The Demo Site

 

Alongside a lineup of refreshed Ford Fusions and Mercury Milans, the Blue Oval has revealed details on the hybrid versions of the mid-size pair.

The hybrid system is similar to that used in the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids—which themselves use licensed technology from Toyota—although some significant improvements have been made. The gas-powered side of the equation is the same 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder, which produces 155 hp and 136 lb-ft of torque on its own. Several packaging improvements have been made, most notable being a revised nickel-metal-hydride battery that takes up 30 percent less space while also providing 20 percent more power. The cars' regenerative brakes, a staple technology for hybrids, are said to reclaim up to 94 percent of available kinetic energy.

These new hybrids also claim to reach up to 47 mph using electric power alone, which is pretty unbelievable; most hybrids on sale today, including Toyota's Prius, cap EV-mode speed at 25 mph or so. What's more, Ford expects the new hybrids to beat the Toyota Camry hybrid by 5 mpg in the city, while also bettering its highway numbers. (The Camry hybrid is rated at 33 city and 34 highway.) All of this fuel aversion will allow a 700-mile city range for the hybrid duo, says Ford.

Keep Reading: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid / Mercury Milan Hybrid - Car News

You may dispute whether Volkswagen is a premium brand or not, but few can dispute whether the Touareg is a true premium SUV. Based on a platform shared with the Porsche Cayenne, this off-roader runs with the best; modesty was never its strong point. To wit, in Europe and Asia, there is a gasoline W-12 version, rated at 450 hp, and the V-10 TDI with its 310-hp engine producing 553 lb-ft of torque was the king of diesel SUVs until its sibling, the Audi Q7, changed the rules with a titanic 500-hp, 738-lb-ft V-12 TDI.

But now VW is adding a nice, socially conscious version to the Touareg lineup. The 3.0-liter V-6 clean diesel launched at the L.A. auto show gets 25 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg in the city, and VW claims that it is one of the cleanest engines available on the market. It is 50-state-legal, partially through the use of a costly catalytic converter that nearly eliminates NOx emissions, although it is interesting to note that it is sold in Europe without the converter, since it won't have to meet strict emissions standards there until 2014.

Keep Reading: 2009 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI Diesel - First Drive Review

What's not to love about a sexy, fast GT with a good old-fashioned three-pedal manual transmission? Very little indeed, but if there are any gripes to be found, a traffic-choked metropolis like Los Angeles will bring it out. And so we believe that Aston Martin had the right idea to debut the new self-shifting version of its flagship DBS at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

In place of the six-speed manual transaxle found in all 300 or so DBS coupes built to date is a beefed-up version of the ZF-sourced six-speed Touchtronic automatic transaxle introduced last year in the DB9. Dubbed "Touchtronic 2" in the DBS, the transmission features a shorter final drive ratio (3.46:1 vs. 3.15:1) and modified computer programming for faster shift response. Like the DB9, the transmission has a sport mode that further quickens shift speed and matches revs on downshifts. Manual shifting through the forward gears is done with racy steering-column-mounted magnesium and leather paddles. All other functions (like Park or Reverse) must be selected via the un-racy "P-R-N-D" buttons spread across the center stack.

Keep Reading: 2009 Aston Martin DBS Automatic - Auto Shows

When the last fuel crisis poleaxed the country in the early Eighties, automakers responded by downsizing vehicles and their engines, reducing horsepower, and making every possible change to extract the maximum mileage from a gallon of fuel. The result was efficient cars that were among the dullest ever inflicted on their suffering buyers.

With today's much more sophisticated technology, it should be possible to boost fuel economy substantially without making major compromises in performance or driving satisfaction. In keeping with the fuel-economy theme of this issue, I've brainstormed my notion of the perfect sports sedan for these times. To make it easier to understand my thinking, it makes sense to start with an already efficient car, theC/D perennial 10Best-favorite BMW 3-series, a car that has useful space for four people and drives very well.

A base 328i sedan weighs 3340 pounds. Because weight degrades both performance and fuel efficiency, the first step is to shed some, with a goal of an even 3000 pounds.

BMW is already using carbon-fiber roof panels on some M models. Eliminating the sunroof and making the roof from carbon fiber would rid the car of roughly 40 pounds. A hood and a trunklid of the same material would save another 25 pounds. Carbon-fiber front fenders might lop off 30 pounds, with four similar door skins taking off another 40 pounds. That adds up to 135 pounds without changing the basic structure of the car at all.

Titanium is another glamorously high-tech material that could shave weight. Replacing the four steel suspension springs with titanium equivalents might be worth 50 pounds. Titanium mufflers and exhaust pipes could account for another 30 pounds, bringing titanium's diet contribution to 80 pounds.

Keep Reading: A Sports Sedan for the Next Decade: 3000 Pounds, 300 HP, 30 MPG, 3 Liters. - Column

We've devoted part of this month's issue to intriguing fuel-economy solutions. So, ladies and gents, I give you Oklahoma.

