Why would I say “only 90″ after beating you over the head with slowing down? I have owned small cars, and driven quite a few. In my experience, cars do not usually function comfortably too near their top speeds. This is one I definitely want to test drive in real driving conditions.

The super light weight of the vehicle also makes me wonder how it will fair on the highways.

While small, the car should fit 2 adults and 2 children. (But you know it’s adorable.)

[Source/Image: Axon Automotive]

Post from: EveryJoe

UK’s Axon Auto to get 80 mpg

The Chevy Aveo is one of the least expensive mainstream cars currently on the market. The base model comes in just under $11,000 but comes without AC, and only with a manual transmission. That’s definitely “cheap” but going up a few models and adding some options, you can still get a inexpensive car that delivers comfort. Unfortunately, fuel efficiency is not the best. 24 mpg city driving, but 34 mpg on the highway.

Skip the Aveo entirely if you do mostly in-town driving OR you want a quiet ride on the open road. If you’re looking for better long distance fuel efficiency paired with a nice interior, the Aveo might be for you. MIGHT. Despite an impressive interior, the Aveo is quite noisy at high speeds and shakes over 85 mph. The trunk is plenty big, and the backseat folds down for even more room, but leg room is definitely at a premium (sorry Mamoru ;p ).

You’ll have nicer handling, and a more comfortable ride than other smaller cars, and this is one of few models where the automatic, according to Edmunds, offers better performance.

What about the bottom line?

The 5-dr LS 1LS starts at $12,680. Fit with the power package (power doors and windows, remote keyless entry, and theft-deterrent system) engine block heater, auto transmission, and cruise, the price goes up to $13,430. Add in the sunroof and spoiler, upgraded cd/mp3 and 15 inch wheels, and you’re looking at $15,180.

This is different with the 4-dr models. The LS 1LS starts at $12,830.00 and comes standard with AC, front bucket seats with driver armest and tilting headrests, manual transmission, AM/FM stero with 6 speakers and input jacks, and 14 inch steel wheels. You can upgrade to include many of the same features of the base LT 1LT, including cruise control and better stereo. The LT 1LT starts at $14,580 and comes with more amenities but is upgradable to other extras (including a sunroof). Tricked out you’re looking at $16,600. Even if the extra thrills aren’t interesting for you, pick up the automatic transmission and the engine block heater. Both will help with performance/fuel efficiency (particularly in cold weather.)

Personally, I don’t think I would recommend this with the other models on the market unless you are overwhelmingly driving on highways, and are Really concerned with the quality of your car’s interior.

Sources: Edmunds, Yahoo! Autos, Chevrolet

[Images: Chevrolet]

Post from: EveryJoe

Is the Chevy Aveo Efficient/Affordable?

Larger than the Hyundai Accent, and not much more expensive, the Hyundai Elantra provides a good option for families who need a car that’s a little larger, or has more features (like cruise control) and it offers better safety ratings.

And it comes in “Purple Rain”. Okay, right now, I need this car. Which sucks because it only gets 25 mpg in the city/33 highway with an automatic transmission and 24 mpg city/33 mpg highway as a stick, but I can’t help being drawn to its Prince-like fervor. I don’t want to be your weekend… Ahem, moving on.

The GLS comes with ABS, tire pressure monitoring, front, front side and side-curtain airbags, 60/40 rear folding seat, power windows, locks and heated mirrors, keyless entry with alarm and trunk open … lotsa features, in other words. Add in A/C, an upgraded stereo system (6 speakers with AM/FM/XM/CD and MP3 capabilities) and sunroof, among other things, plus spoiler and mats, etc, and you’re looking to spend under $17,000. (Skipping the sunroof *sob* would save you roughly $1000.)

The SE is roughly $3000 more, and comes with Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control and Brake Assist, 16″ Alloy wheels, standard fog lights, standard AC, a telescoping steering wheel, leather and heated seats optional, audio controls on the steering wheel … basically a bunch of crap that is available through an aftermarket dealer for less should you decide you need it in the future.

