Cars that deliver 30 mph typically don’t deliver much else. Acceleration is, at best, peppy. You can buy fuel efficiency, but you can’t find a thrill.

The 2009 BMW 335d is a breakthrough automobile: great fuel economy coupled with great performance.

The reason is BMW’s 3-liter, inline six-cylinder twin-turbocharged diesel engine. This clean-burning diesel engine cranks out 265 horsepower and an astonishing 425 lb-ft of torque. What’s torque, you say? Torque is what pins you to the back of the seat when you punch the accelerator.

BMW says the 335d jumps from 0-60 mph in six seconds and we have no reason to say otherwise. It’s tough to work a stopwatch with both hands on the wheel and a big grin on your face.

Diesel cars are no longer the clattering, black smoke spewing vehicles of decades on by. New generation diesels burn cleaner than most gasoline engines. The BMW 335d, in fact, qualifies for a federal Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Tax Credit of up to $900.

The fuel economy is stunning for a car of this size that offers this performance. The EPA fuel economy estimate is 23 mpg in city driving and 36 mpg in highway driving. We got nearly 34 mpg in a mix of driving that included very little of the set-the-cruise-control freeway driving that boosts average fuel economy readings.

Oh, and did we mention this car is fun, fun, fun to drive? The six-speed automatic transmission makes good use of the power. The handling is rock solid as is now expected from BMW. The car has dynamic stability control, traction control and four-wheel ventilated anti-lock brakes.

The cabin is very comfortable, luxurious in a minimalist Germanic sort of way. The front seats have plenty of lateral support to keep folks from sliding side to side as the car zips through S-turns.

Rear passenger legroom is strictly OK and there isn’t much storage space. But you can’t have everything. A fuel-efficient car that hauls ass will have to be enough.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Do I believe in love at first sight? Yes, I’m certain it happens all the time. Like when driving the 2010 Mazda3 to the grocery store.

We had just made a left out of our subdivision, accelerated sharply, hit a big sweeping country-road sort of curve and coming out the other end – less than two miles into a week-long test drive – I said aloud: “I like this car.”

Mazda’s biggest seller – 44 percent of North American sales in 2008 – is redesigned inside and out for the coming automotive model year, which, like Christmas, seems to get here earlier and earlier. The end result of all the tinkering is a compact that raises the bar for a crowded category that includes the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Nissan Sentra.

The Mazda3, unlike many econ-boxes, feels rock solid.  The steering precision and feel is like that of a more costly sports sedan, the result, Mazda says, of adding a third mounting point near the center of the electro hydraulic-assisted rack-and-pinion steering gear.

The 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine is bigger than the power plant of earlier generations of the Mazda3. The 168-horsepower won’t snap your neck, but there is some fun-to-drive spunk.

Fuel economy is good, but not great. The EPA estimate is 22 mpg in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway. We got 23.5 mpg in a mix of driving that was heavy on suburban stop-and-go traffic.

The Mazda3 has earned the EPA’s SmartWay designation given vehicles that score 6 or better on a scale of 1-10 on each of the air pollution and greenhouse gas indices.

The interior design of this entry-level car is decidedly upscale, with a gauge and screen display unmatched in any car of any price. The display screen containing navigation, audio, and trip information is positioned high on the instrument panel to allow the driver to keep his/her eyes on the road. A second screen slightly to the right provides station frequency and climate control setting information.

The fit, finish and materials are good, and neon blue accent lighting is hidden behind the door handles. A cool touch.

Front passengers will be quite comfortable, but those riding in the back seat have, at best, just adequate legroom. The trunk is plenty big and a 60-40 split-folding rear seat expands the cargo compartment.

Safety gear includes side impact air bags.

The loaded test car  – equipped with navigation system, satellite radio, moonroof and 242-watt Bose sound system – had a sticker price of $22,800.

See more photos on the next page.

If you like to keep things simple, you’ll like the 2009 Nissan Versa 1.6 sedan. This is a thrifty commuter car for those who have embraced voluntary simplicity.

