
21 mpg city/ 28 mpg hwy

2008 Models

Scion xD
4 cylinder, 1.8 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
26 mpg city/ 32 mpg hwy

Pontiac Vibe
4 cylinder, 1.8 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
25 mpg city/ 31 mpg hwy

Toyota Matrix
4 cylinder, 1.8 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
25 mpg city/ 31 mpg hwy

Suzuki SX4
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
22 mpg city/ 30 mpg hwy

Audi A3
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic S6
22 mpg city/ 29 mpg hwy

* Yes, frustratingly, I do ignore manual transmissions because most lots don’t have them, most folks don’t drive them, and they don’t always improve gas mileage. Statistics for the “best of” were taken from FuelEconomy.gov

Post from: EveryJoe

Best Wagons/Crossovers for 2007 & 2008: xD, Vibe, Matrix, SX4, A3