And yes, I realize a sunroof falls under aftermarket crap you can add later … but it’s so much cooler a sunroof can contribute to better gas mileage, technically speaking. :p On either model, adding an automatic transmission costs roughly $1000.

For a look at more inexpensive cars with better-than-average green ratings, go here.

Source/Image Source: Hyundai USA

Post from: EveryJoe

Environmentally-friendly & Affordable: Hyundai Elantra @ $16,000

Cost to the Environment

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what the “good” cars really are. Dealerships certainly don’t know. I had a salesman point me to the HHR as the best car on their lot (even though it’s so cute … it certainly isn’t better for the planet than the Vibe or Aveo).

You can visit a number of sites and try to figure the numbers out on your own, or you can head to (yeh, I know, I was surprised too) Yahoo! Autos, where their Green Rating takes fuel efficiency, a variety of emissions and air pollutants and waste from manufacturing into consideration.

The Cost to Own

I would encourage people to look at the total cost of the car and not just the monthly payment. Insurance premiums. Replacement parts. As this article from MSNMoney points out, a good deal on the lot can still attack your pocketbook.

Also, cheap autos can wind up being more expensive than models you feel you’re shelling out for. The 2008 Toyota Prius has an estimated 5 year expense of $35,493. A 2008 Chevy Aveo, with only an initial cost of $15,447, has a 5 year cost of $33,320.

Edmund’s Cost to Own calculator looks at the cost of ownership over 5 years. Loss data by make and model (a bit outdated)

Inexpensive Cars and Safety Concerns

Sometimes people try to skimp on the cost by skimping on options, but those options can wind up preventing severe damage or injury.

In the case of the 2007-08 Yaris, a very fuel-friendly and inexpensive model, forgoing side airbags left potential for serious head, neck, chest, leg … basically, severe all over body damage. With side airbags? They received the highest rating. (Which is “Good” … seems a little anti-climatic, doesn’t it?) Those options might add a few hundred dollars onto your cost, but save you tremendously in the long run.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings can be found here

and National Highway Traffic Safety Admin results found here

ALL THAT SAID, I’m not living in a dreamworld where everyone has the $98,000.00 they need to pick up a Tesla Roadster. (Don’t I wish!) I can’t buy the car I really want, and sooner or later, I’ll have to look for one that they’ll let me drive away with.

Thankfully, there are some really inexpensive autos on the market that don’t pose major safety concerns and have comparable fuel efficiency, air pollution and carbon footprint measurements as higher cost, higher tech hybrids.

I’ll be updating this page from time to time with my current favorites, so you may want to bookmark it, or subscribe to the RSS Feed. Ooo, you could Stumble it too, if you like. ;)

Have fun shopping!

Hyundai Accent – $12,000

Hyundai Elantra – $16,000

Post from: EveryJoe

Most efficient & Most affordable

I really prefer the SE with the sunroof package. Um, all because of the potential impact on gas … and emissions … and not even a little because it’s “the cool one”. Honestly. Even with the fun stuff added, you come away with a car that has a lot to offer and with the rebate going right now, it’ll cost you under $15,000.

If that’s more than you want to spend though, the GS can be scored – with upgraded audio, etc -for under $12,000. The GLS 4-door is also under $15,000.

Fuel-efficiency is best (27 mpg city/32 mpg highway) with a stick, but automatic (24 mpg city/ 33 mpg highway) for roughly $1000 more per model. Like many of the smaller cars, there are problems when it comes to taking a hit. Rear passenger tests only scored 3 starts for side collisions in the Accent. The rest were pretty good however, at 5s and 4s. Safety ratings can be seen here.

