buying a car

New Car Gas Mileage Average: 23.2 MPG for September 2012

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It’s more than a budge of the needle. The year-over-year average in September light vehicle fuel economy numbers has risen to 23.2 miles per gallon (MPG) in 2012, from 22 MPG in September 2011, according to TrueCar.com’s TrueMPG* tally. The Santa Monica-based “authority on new car pricing information, trends and forecasting.”

While the numbers are the highest recorded to date, September 2012 held steady with August. The year-to-date TrueMPG average has risen to the same 23.2 magic MPG, from 21.9 MPG, over the first three quarters in 2011, with General Motors, Honda, and Toyota showing the largest gains in corporate fuel economy over the time period. A slew of new models and punishingly high gas prices have new car buyers seeking more fuel-efficient vehicles, with compacts and subcompacts leading the charge.

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In the Market for a CNG-Powered Honda Civic? Try the GSA.

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If you’re in the market for a previously-owned low-mileage compressed natural gas-powered (CNG) Honda Civic, you’ll do well to check with your Uncle … Uncle Sam, that is. The United States Government has been purchasing CNG-powered Honda Civic GX and NGV models for over a decade. While these vehicles come up for public auction, you need to know where to look or you’ll miss out. Case in point … there’s an auction coming up on October 11th at the Norwalk Auto Auction in Norwalk, California where a total of sixteen CNG Civics are currently slated to cross the block.

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Does a New High Gas Mileage Vehicle Make Sense?

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Are you thinking about replacing your gas guzzler with a fuel-efficient vehicle that gets more miles per gallon (MPG)? Not sure how much money you can expect to save every week, month, or year? MPGomatic to the rescue!

Cost justifying the purchase of a high gas mileage vehicle starts with some basic numbers. Thankfully, it isn’t a complicated process. You’ll begin by comparing the real-world gas mileage of your existing vehicle with the official government estimates for the new vehicle(s) that you have in mind.
2012 Ford C-Max Hybrid - 3/4 front view

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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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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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