Nissan introduced a bare-bones edition of the subcompact Versa last fall to bring to market a new car with a starting sticker price of less than $10,000. To hit that price point, Nissan replaced the 1.8-liter engine with a smaller 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The company also stripped away the gadgets and do-dads many drivers have come to expect.

The cheapest edition has no air-conditioning. While the test vehicle was equipped with A/C (at a base MSRP of $10,990) there are few other comforts.

There is no radio — and no power windows, no power locks, no power mirrors, no center console armrest. Some things are easier to live with than others. The window cranks are quaint – who knew they still made window cranks? – but the manual locks and mirrors generate more hassle that you would expect.

The car, however, does a perfectly adequate job of getting from Point A to Point B. The performance is short of peppy, but the 107-horsepower power plant allows you to merge safely into freeway traffic. The five-speed shifter is sure enough, as is the handling.

The cabin is surprisingly quiet, something you’ll really notice without the distraction of any sort of sound system. The seats are comfortable and the cloth upholstery feels pretty nice. The interior trim is Spartan, but it’s nicer than some Chryslers costing twice as much.

The back seats offer generous legroom and enough headroom to wear a cowboy hat. The trunk seems as spacious as anything you’ll find in the class.

The Versa is frugal, getting an EPA estimated 26 mpg in city driving and 34 mpg on the highway. The car is rated as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle.

Most buyers looking for a get-to-work car will almost certainly add some options – starting with the $250 anti-lock braking system. But $10,000 is a pretty good starting point.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

The variables that go into calculating the economics of driving a car will make your head hurt. The considerations include purchase price, depreciation, fuel economy, maintenance costs and insurance. Does the extra you pay for hybrid technology now pay off in savings at the pump over the long haul?

Anybody have a calculator?

But here is the bottom line for most car buyers: What’s it like once you slide your tush behind the wheel?
By that matrix, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI measures up pretty well.

The attention-grabbing numbers of this new-generation, clean-burning diesel sedan are, of course, the miles per gallon. Diesel engines are typically more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines and the EPA fuel economy estimates for the Jetta TDI are 29 mpg city and 40 mpg highway.

Real world performance is even better. We got 43 mpg in a 200-mile freeway drive going 70 mph or better. We got better than 30 mpg driving to Blockbuster and back.

That fuel economy, sadly, doesn’t translate into cash savings because of the gap between gasoline prices and diesel, currently about $1 a gallon. But who knows what the difference might be five years from now? And figure on driving the Jetta TDI for a long time. Diesels are known for durability. If you read a cute story about a guy driving a car with 1 million miles on the odometer, it’s likely diesel powered.

The cabin of the Jetta TDI, fortunately, isn’t a bad place to spend the next decade. The interior materials are better than you might expect in a car of this price point. The front seats offer good lateral support. The heated leather seats of the test vehicle quickly got nice and toasty.

Big passengers in the back seat might not be quite as comfy, however. Headroom is an issue for anyone over 6 feet.

Standard creature comforts include air conditioning, cruise control, a CD player, eight-way adjustable front seats with height, angle and lumbar support adjustments. The test car had an upgraded 10-speaker sound system with six-disc in-dash CD player, iPod jack and satellite radio.

The controls for tunes and temperature are big, simple and easy to use – unlike those of another German carmaker.

The Jetta TDI is also satisfying to drive. The 2-liter four-cylinder clean diesel engine generates 140 horsepower and 236 pounds-foot of torque, which means the little sedan pulls away from a stoplight strongly, not like an econo-box at all. The Jetta TDI is available with either a six-speed manual transmission, or six-speed automatic.

Safety features include electronic stability control and an array of air bags that include driver and front passenger thorax air bags and side curtain air bags for those front and back. Rear passenger side thorax airbags are an option worth paying for.

The starting MSRP is $21,990 and the test car had a sticker price of $24,190. The Jetta TDI qualifies for an Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Federal Tax Credit, so you’ll get $1,300 back from Uncle Sam if you buy one.