Standard features on all 3:
Dual front advanced airbags with OCS
Driver and Front Passenger Side-impact airbags
Side Air Curtains (front and rear passengers)
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Child seat LATCH system
Front seatbelt pretensioners

Not (factory) available? Cruise control. I don’t get this, particularly with the other options they carry. Also not available? A rear wiper. (I have these on two cars and honestly use them maybe once a year, so I was very surprised to see people complaining about them.)

Each model has its own list of upgradeable options, even colors. If you like the Accent, but want more room, the Hyundai Elantra is also an inexpensive option.

[image source: Hyundai USA]

Post from: EveryJoe

The Environmentally-friendly & Affordable: Hyundai Accent @ $12,000

As I said earlier, PHEV stands for what? Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Why? Because all of the PHEVs today started out as regular ole’ hybrids, like the Prius or Escape. In fact, most are Priuses or Escapes. Honda’s hybrid system makes conversions more difficult, but there are a few out there (getting tremendous gas mileage, btw).

An additional benefit to PHEVs (pronounced “fev” and yes, I did have to ask, and it was such a pathetic question that nobody answered, but I did find out eventually) is that they fill up at night while most energy demands are low, and can theoretically feed energy back into the grid during times of greater use. They do raise a lot of interesting issues though, and hopefully we can get into them here.

There’s a ton of information online about PHEVs, including an initiative by Google.org to get more on the road, and several organizations set up to promote development of conversion kits or just to share the joys of driving electric with the world. I could list all of them for you, but that doesn’t give you much incentive to visit any of the sites, really, so please just go to the sites I’m going to be covering in related posts, and I’ll try to link to them here. Okay? Good.

If you come by in the future and want to check out the latest on plug-ins, feel free to click either PHEV or Plug-in at the menu on the right side of the screen. People tend to use the terms interchangeably. Hey, you might even check back next Friday to see if we’re talking about plug-ins again … but I’m not promising anything. ;)

RechargeIT.org (by Google)

Post from: EveryJoe

Welcome to PHEV Friday!

China represents the 2nd largest auto interest in the world, and with the introduction of the Honda Civic hybrid, Toyota Prius, and Buick Lacrosse Eco-Hybrid, major automakers are making a move to take advantage of China’s new environmental trends. In fact, Toyota began producing the Prius there, partnering with China FAW Group Corp. while GM’s move into the Chinese market represents an even bigger push.

In a joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. – Shanghai GM – the companies have put into action a program they call “Drive to Green.” Beginning in mid-2008, Shanghai GM will begin releasing a slew of environmentally friendly automobiles into the Chinese market, including the new Buick Lacross Eco-Hybrid, and a line of fuel cell vehicles starting in 2010. The company plans to cut overall fuel consumption by 10% across the board.

Sources:
Marketwatch
Reuters
Shanghai Daily

Post from: EveryJoe

Hybrids Clearing new Paths in China: GM’s Buick LaCross, Honda Civic, and Toyota Prius Hybrids

Best Minivans of 2007 & 2008

Even though we rarely use our minivan, after seeing the commercials for the new Dodge Caravan, I have to admit I was excited. Don’t be haters. I love cars – all shapes, all colors. I had to get a look for myself.

What I found upon looking inside the Grand Caravan, and it’s sister the Town & Country, was that … it’s not all its cracked up to be. The materials do not look very sturdy. I don’t feel it would hold up very well to my kids and their friends.

Check out this video on the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country here.

For 2008, more minivans have been converted to FlexFuel despite lowered fuel economy when using E85. I can only speak for my area, but E85 isn’t priced low enough at this time to make up the difference. I don’t think it’s an option people are going to be very happy about.

