May 2nd, 2013

Those who doubt evolution just need slide behind the wheel of a Kia Rio – a dramatically different car than it was 10 years ago, shaped by the survival-of-the-fittest business model of the automobile industry. The 2013 Kia Rio SX – the highest of three available trims – may have you ponder what constitutes a luxury car.

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March 22nd, 2013

The 2013 Kia Soul shows hip can be practical. The distinctive styling and interior mood lighting of the four-door hatchback is designed to draw Gen Y hipsters, but the utility and value of this nice little car will appeal to every generation.

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June 11th, 2012

There was a time – not so long ago, actually – when driving a car getting 30 mpg on the highway earned you bragging rights among the thrifty. Now, not so much.
Forty miles per gallon is the new 30 mpg. A growing number of cars now boast of EPA fuel economy estimates of 40 mpg…

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March 12th, 2012

You can’t really say the Toyota Camry is exciting, but this may get your pulse racing – 38.8 miles per gallon.

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January 27th, 2012

You reach a certain age when it seems the only surprises are bad surprises. The 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid is a rare happy surprise. The rise of Korean automobile makers is an oft-told tale – cheap lemons to top-notch serious competition for the likes of Toyota and Honda. The 2012 Kia Optima isn’t your father’s Kia. Heck, it isn’t even your big brother’s Kia.

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November 3rd, 2011

The 2012 Toyota Yaris is better than the car it replaces – evidence that increasing competition in the small car market benefits drivers.

The redesigned Yaris looks less cute – and that is a good thing. Earlier versions of the Yaris looked like a big bubble. The more aggressively styled (relatively speaking) 2012 Yaris is longer and lower. The wheelbase is now 98.8 inches, two inches longer, while the overall length of the car is nearly three inches longer at 153.5 inches.

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June 10th, 2011

The 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid is the first gasoline-electric hybrid to make me say, “Wow,” and “Boy, howdy.”

The 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid "sails" to save fuel.

The hybrid driving experience is typically cerebral, as in “What efficient technology. The long-term fuel savings will be beneficial to both the environment and my wallet.” The Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid driving experience is visceral, as in “Woohooooooooo.”

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February 24th, 2011

The Toyota Prius has evolved into t-h-e hybrid automobile since it first hit the
highways in North America in 2000, setting the standard as America’s biggest selling green car with 955,000 sold since introduction. Sometime early next year, Toyota will offer the Prius in a deeper shade of green.

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March 25th, 2010

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

The 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI is a taut, tidy example of Teutonic car making. And the clean burning, turbo-charged diesel engine delivers impressive fuel economy that reduces your carbon footprint while still delivering plenty of what we like to call smiles per gallon.

VW Golf TDI 4-door

The Golf – once known as the Rabbit – has been redesigned for 2010 and sports a new front end design that includes a wider, double-bar grille. The look is sleeker, a bit more elegant, but it still looks like a Golf.

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August 10th, 2009

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

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.

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April 30th, 2009

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

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.”

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April 15th, 2009

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

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.

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