mpg-o-editor

2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist Review

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2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist Quick-Specs MPG-o-Matic 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist Review Summary: The 2012 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist plays the efficiency card, as it targets the more affordable end of the luxury full-size market, with the Lincoln MKS, Acura TL, and Lexus ES350 as its primary competitors. The LaCrosse eAssist mates a 2.4-liter inline four with a lithium-ion battery powered electric motor, which achieves significantly better fuel economy (25/36) than the conventionally powered MKS (17/25), TL (20/29), and ES350 (19/28). When compared to the slightly smaller Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (41/36), the LaCrosse eAssist is an equal in the highway efficiency, but drastically behind in the city.

The 2012 LaCrosse eAssist is powered by a Direct Injected VVT 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine with an eAssist mild hybrid system that produces 182 horsepower (HP) and 172 foot pounds of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard. A conventional 3.6-liter VVT V6 is available with either all-wheel-drive (AWD) or front-wheel-drive (FWD). The LaCrosse eAssist is not offered with AWD. (The eAssist system is shared with the Chevy Malibu Eco and Buick Regal eAssist.)

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2012 Nissan Juke SL Review

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MPG-o-Matic 2012 Nissan Juke Review Summary: The Nissan Juke delivers solid performance but is saddled with an undeniably polarizing design. It’s one of those cars that must be driven to be understood. Nissan refers to the Juke as “The Bold Urban Sport Cross,” but it’s right at home on those country roads, spraying gravel. Folks will cross-shop the Juke against everything from the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota FJ to the Subaru WRX, Suzuki SX4, and MINI Countryman.

The 2012 Nissan Juke is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter 16-valve Sequential Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG) inline four-cylinder engine producing 188 horsepower (HP) and 177 foot pounds of torque. The Juke is available in front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD). A Continuously Variable automatic transmission (CVT) is fitted to both models, but a six-speed manual transmission is only available in FWD. The five-door hatchback is offered in three levels of trim: S, SV, and SL.

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Hybrid vs Conventional: Are Hybrids Worth the Added Cost?

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There’s no shortage of folks that want you to believe that hybrid technology isn’t worth the added cost. They’ll throw an equation together that seems to prove their point, then hammer away at the issue without approaching the question without bias. There’s no question whether hybrids are more expensive. It’s whether or not you can expect to recoup the cost within the period of time that you own the vehicle.

In order to do so, you have to consider the specifics. You need to look at the characteristics of your driving cycles, then apply these to the equation. This can only happen when you take your annual miles driven into consideration, along with the percentage of city driving (as opposed to highway or rural driving), and your average local fuel prices.

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Diesel vs. Gasoline: Is Diesel Worth the Added Cost?

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Folks are often distracted by the cost-differential between regular unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard variations of the same question, “how can you justify buying a diesel-powered car with the 30 cent difference between diesel and gasoline?”

Diesel engines can be as much as 30% more fuel efficient than the equivalent gasoline engine. The cost-differential between diesel fuel and regular unleaded varies depending on factors that include seasonal fluctuations, geographic location, and market demand.

So how do diesel cars save money over their gasoline engine counterparts, when diesel fuel is more expensive than regular unleaded gasoline?

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What Does It Take to Make a Used Car Feel New Again?

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It’s been said that for every new car sold each year in the United States, three used cars change hands. That’s a whopping number of cars – well into the tens of millions. As the vehicles move through the sales process, they’re refurbished to varying degrees. One of our goals here at MPGomatic is to create opportunities to make those used cars more fuel-efficient in the resale process. That’s why we’re so keen on our Honda Civic MPG project.

Updating a vehicle’s tires, wheels, and suspension can improve handling and increase MPGs, when the right components are chosen. A great set of low-rolling-resistance tires on lightweight alloys – along with new springs and shocks – bolt on quickly and can bring significant benefits. We’ve set out to answer the question … is it really possible to achieve tighter handling, an improved ride and better gas mileage with just one trip to the garage with strictly mechanical components?

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