Looking for a beefy tax credit? A new hybrid car could be your ticket to thousands of dollars off your bottom line. But the rules are tricky … what you don’t know may hurt you (in the wallet). The tax credit on hybrids is highly dependent upon the make and model of the vehicle. The US Government’s hybrid car tax credit is designed to spur the production and purchase of new fuel-efficient vehicles, by tweaking the rules of supply and demand.
The hybrid tax credits are setup so that once a date and production marks have been met, the hybrid car’s tax credits are ratcheted down until they reach zero. A brand new hybrid car’s tax credit might be as high as $3400 when it is first offered for sale – as is the case with the new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid – with the goal of spurring early adopters.
If you want a new Toyota Prius, you’ll have to do without the hybrid tax rebate … as the hybrid car tax credit ran out on the Prius way back in 2007. In fact, you won’t get a tax break on any hybrid Toyotas. Honda buyers are currently out of luck, when it comes to hybrid tax incentives, as well … the tax credit for hybrid Civics ran out at the end of 2008.
The only hybrid tax breaks currently in force are on the Nissan Altima Hybrid, along with a wide range of Ford and GM vehicles.
MPG-o-Matic CX-7 Review Summary:. The AWD Mazda CX-7 stands apart from the flock of five-seat crossovers, with a truly sporting approach and a distinctive design. No question about it … this is the driver’s CUV.
The sporty 2009 Mazda CX-7 is available in both all-wheel- (AWD) and front-wheel-drive (FWD) configurations, with three levels of trim: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring.
The CX-7 is equipped with a 2.3 liter Direct-Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The turbo four produces 244 horsepower (HP) and 258 foot pounds of torque. Continue reading →
As the mad rush for the cheap new car has begun, we must bear witness to historical precedent. Look back in our (relatively) recent history and you’ll find a smattering of cheap new cars from Detroit. Though they may have faded from memory – and precious few have survived the onset of rust – cheap cars like the Ford Maverick and Pinto, Chevrolet Vega, and AMC Gremlin defined a 70s genre that many would like to forget.
Although each of the Big Three have domestically produced vehicles in our list of the 22 Cheapest Cars of 2009, the bulk of today’s bargain-priced rides hail from overseas. The Nissan Versa 1.6 Base Sedan was the cheapest new car on the market, ever so briefly last fall … until Hyundai lowered the price of the Accent to twenty dollars below the Versa.
While the tiny Smart Car is the only European-built car currently on the list, your next cheap new car might just come from Italy. With the recent announcement of Fiat’s stake in Chrysler, our inexpensive transportation options have taken a step in a positive direction. Seeing that Fiat is a world leader in remarkably fuel-efficient clean diesel engines, that new little runabout won’t just be cheap to buy, it might be cheap as beans to drive, as well.
The Ford Fiesta holds great promise, as well. With Ford’s announcement that the acclaimed Fiesta will soon return to our shores, we’re in for a treat …
I received an email from our local MINI dealer this morning, stating that “According to MINI USA, your E MINI application is very special and at the top of the list!”
The email included a two-page follow up MINI E Application document, along with the request to “Please fill out the answers truthfully, as we approach the final stages of a lengthy application process.”
I gave the local salesperson a call to get the skinny, and he was quite forthcoming.
Apparently, over 13,000 people applied for the one-year MINI E lease. MINI has been winnowing down the applicants and this second application form will be used to enter the final stages for the lucky few. Once the application is submitted, it must pass muster with BMW finance and proof of liability insurance must be provided. At that point, an electrician will come out to check to see if modifications are necessary for the home electrical system to accommodate the MINI E charging box.
We’re in the midst of doing the math to determine the feasibility of the $850 per month yearly lease. If gas was still over $4 per gallon, we’d be in like Flint.
We devote a great deal of effort in testing hybrid car gas mileage here at MPGomatic. We test in real world conditions, not on a closed course in a lab. Week after week, this approach has proven its worth. Our results demonstrate that the gas mileage of hybrid cars is highly dependent upon driver mindset. By driving conscientiously, we’ve always met or exceeded each and every hybrid car’s gas mileage estimates. We roll the tape to show you how we do it … there are no secrets.
While the Toyota Prius nabbed the best hybrid gas mileage crown for 2009 once again, the field is shifting. With the upcoming release of the Fusion and Milan Hybrids, Ford hybrid gas mileage figures are on the rise. We had the opportunity to take a pre-production version of the Fusion Hybrid for a quick cold weather drive back in December and the car delivered impressive numbers. The Fusion and Milan Hybrids are unique in that they can glide under pure electric power at speeds up to 47 miles per hour. This hits a sweet spot, allowing folks to cruise the surface streets and back roads with a minimum dependence on gasoline.
While the official estimates for the Ford hybrid sedans do not match the Prius, they are significantly better than the direct competition: the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Nissan Altima Hybrid.
Our results with the Nissan Altima Hybrid’s gas mileage testing fell closest to the official numbers, but that can be attributed to two factors. The Nissan Altima Hybrid was the first hybrid we reviewed and our test unit lacked a sophisticated fuel economy display. When it comes down to it, we hadn’t learned the ropes and had little feedback on which to develop a methodology.
It’s all about getting to know the car you’re driving. The Honda Civic Hybrid and upcoming Honda Insight deliver excellent results, even though they lack the ability to glide in the same manner as the Toyota and new Ford hybrids.
Hybrid SUV gas mileage is a bit of a mixed bag. It was easy to exceed the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid’s gas mileage ratings. By driving the Escape Hybrid carefully, 40 MPG in town isn’t out of the question. While we haven’t had the opportunity to review the revamped 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid, we expect to beat the numbers handily.
The Saturn Vue Green Line was the first GM hybrid SUV we tested. While we liked the VUE Green Line overall, it’s “mild hybrid” system did well on the highway, but didn’t deliver remarkable in-town benefits. The new Two-Mode Saturn VUE Hybrid is a different animal, with a more powerful gasoline engine and a hybrid system that’s more optimized for better economy at lower speeds. We’re looking forward to testing the second generation in the coming months, along with the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid.
There’s no question that the cost and availability of high-powered battery systems is holding hybrid gas milage back. The equation is fairly simple: the more battery power stuffed into a vehicle, the higher the potential results. The question comes down to economics. While the gas mileage of hybrid vehicles rises with larger battery packs, the cost of the batteries pushes up costs. Until battery production rises and the price drops, the average gas mileage for a hybrid vehicle is unlikely to significantly exceed current levels.
While aftermarket providers – including A123 System’s Hymotion subsidiary – have come up with a number of bolt-on/plug-in hybrid solutions to raise mileage results, the auto manufacturers have been proceeding slowly. One solution might be to offer more powerful battery packs as optional equipment … instead of a larger more powerful gasoline engine, hybrid vehicles might offer increased MPGs as part of an economy option package. Continue reading →
MPG-o-Matic CX-7 Review Summary: . The AWD Mazda CX-7 stands apart from the flock of five-seat crossovers, with a truly sporting approach and a distinctive design. No question about it … this is the driver’s CUV.