Buy Your 2016 Model Car Today!

May 31, 2009

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On May 19th, the Obama Administration announced a mandatory average fuel economy threshold of 35.5 for all new cars by 2016. Fair enough. But you can actually buy such a vehicle today, so why wait? According to CleanTech Blog, six new cars meet these official guidelines already: Ford Fusion Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Smart ForTwo.

In fact, however, eleven new vehicles already surpass the 35.5 threshold, at least according to the True MPG figures compiled by www.fueleconomy.gov. Here’s how they rank, review wise.

Exclusive: Chrysler Builds a Car

May 29, 2009


Now, this is how to make a car. (1939 World’s Fair edition.) Ah, Chrysler, what happened?

Lexus Luxury at 34 MPG?

May 28, 2009

Can a hybrid be both luxurious and fuel-thrifty? A 79 Score suggests compromises.

Ford EcoBoosts Its Review Scores

May 26, 2009
2010 Lincoln MKT

Ford’s EcoBoost engine is earning rave reviews, deployed as it is in the 2010 Lincoln MKS Sedan and MKT Crossover. Though it may sound wimpy, the emphasis is on the “boost” rather than the “eco” — two turbochargers squeeze muscle car power out of a standard V-6. All of which pleases critics: the MKT’s MotorMouths Score is an 85, Click for more

Chop-Topped Lexus Gets 86ed

May 21, 2009
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Hey lookee: Lexus added a hardtop ragtop to its IS line. Early verdict? An 86.

Subaru Forester in the Wild

May 20, 2009

The Jalopnik boys get dirty with a 2009 Subaru Forester.

Honda’s Insight Takes a Hit

May 19, 2009
2010 Honda Insight EX

Jeremy Clarkson, England’s best-known car critic (his rants and raves appear in the Times of London and on TV’s TopGear) is an unrepentant “petrolhead” who believes global warming is bunk and that hybrids are “designed solely to milk the guilt genes of the smug and the foolish.”

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Ferrari Could Use Better Names…

May 13, 2009
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Ferrari’s 599GTB HGTE (That’s “Handling Grand Turismo Evoluzione”) scores a 91.

E-Class: from “Eh?” to “Excellent!”

May 11, 2009
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It’s been a while (about a decade, in fact) since Mercedes-Benz tinkered with its iconic E-Class. But, hey, lookie that: the 2010 version is here. So how’s it doing with critics? Well, the outgoing model’s score on MotorMouths was an 80 — a decent enough average review score, albeit tempered by occasional screeds like

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Mother Knows Best

May 8, 2009
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Here’s a holiday enconium, courtesy of Ben, one of the MotorMouths crew:

Ah, mom. You confounded car dealer’s preconceptions by driving convertibles with manual transmissions for most of your life. And when you decided to buy something sensible for your 69th birthday, you picked a Honda Fit. Prescient, as always; a few months later we launched MotorMouths, ran the numbers on Click for more

Supercar Math Is Easy for Lotus

May 7, 2009
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160mph top speed + (0-60<5.0 second) + 30 MPG + a backseat(?!) = The 2011 Lotus Evora

Small Praise for the ’10 Mustang

May 6, 2009
2010 Ford Mustang

Shorty Aaron Gold: It “doesn’t make me feel like I’m driving a machine gun bunker.”

Your Moment of Zen

May 2, 2009
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From 1958, the Subaru 360. Just because. [Via.]

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