Yet another variable in the equation.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Related story:

• VW’s Jetta TDI, a winning diesel option for cost-conscious green drivers

The MINI Cooper S proves fighting global warming can be fun.

This distinctive, diminutive cult car is fuel efficient, getting an EPA estimated 34 miles per gallon in highway driving.

But people considering a MINI Cooper – especially the turbocharged S edition – aren’t primarily interested in mpg. They’re more concerned with gpg – grins per gallon. The Cooper S offers plenty.

The turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine roars with 172 horsepower. Coupled with a clickity crisp six-speed stick shift, the tiny car is quick, quick, quick. The spec sheet says the 0-60 mph is 6.7 seconds, but it feels much faster because of the scale – just as 25 mph in a go-cart seems so much faster than the same speed in the family minivan.

Of course, quick is no fun if you’re sliding all over the place. The MINI Cooper is rock solid, the steering laser precise. It’s the sort of handling that gives life to clichés like “riding on rails.”

This is a sports car, even if the looks are too cute by half for some tastes. But the people who like the look are loyal. That is just one reason the MINI Cooper was recently a winner in the Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards.

But with any cult, there are quirks that may turn off some drivers. The controls aren’t intuitive. For example, the switches for the door locks and power windows are at the bottom of the center instrument panel. As with any car made by BMW, expect to spend some time studying the owner’s manual.

And while there is a back seat, don’t expect to put adults back there. None any that you like, anyway.

The starting sticker price is $21,200 and it’s easy to pile on the options. The test car, which featured satellite radio with a lifetime subscription, was $27,850.

See more high mileage cars in our 30 Over 30 story.

Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Some people buy a car looking for thrills. Others want a little prestige under the hood. A lot of folks, though, just want something to get them to work and to the grocery store as cheaply as possible.

The 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5 Hatchback is a car for those people.

The Aveo5, and its sedan counterpart, get an EPA estimated 34 miles per gallon in highway driving and you can expect darn close to 30 mpg in your typical mix of run-around-the-suburbs driving. Aveo meets the ULEV II emissions standard.

Your upfront costs are also low. The starting sticker price for a bare bones Aveo is just over $12,000. Nearly everyone will spend more for the LT trim level that includes air-conditioning and sound system with a CD player.

The test car was a comfortably equipped 1LT trim that included power windows and door locks, satellite radio, cruise control and four-speed automatic transmission for less than $15,000.

But what do you get for $15,000? No thrills, certainly.

The 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine generates just 106 horsepower. Merging onto heavy freeway traffic takes some finesse – you can’t just leap into a gap. The steering is nimble enough at slow speeds, but the handling grows more vague as the speedometer inches upward.

The cabin is comfortable, with good headroom front and back. The back seat is surprisingly spacious, offering decent legroom for anyone under 6′-1″ or so.

The knobs for the climate control system are large and easy to use while keeping your eyes on the road. Same for the audio controls.

Safety equipment includes side impact air bags for front seat passengers, but not for the folks in the back.

The Aveo5 won’t do much for your ego, but it will help your bottom line. If you’re looking for a commuter car, the Aveo is worth putting on your list.

Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Heated and cooled leather seats? Of course.

Touch-screen navigation system? Natch.

Killer Bose sound system? Satellite radio? Blind spot alert?

Check, check and check.

The 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid offers all this and another luxury: a clear conscience.

Slideshow: View the Escalade Hybrid

Well, clearer maybe. Even with its state-of-the-current-art two-mode gasoline-electric hybrid system, the Escalade Hybrid is still pretty thirsty, getting about 20 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving. That’s about half the mpg of a Honda Civic Hybrid or a Toyota Prius.

But the Civic and the Prius can’t haul six or seven people or tow a horse trailer. So, the Escalade Hybrid fills a niche and offers a more fuel-efficient alternative to the traditional big honking SUV.