2007 models

Dodge Caravan 2WD*
4 cylinder, 2.4 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
17 mpg city/ 24 mpg hwy

Dodge Caravan 2WD*
6 cylinder, 3.3 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
17 mpg city/ 24 mpg hwy

Chrysler Voyager/Town and Country*
6 cylinder, 3.3 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
17 mpg city/ 24 mpg hwy

Honda Odyssey 2WD*
6 cylinder, 3.5 L engine, Automatic 5-speed
17 mpg city/ 24 mpg hwy

Toyota Sienna 2WD*
6 cylinder, 3.5 L engine, Automatic 5-speed
17 mpg city/ 24 mpg hwy

2008 models

Chrysler Town & Country*
6 cylinder, 3.3 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
17 mpg city/ 24 mpg hwy

Dodge Caravan 2WD*
6 cylinder, 3.3 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
17 mpg city/ 24 mpg hwy

Toyota Sienna 2WD
6 cylinder, 3.5 L engine, Automatic 5-speed
17 mpg city/ 23 mpg hwy

* These models have the same gas mileage. Stats from FuelEconomy.gov

Post from: EveryJoe

Best Minivans of 2007 & 2008

Prius in Spectra Blue Mica -
with a redesigned Prius hitting markets next year, consumers may save a bundle by waiting to purchase 2008s until then.

Top Five Family Sedans for 2007 & 2008

There’s a little more variation between 2007 and 2008 family sedans. We see the addition of a new hybrid (the Malibu, now in limited availability) and better mileage by the Kia Spectra.

2007 Models

Toyota Prius
4 cylinder, 1.5 L engine, Automatic
48 mpg city/ 45 mpg hwy

Nissan Altima Hybrid
4 cylinder, 2.5 L engine, Automatic
35 mpg city/ 33 mpg hwy

Toyota Camry Hybrid
4 cylinder, 2.4 L engine, Automatic
33 mpg city/ 34 mpg hwy

Hyundai Elantra
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
25 mpg city/ 33 mpg hwy

Honda Accord Hybrid**
6 cylinder, 3 L engine, Automatic 5-speed
24 mpg city/ 32 mpg hwy

Saturn Aura Hybrid**
4 cylinder, 2.4 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
24 mpg city/ 32 mpg hwy

2008 Models

Toyota Prius
4 cylinder, 1.5 L engine, Automatic
48 mpg city/ 45 mpg hwy

Nissan Altima Hybrid
4 cylinder, 2.5 L engine, Automatic
35 mpg city/ 33 mpg hwy

Toyota Camry Hybrid
4 cylinder, 2.4 L engine, Automatic
33 mpg city/ 34 mpg hwy

Hyundai Elantra
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
25 mpg city/ 33 mpg hwy

Chevy Malibu Hybrid**
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
24 mpg city/ 32 mpg hwy

Kia Spectra**
4 cylinder, 2 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
24 mpg city/ 32 mpg hwy

Saturn Aura Hybrid**
4 cylinder, 2.4 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
24 mpg city/ 32 mpg hwy

* All figures taken from FuelEconomy.gov and focus on models with automatic transmissions, although sometimes, manuals can get better gas mileage

** Share gas mileage statistics

Post from: EveryJoe

Best Family Sedans for 2007 & 2008: Prius, Altima & Camry hybrids, Elantra

Top Five Subcompact/compact Cars for 2007 & 2008

Honda Civic Hybrid
4 cylinder, 1.3 L engine, Automatic
40 mpg city/ 45 mpg hwy

Toyota Yaris
4 cylinder, 1.5 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
29 mpg city/ 35 mpg hwy

Honda Fit
4 cylinder, 1.5 L engine, Automatic 5-speed
27 mpg city/ 35 mph hwy

Nissan Versa
4 cylinder, 1.8 L engine, Automatic
27 mpg city/ 33 mpg hwy

Toyota Corolla
4 cylinder, 1.8 L engine, Automatic 4-speed
26 mpg city/ 35 mpg hwy

* All figures taken from FuelEconomy.gov and focus on models with automatic transmissions, although sometimes, manuals can get better gas mileage

Post from: EveryJoe

Best Compact/Subcompacts for 2007 & 2008: Civic Hybrid, Yaris, Fit, Versa, Corolla