Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged hybrid
2011 Lexus RX 450h
Oct 31st
Appreciating the Lexus RX 450h requires a keen sense of the subtle. What Lexus has done with this vehicle is taken the relatively simple process of propelling a car down the road, made it impossibly complex, and then refined it so that it seems simple again.
Confused? Just check out the power-flow display on the dash, a prominent feature in all of the Toyota/Lexus family hybrids. The complicated dance of electric and gasoline power, battery charging and regenerative braking as well as engine shutoff and re-start, is evident only in the constantly changing power-flow arrows of the display. Without it, you’d never know what this luxury hybrid crossover was up to.
2011 Toyota Prius v
Sep 17th
Odds are you’re either skeptical or very interested. Like the MINI (only nerdier) Toyta’s Prius is expanding to become a full line of distinctive vehicles, and that family begins, naturally, with a larger, cargo-friendly version. The Prius v is, at heart, a Prius station wagon.
The Prius comprised 53% of the United States hybrid market last year, according to Toyota. It outsells every other U.S. hybrid combined, in other words. And with gas prices still creeping ever upward, the market for fuel-efficient vehicles continues to grow. The “v” stands for “versatility” according to Toyota, though the five-door hatchback Prius would seem to be plenty versatile enough. There’s always a need for more cargo space, though, so the Prius v is longer and wider than the original. It doesn’t look it at a glance, but the Prius v is large enough to compete with cars like the Volkswagen Jetta TDI wagon, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape Hybrid. It’s also considerably more efficient than any non-hybrid SUV or crossover. More >
2011 Chevrolet Volt
Jul 25th
“Is this the future?” more than one person asked upon checking out the Volt. “Is this the future of the auto industry?”
“No,” I replied. “It’s here now.” I wasn’t just being pedantic. In spite of its uncommon electric drivetrain, what’s most interesting about the Chevrolet Volt is how ordinary it is.
There’s a preconception that electric cars are little more than glorified golf carts, and the Volt should help to put that fallacy to rest for good. Powered by electrons instead of burning gasoline it may be, but the Volt is capable of handling day-to-day life just as well as a Cruze or a Civic. More >