Crave

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Toyota techs up the 2008 Toyota 4Runner with an available Urban Runner Package, an experiment in integrating a portable navigation device into the car's dashboard. The navigation device is a TomTom, branded as a TomTom Toyota, and it does much more than simple navigation, potentially catapulting the 4Runner into the ranks of the most technically advanced cars. But the inclusion of the Urban Runner Package affects the 4Runner's electronics and cosmetic details, without changing the SUV's off-road capabilities. The ride height is unchanged, and our four-wheel-drive version included a locking center differential and a hill descent program.

Read the review of the 2008 Toyota 4Runner.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

The 2008 Suzuki XL7 Limited is about as much crossover SUV as you can get for the money. Its ride quality and cabin materials might not be on a par with those of other models in the segment, but the XL7 Limited does pack an impressive payload of features--including one safety-tech system that we've not seen anywhere else.

Read the review.

(Credit: General Motors/Zerc Customs)

Here's one that's sure to chap the hides of eco-warriors everywhere: An engineering lecturer from a university in the U.K. has converted a full-size Hummer H3 into a remote controlled toy.

So those folks who get bent out of shape when they see people commuting alone in ginormous SUVs will really love the idea of a Hummer that can pollute without anyone in the car. Now that's progress.

James Brighton from Britain's Cranfield University converted the new right-hand drive version of the H3 in about a month's time. No doubt it's certainly an impressive feat of engineering; the car can climb a 16-inch vertical wall and operate in up to two feet of water.

The press release sent out to journalists touts the creation as "the ultimate boy's toy." And as a girl who's into cars, I'd normally take offense. But I admit, aside from the "wow" factor, this is one I just don't get.

Scion eBox

(Credit: AC Propulsion)

I had a chance recently to test drive two of the cars whose creators are bent on changing the way we view transportation, a converted all electric Scion eBox by Silicon Valley startup AC Propulsion, and a Saturn Vue Greenline hybrid. Both were highly enjoyable. The first, with a $70,000 price tag and a $10,000 deposit, is clearly an EV targeted at Conspicuous Sustainability consumers. I guess then, that the Saturn Vue Greenline with a $24,000 price tag, is perhaps the hybrid for the rest of us.

Saturn Vue Greenline

(Credit: General Motors)

One of my friends, who was considering buying an eBox invited me to take it for a spin up and down some of the San Francisco hills with him while he was test driving. I have to admit, coming down California Street into downtown, one of the City's steeper hills, is an entertaining way to get used to the feel of regenerative braking on a true EV. I highly recommend it. For most of the drive I never touched the brakes. To stop you simply take your foot off the accelerator. And for those who have not driven an EV before the acceleration itself is phenomenal. Touch, and Go. Of course, with a $55,000 price tag for the EV conversion (you provide the Scion), limited range, and few electric charging stations, a purchase would be a hard call for me to make. The payback on fuel savings, many times the useful life of the car.

In contrast, General Motors (NYSE:GM) had given me a 2007 Saturn Vue to drive around for a week, to get the feel of it. If anything, GM is not known as an innovator of clean technologies. They are still tarred with the who killed the electric car brush by many environmentalists. That has only made it harder for GM to get out the message on things like its massive R&D effort in fuel cell cars, its push into flex fuel and ethanol with the Live Green Go Yellow campaign, and now hybrids. Having been to a number of their press luncheons on some of the new technologies they have been developing, I had some idea what to expect, but had not written about it before. The Vue is what is known as a mild hybrid, and its lack of bleeding edge, ultra green technology compared to a Prius had a few of my greener friends turning their noses up at it. But this didn't really phase me after I drove it. As a car and SUV, I found it quite impressive. It handled wonderfully, was extremely quiet, and quite comfortable. You can feel the regenerative braking, but only as a slight tug, so besides the lack of noise, it is like driving any other SUV. Saturn bills it as getting the best highway gas mileage of any SUV, and the cheapest hybrid SUV on the market (not to mention a little quicker than the conventional Vue). Like all hybrids today, the payback is real, but not so great. At the average miles driven per year for most Americans we are talking 9 to 11 years or so compared to the standard Vue, according to my conversation with the Saturn people. If you happen to a real heavy commuter 25,000 to 30,000 miles per year type of thing, the payback may be down towards 5 or 6 years. In short, despite the c. 20 percent fuel savings, a consumer is looking at 120,000 to 150,000 plus miles before reaching a payback, depending on your assumptions, for this or almost any hybrid. The real payback, as always, comes from just buying a smaller car, hybrid or not.