The Escalade Hybrid – billed by Cadillac as the world’s first large luxury SUV hybrid – delivers a 50-percent fuel economy improvement in city driving.  The EPA estimated mpg of the old-fashioned V-8 powered Escalade is just 12 city and 19 highway. The hybrid gets 20 mpg city.

And it still has a big 403-horsepower, 6-liter V-8 mated with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The big SUV can travel up to 25 mph on electric power alone – if you have a feather touch on the gas pedal. A good habit to develop no matter what you’re driving.

The two-mode hybrid system consists of an electrically variable transmission and 300-volt nickel-metal hydride battery than works with the V-8. The hybrid system allows the V-8 to operate in its more economical four-cylinder mode for longer periods.

The cabin is well appointed and filled with gadgets. It’s a Cadillac, after all. One cool gizmo is a side mirror blind zone alert system that lights an icon in the side mirrors when a closing vehicle is in the blind spot. Handy feature to have in heavy traffic.

A rearview camera system also boosts visibility when backing.

All this technology doesn’t come cheaply – alas. The sticker price on the test car was $72,780.

Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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With highway fuel economy of 30 mpg, the Suzuki SX4 certainly conserves gasoline. And, more importantly these days, this compact sedan conserves cash. A comfortably well-equipped SX4 – complete with standard touch-screen navigation system – rolls off the dealer lot for less than $16,000. That makes it financially competitive in its class, and as economical as most cars featured in our “30(cars) Over 30(mpg)” gallery.

Suzuki, best known in the United States for making motorcycles, this fall added a Garmin navigation unit as standard equipment to both the four-door SX4 Sport and the five-door SX4 Crossover. The gizmo comes on top of an already impressive list of standard equipment, considering the price, that includes air conditioning, power windows, doors and locks, anti-lock brakes and an array of airbags that includes side curtain airbags.

The test car boasted cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and remote keyless entry. All for a sticker price of $15,270.

The 2-liter I-4 engine delivers 143 horsepower, giving the SX4 a bit of spunk. The five-speed manual transmission was crisp enough and a four-speed automatic transmission is available for those who haven’t learned to work a clutch.

The interior isn’t luxurious, but it doesn’t feel cheap. The backseat is comfortable for two and raised a bit – much like movie theater seats – to give passengers a good view. Trunk space, at 15.5 cubic feet, is generous and the rear seats fold down to expand the cargo space.

Suzuki provides a 100,000-mile, seven-year power train limited warranty and free roadside assistance.

The SX4 offers few driving thrills, but plenty bang for the buck.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

By Clint Williams

Let’s be honest: For most folks, conservation implies sacrifice. Maybe even a little discomfort. Turn down the thermostat to save energy, your feet are cold.

There is no sacrifice involved driving the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid. Not after you write the check, anyway. In fact, Honda this year is adding some nice touches. The most important addition is electronic stability control, now standard. Options now include leather-trimmed interior, heated seats, navigation system, XM satellite radio and Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®.

The Civic Hybrid is powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine and a 15 kilowatt electric motor, producing a combined 110-horsepower. That horsepower is harnessed by a smooth continuously variable transmission. Acceleration is best described as adequate, but this isn’t a sports car.

Steering is reassuringly crisp and overall handling is good, helped by a rigid body frame and fully-independent MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension.

The leather-trimmed interior is handsome and the bright, glowing digital displays are very easy to read and have a spaceship look. There are plenty of nooks for storage. Rear legroom is surprisingly generous if there are two adults in the back. But if there are three, the third passenger needs to be the shortest one in the group.

But people will buy this car to save gas. The Civic Hybrid has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 40 miles per gallon in city driving and 45 mpg on the highway. The test car fell a bit short of that, getting 37.8 mpg, according to the dashboard trip computer, in a mix of city and highway driving typical to suburban life.

That is still significantly higher than a Civic EX-L with a five-speed automatic transmission that gets 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.

The higher fuel economy of the Civic Hybrid comes at a cost. The top-of-the-line hybrid tested has a sticker price of $26,750 – $3,195 more than a comparably equipped EX-L edition.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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