mileage

Do you feel like you're not quite getting the gas mileage out of your car that you should be? Tracking your fuel economy can provide you with some hard evidence to determine whether something is wrong. Some cars have built-in computers that can calculate your mileage, but they don't offer much in the way of customization or provide other useful stats.

FuelLog is an Android app that can help you easily track your gas mileage and offers a lot of statistics to help you get a better picture of your car's fuel consumption. You can track things … Read more

The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze models with the 1.4L turbo and six-speed automatic transmission will get 2 mpg better fuel economy for a 38 mpg rating, the company announced on Wednesday.

The current model is rated at 36 mpg.

According to Chevrolet, a lower axle ratio for the 2012 models enables about a 5 percent increase in highway fuel efficiency for Cruze. The Cruze Eco with an automatic transmission will deliver as much as 39 mpg on the highway compared with 37 mpg for the current model.

Last month CNET reported that the 2011 Cruze Eco boasted a 42-mpg highway … Read more

I had a few ideas about how to end this week's look at the Toyota Prius. I could have continued presenting videos on the many neat features that Toyota is pioneering with the Prius. Usually on Fridays, I like to bring something a little more entertaining to the table, so I decided against that approach and came up with a video that I didn't know existed.

Most media reports praise the Prius and tend to proclaim Toyota's hybrid car flag-bearer as the most eco-friendly and economical car that money can buy. But Jeremy Clarkson, star of the … Read more

I've focused this week's blogs on the newest hybrid vehicles on the market for the 2010 automotive year, and today is no exception. Today's Web clip features the 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML 450 Hybrid; but fear not, as there are no boring narrators or bad techno music on this video to pull attention away from the car. In fact, the only sounds you'll hear are those of the vehicle against the wind.

The M-class rocks a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that produces 335 horsepower and starts about $55,000. The 450 ML gets about 22.5 miles … Read more

This week, we've been taking a look at some of 2010's biggest gas-guzzlers. Not surprisingly, this list has been chock full of utility vehicles, and today's blog chalks up yet another entry for Land Rover. Yesterday, we got a look-see at the 2010 LR4, and our newest inductee into the Low Mileage Hall of Fame is the Land Rover Range Rover Sport (which also wins another award for the most redundant vehicle name ever). The LRRRS boasts average gas mileage of 12 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway--not god awful, but certainly nothing … Read more

Not too long ago I delivered a few blog posts featuring some big-ol' gas guzzling SUVs like the Hummer and the Dartz Kombat. Well, I was sitting here stumped on what to write a blog about and I thought to myself that I hadn't done a full-fledged theme week with this video blog in a while, and from there I brainstormed what to do: this week's video blog posts are going to take a look at some of the worst new and ongoing offenders in gas mileage. And I figured since I was giving Hummer some air time … Read more

If you're wondering how the familiar term "gas mileage" translates to a car that runs partially on electric batteries, you're not alone.

Industry group SAE International plans to recommend that the Environmental Protection Agency use "electricity per mile" in addition to the familiar miles-per-gallon rating for plug-in electric vehicles, according to a member of the SAE committee tasked with the job. The EPA is working on mileage ratings for plug-ins, which are poised to enter the market, and reviewing its rules for displaying fuel economy on car stickers.

Because efficiency for gas-electric hybrids is … Read more

Plug-in hybrids get far better mileage than standard cars or regular hybrids--and emit far less pollution.

But they are also tough to justify economically at the moment with existing technology, according to the first several months of data from RechargeIT.org, which is studying how well plug-in hybrids work in real-world circumstances.

Plug-ins, in fact, only cut gas consumption by about 88 gallons a year over regular Priuses in urban driving. That comes to an annual savings of $158 to $250 (when you factor in the cost of electricity too). With the conversion running around $15,000, the payoff … Read more

Although Detroit's big automakers have been whining about the potential negative impact of higher fuel efficiency standards might have on their business, a report issued this week says they could actually profit from stiffer regulations.

The study, conducted by Citi and Investor Network on Climate Risk studied a proposal in the U.S. senate to raise the CAF? standards. Most car makers would be unaffected in any changes through 2012. General Motors, however, could see an increase of 25 cents a share in earnings as a result of the changes. Chrysler would benefit the least.

The gains would come … Read more