What I love is that the Vue Greenline is really just the first in the Saturn line of hybrids and cleaner fueled cars. GM is basically planning on making virtually the entire Saturn line as green as can be. It is rolling out something like 8 new hybrids or hybrid versions of existing Saturn makes as we speak over the next couple of years. And at a $24,000 price tag, I could actually see buying one of these.

So whether you have the pocket books to look for full EV conversion or just a mild hybrid to make a small difference like the rest of us, the choice is there.

(Credit: SkyMall)

Let's say you want to impress your golfing buddies but are afraid of accidentally doing bodily harm to them with a mini-Hummer. There's another way to state your machismo, with the "Berline Cadillac Escalade Golf Cart."

It's actually a little cheaper than the Hummer too--if $13,995 can be called cheap at any juncture, that is, for a golf cart. That buys you "a hand-laid fiberglass body, marine-grade vinyl seats, custom paint and chrome mirrors," according to Uncrate, though a custom hard top will cost more.

The Escalade cart is electric despite its SUV appearance, so it's a fair compromise without going the full solar-powered route. And you won't make a complete fool of yourself tooling around in one, as long as you stay on the golf course.

Chevy Tahoe hybrid

General Motors is banking on the increasing demand for fuel-efficient cars by launching hybrid versions of two of its full-size SUVs: the GMC Yukon and the Chevy Tahoe. And although the cars aren't slated to go on sale until this fall, GM is already busy building buzz.

The new models, available in both two- and four-wheel drive, use a "two-mode" powertrain designed jointly by GM with BMW and Daimler-Chrysler. This Hybrid Operating System (HOS) allows the car to operate either on electricity or gasoline, depending on the power needs of the car.

Allocation of electric power versus gasoline power is determined by a combination of factors, including driver input, speed and terrain. GM claims the Tahoe can run with gentle throttle input (that is, no punching down on the gas pedal) up to about 32 miles per hour purely on electric power. If the driver reaches higher speeds, accelerates quickly or starts up a steep grade, the internal combustion V8 engine will kick in to deliver more power. The two-mode system also provides enough juice to tow up to 6,200 pounds.

Like other hybrids, the Tahoe and Yukon use regenerative braking to help recharge the car's 300-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery when the car stops or slows down. Two electric motors power an electronically variable hybrid transmission.

GM hasn't released numbers in any detail yet, but the company claims the new hybrids are 40 percent more fuel-efficient in city driving alone, and 25 percent more fuel-efficient overall than their nonhybrid counterparts. The big discrepancy between city and overall performance is due, in part, to the fact that the car relies more heavily on electric power at slower speeds, and because city driving requires more braking, which charges the battery more often.

GMC Yukon hybrid

While the two-mode system seems to provide ample power, it's hard to believe the typical full-size-SUV owner would use these cars in a manner that would achieve maximum fuel efficiency. Passengers and cargo, as well as towing, affect gas mileage drastically. Even with a light load, fuel efficiency can vary greatly from driver to driver -- lead-footers will see that fuel gauge needle drop much faster.

Even under optimal driving conditions, a mere 25 percent overall improvement in fuel quality is a little disappointing. The 2007 nonhybrid models of the Tahoe and Yukon are rated between 15 and 22 miles per gallon, depending on the trim level. That means, at their best, the new hybrids will perform 3.75 to 5.5 miles per gallon better overall (although GM says city driving alone yields an improvement of 6 miles per gallon).