Yes,Oklahoma, Will Rogers's famously horizontal birthplace and the golden buckle of the wheat belt where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain. In Oklahoma, only the harvest dominates conversation more than God, guns, and diesel pickups. Except that these days, with diesel running more than $4 per, folks are all a-gab about those little used mini-trucks, the ones that get 40 mpg with their itty-bitty three-cylinder engines. Some even have the dang steering wheel shoved over to the right side!

People call them "mini-trucks," "micro trucks," "K trucks," and "kei trucks" (say "kay trucks"). They're built by Daihatsu, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Suzuki, mainly to cart sake barrels and other goods down Japan's squeezed streets. Several Chinese makers also build them, and a Poteau, Oklahoma, startup called Tiger Truck, LLC, assembles mini-trucks from Chinese blueprints and parts. Hi Ho Silver, meet Hello Kitty.

Federal regulators consider mini-trucks invasive pests from Asia, no better than the long-horned beetle or soybean rust. That's because mini-trucks don't come within a good hog call of meeting safety or emissions standards. In a 35-mph offset-barrier test, a mini-truck might just vaporize.

Well, Oklahoma's farmers don't mind the odd government subsidy, but they sure don't want to be told what is and isn't safe to drive into town, especially when 30 states allow adults on motorcycles without helmets and nobody in Washington says boo. In November, Oklahoma became the 10th state to allow registration and limited operation of mini-trucks on public roads. Arizona and Texas are also considering exceptions. Meanwhile, federal government lawyers are stone grinding their quills, and no one will be surprised if the whole kerfluffle lands in the Supreme Court.

Keep Reading: Barn Door Opens on Okie Cult Car - Column

Some things everybody knows, just knows. Like the WMD Saddam had in his back pocket. Everybody just knew he had 'em.

Everybody just knows that mass transit is cleaner than cars, too, and saves fuel. And once again, everybody's got it wrong.

"Light rail" is the darling of transit boosters these days, operating or under construction in 26 American cities, including sprawling Phoenix and scattered Seattle-Tacoma. This is a system of self-powered cars. Depending on the design, it may run on its own exclusive right of way or on tracks through the streets. "Heavy rail," either subways or elevated, always runs on its own right of way. "Commuter rail" uses passenger coaches pulled by locomotives, often on tracks shared with freight lines.

"Most light-rail systems use as much or more energy per passenger mile as the average passenger car, several are worse than the average light truck, and none is as efficient as a Prius," writes Randal O'Toole in a new study from the Cato Institute titled "Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?"

From several federal sources, O'Toole calculated the average energy used per passenger mile for various transportation methods. Ferry boats came out worst, sucking up 10,744 BTUs per passenger mile. A Toyota Prius was best at 1659 BTUs per mile. The average of all automobiles, which includes SUVs, vans, and cars together, is 3885 BTUs per mile, whereas passenger cars alone average 3445. The average light-rail system is slightly worse at 3465. Buses, at 4365 BTUs, are much worse; commuter rail and heavy rail are better at about 2600 but still no match for the Prius.

Keep Reading: Save Energy, Take the Car - Column

Toyota didn't get where it is today—the biggest, richest car company on the planet—by taking chances. With the notable exception of the Prius hybrid, Toyota styling is conservative to the point of boredom. And aside from its hybrid leadership, Japan's automotive giant is rarely an innovator.

The trend toward downsizing, in both cars and engines, ought to be in Toyota's favor. But although the company has plenty of economical babies in its global portfolio, it lacks a premium minicar. Mercedes' Smart brand and BMW's Mini have shown the world that small cars don't have to be cheap.

Toyota wants a part of this expanding niche, and the iQ is its contender. It is significant that the concept emerged not from Japan but from Toyota's European design center, located in France.

The new iQ brings both style and innovation. Its size dictated both: a length of 117.5 inches, a mere 11.4 inches longer than the Smart Fortwo, but unlike the Smart, the iQ seats four. The most admirable thing about the iQ is its packaging—the way in which the mechanical parts have been compressed to gain passenger space.

Keep Reading: 2010 Toyota iQ - First Drive Review

Gas prices are way down and incentives on gas guzzlers are way up. It's the perfect storm for right-thinking Americans who believe any vehicle weighing less than 5000 pounds is too sissified for consideration, because now the gas guzzlers are the cheap wheels. In your face, Prius lovers!

Of course, this glee could be short-lived. At this moment, gasoline prices in the U.S. are averaging $2.17 for a gallon of regular. One month ago, the national average was $3.11 a gallon. Could gas prices rise again just as quickly as they fell?

Not likely, says Gregg Laskoski, public relations director for AAA South. "As long as the demand stays down, prices should stay lower," he says. "And the demand is still down by about five percent." Suddenly, that jumbo SUV starts to look like less of a pariah and more of a deal.

Running Some Numbers

Consider the Toyota example. A 4Runner with the 4.7-liter V-8 and four-wheel drive lists for just under $33,445, but with discounts and rebates—the 2008 model has $2500 cash back, which is huge by Toyota standards—you should be able to buy them all day for $28,500.

Keep Reading: Gas-Guzzling SUVs: Bombs or Bargains?