2017 Mercedes-Benz E300: gas mileage review

2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic, Finger Lakes region, NY, April 2017The Mercedes-Benz E-Class luxury sedan is hardly viewed as green, even if it'll soon have a plug-in hybrid version offered in small numbers. But driving the most recent generation provides a nice case study of the improvement in gas mileage over three decades of updates to the core product that helped build Mercedes into the powerhouse it is...

Lighter, more fuel-efficient cars are safer, study says, ignoring safety rules

2017 Hyundai Elantra IIHS crash testIt was one of several common tropes used 10 years ago against proposed regulations to boost average fuel economy. "More efficient cars will have to be lighter-weight, and they'll be unsafe because in accidents, they'll crumple up like Kleenex." Logical conclusion: if you require higher fuel economy in cars, more people will die in crashes. DON'T...

What’s the lowest acceptable gas mileage for a compact SUV? Poll results

2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Feb 2016We've driven a lot of compact crossover utility vehicles in recent months. It's a hot category in the new-car market, with all light trucks getting better fuel economy than in past years—and gasoline prices continuing below $3 per gallon in most of the U.S. So we wondered what readers felt would be acceptable fuel economy in a compact SUV...

Extra fuel used if 2022-2025 CAFE rules delayed would be low: here’s the math

Gas pumpBarbie never said "Math is hard!" The talking doll did, notoriously, say "Math class is tough!" in 1989, sparking a media firestorm over gender roles in childrens' toys and then a voluntary recall by Mattel for offended parents. Reworded, however, the point remains accurate: many people don't understand math. DON'T MISS: Costs to meet fuel-economy...

Automakers seek deal to delay EPA’s 2022-2025 emission rules

Chrome exhaust pipeDespite some alarmist reporting, President Donald Trump hasn't abolished the EPA's vehicle emission limits. Nor has he wiped out corporate average fuel-economy rules, set by the NHTSA. So far, he's done two things: signed an executive order reopening the comment period for 2022-2025 EPA emission limits, and proposed a budget that would slash EPA...

Toyota Prius One: stripped-down hybrid added at lower price

2017 Toyota PriusIt hasn't been the greatest of years for the Toyota Prius hybrid, the Japanese carmaker's flagship product. The fourth generation hybrid hatchback debuted as a 2016 model into the teeth of continued low gasoline prices, and its radical design language apparently turned off at least some potential buyers. Now Toyota is taking steps to make the...

2017 Kia Optima Hybrid: gas mileage review of mid-size sedan

2017 Kia Optima Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, April 2017The 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid is one of a pair of hybrid mid-size sedans from the Korean maker Hyundai-Kia. It shares its underpinnings, though not a single body panel or styling flourish, with the higher-volume Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. We found it to be a comfortable, stylish sedan that gave us good fuel economy—almost as good as the car's EPA...

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel first drive

2017 Chevrolet Cruze DieselWhen the first Chevrolet Cruze Diesel was launched back in 2014, it made a lot of sense. Diesel was in vogue. German manufacturers were pushing diesel power in a huge way, with Volkswagen's "Clean Diesel" leading the charge. Oh, how things have changed. DON'T MISS: Volkswagen diesel scandal - all our stories Diesel for passenger cars today is, for...

Don’t start-stop systems wear out your car’s starter?

Mercedes-Benz integrated starter generator (ISG)Some are almost unnoticeable, others make the car shudder each time they activate—but start-stop systems are here to stay. First rolled out in Europe and Asia, where crowded city driving requires cars to spend more time at a standstill, they switch off the engine when the car's not moving. When the driver starts to lift a foot off the brake...