That said, continued consumer demand for horsepower and a simultaneous increase in environmental awareness must make it incredibly difficult for designers and engineers to strike a balance between fuel efficiency and performance, especially with vehicles this size. With these seemingly conflicting interests in mind, the Tahoe and Yukon do a fair job pleasing some without alienating others. And while GM's hybrid models are a step in the right direction, the reality is, at this point in time, gigantic SUVs still aren't good for the environment.

GM plans to unveil hybrid versions of other cars and trucks over the next couple of years, including hybrid Saturn and Cadillac models. Could a fuel-efficient Escalade be on its way?

(Credit: Ford Motor)

Mazda says it's come up with a car technology that's the closest thing to having eyes in the back of your head. The "Back Up Camera with Auto-Dimming Mirror Display" promises to do precisely what the prosaic name indicates: Its rear-view mirror has an LCD screen that appears only when the car is in reverse, otherwise concealed by a special coating (called "transflective," whatever that means).

The idea is to eliminate blind spots with a built-in camera that sends a live feed to the 2.4-inch screen embedded in the mirror, which will be available as an option for Mazda's CX-9 SUV. Prices start at $665, but Gadgetell notes that this is the "poor man's" version of a rear-view display that comes standard with the automaker's GPS system. Or, as some have suggested, you could save your money and just turn around.

ZAP is giving four-wheeling enthusiasts a proverbial peek under the hood. The electric car maker just released some conceptual drawings of its ZAP-X Crossover SUV.

ZAP-X Crossover SUV

(Credit: ZAP)

The ZAP-X Crossover SUV will feature all-wheel drive, with in-hub electric motors, a design that aims to deliver 644 horsepower and a top speed of 155 mph. But most electrical vehicle buyers have one thing in mind: "How far can I go, before I need to juice up?" The ZAP-X Crossover aims to reach a 350-mile range before it needs another 10-minute charge.

The price? $60,000. That's roughly the cost of two Honda Pilots.

Here's another way to crunch the numbers. The price difference between the ZAP-X and Honda Pilot is equivalent to an additional 10,000 gallons of gas at Northern California prices. That's about the same as 500 trips to the gas station to fill up a Pilot's tank.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

(Credit: CNET Networks)

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Fed up with the withering death-stares we were getting from other drivers on the streets of San Francisco, we decided to take our 2007 Ford Expedition review car somewhere more welcoming. We found exactly what we were looking for among the tractor trailers and disused warehouses of an industrial estate just south of the city. There, we could just sit with the Expedition's 5.4-liter V-8 idling away and feel right at home next to other pieces of mammoth machinery.

We did have a few more creature comforts than the other truckers around us, however. The Expedition comes with an impressive range of optional cabin tech, including a DVD-based touch screen GPS navigation system, Sirius Satellite Radio, a six-disc in-dash changer, climate-controlled leather seats, and a rear-seat entertainment system.

The navigation system is similar to what we saw in the 2007 Ford Escape hybrid, and for the most part meets with our approval. Despite its relatively small screen, the maps are clear, and the touch screen functionality makes it easy to program. This is more than can be said for the voice-command system, however. While it understood our commands most of the time, the Ford voice-command interface suffers from two significant drawbacks: first, it insists on reading back to the driver all the stages of each multistep programming process; second, the car's voice guidance sounds like a drunk robot slurring its words, which is disconcerting at the best of times.

Other tech on the Eddie Bauer Expedition tester includes power-folding third-row seats (standard) and a power lift-gate (optional). Our tester also came decked out with some upscale add-ons, including 20-inch chrome-clad wheels, a chrome-tipped exhaust pipe, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

We'll be driving the Expedition around for the next week, careful not to venture too far from a gas station at any time: according to the spec sheet that came with the vehicle, the usual EPA gas-mileage rating is "not applicable to this unit." Hmmm, I wonder why? Look out for our full review on CNET Car Tech sometime over the next week.