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Up Close: Mini E

December 31, 1969

If it weren’t for the special yellow badges and graphics plastered all over the Mini E’s exterior, it could easily be mistaken for a regular Cooper. Most of the Mini E’s modifications are hidden from view, though they do affect the car’s interior.
For one, the E doesn’t have a backseat. Now, the rear seats in the regular Cooper are barely practical, but you can fold them down to make more room for cargo. Most of the space behind the driver and front passenger in the Mini E is filled by a carpet-covered shelf covering the lithium-ion battery pack that powers the car. There’s a little bit of cargo room behind it.
The E’s interior will be familiar to fans of the current Mini. Like the exterior, the cabin has been accented with yellow in the form of dash and door trim.
Mini is only making 500 Es available for one-year leases to [...]

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2008 L.A. Auto Show: 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan Hybrids

December 31, 1969

Competes with: Chevy Malibu Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid
Looks like: Ford is serious about going green
Drivetrain: 155-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid with continuously variable automatic transmission
Hits dealerships: Spring 2009

Ford has upgraded its hybrid system to deliver extremely fuel-efficient versions of its new Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans. The two effectively double the number of hybrids in Ford’s environmental arsenal — a must in today’s green-centric times. What’s of note is not only that Ford is getting into the game, but that the hybrids deliver on efficiency like hybrids should.
Ford says the pair will best the Toyota Camry’s city mileage by at least 6 mpg, meaning at least 39 mpg. Because it doesn’t say highway mileage bests the Camry, we’re guessing it doesn’t. We’d expect it to be similar to the Camry’s, though, which is 34 mpg.
Each sedan can drive in full electric mode up to 47 mph, which is much [...]

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2008 L.A. Auto Show: 2010 Ford Fusion

December 31, 1969

Competes with: Chevy Malibu, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry
Looks like: Ford brought a little European design to its popular midsize sedan
Drivetrain: 175-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual or automatic; 240-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 or 263-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 with six-speed automatic
Hits dealerships: Spring 2009

Ford used the previous Fusion to usher in its new three-bar grille, which has been a huge hit with buyers. The all-new Fusion has an even bolder chrome grille, as if announcing to the world, “Yes, bigger is better.” The “better” part comes in the slew of improvements Ford has made to its new midsize sedan, from more powerful and efficient engines to a quieter cabin.
Besides the new design, the features that will get people most excited are under the hood. With a lineup of three engines — not including the Fusion Hybrid, which we’ll detail separately — that are not only more powerful than the outgoing model [...]

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Sirius, XM Launch New Channel Lineups

December 31, 1969

In a merger of equals, it seems customers of both Sirius and XM satellite radio services will be up in arms today after the two merged their lineups to cut costs.
Before we get into the lineups, XM is touting 22 new stations and shuttering 15 others. Sirius got an almost-even swap of 11 for 10. Both merged similar content that we can see really ticking fans off, especially XM fans of ???Fred??? and ???Lucy??? and Sirius fans of ???Left of Center.??? They get the much less interesting ???First Wave,??? ???Alt Nation??? and ???Sirius XMU.???
Sports fans at both companies should be happy, as both now have NBA and NFL stations.
The change went into effect Nov. 12, and we noticed it in our 2009 Audi A4 Avant test car. On the positive side, though, one staffer noted reception of the A4???s Sirius stations was much improved. It held a solid [...]

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Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

December 31, 1969

When Cars.com reviewed the 2008 GL SUV from Mercedes-Benz, we had our fair share of complaints, from a convoluted navigation system to an iffy reliability record. Now with a bevy of improvements for the 2009 model, as well as a diesel version that gets 23 mpg on the highway and is available in all 50 states, Cars.com revisits the GL to find out if it can shed some of the low marks that held it back last year. Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays delivers his report on the GL’s reboot.
2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Review

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Feds Paying Drivers to Participate in Study

December 31, 1969

A federally funded study being conducted by the University of Iowa will pay drivers $895 to keep track of their driving habits by installing a GPS device on their cars.
Sound like an easy way to make $895? Yeah, we think so, too, but to qualify you have to live in one of six test cities, and there are a limited number of spots. The study will require tracking participants??? every move for eight months.
Basically, what has happened is that as Americans have begun to drive less, thanks to the summer’s high gas prices and the current economic downturn, the funds flowing into the Federal Highway Trust Fund (you know, the arm of government that repairs roads, bridges and all that other infrastructure people want so badly but don???t want to pay taxes for) has dropped precipitously.
Enter the Department of Transportation, which wants to use the Iowa study to determine [...]

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U.S. Lags Behind Japan, Europe in Emissions and Efficiency

December 31, 1969

A study released by automotive-data firm JATO Dynamics highlights just how woefully far behind the United States is when it comes to the emissions and efficiency standards of its cars when compared to Europe and Japan.
In the past year, Europe has decreased its automotive carbon emissions for new cars by an average of 0.11 tons per car, while Japan has pushed the mark back by 0.06 tons. Europe???s biggest markets ??? France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK ??? are averaging CO2 emissions for new cars of 3.26 tons per year since the beginning of this year, based on 12,000 miles per year. Japan???s figure is at 3.10 tons per year for new cars.
The average carbon emissions for a new car, minivan or SUV in the U.S.? It???s 5.77 tons per year over the same period.
While the average fuel efficiency for all cars, minivans and SUVs in Europe and [...]

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Nissan May Lease Batteries For New Electric Cars

December 31, 1969

Nissan announced that buyers of its upcoming all-electric cars might have the opportunity to lease the high-voltage lithium-ion batteries separate from the cost of the car. This is a step intended to mitigate both their high price and widespread consumer concerns about the lifespan of hybrid and electric-car batteries. Carlos Tavares, Nissan Motor Co.’s executive vice president for product planning and design, discussed the cost issue yesterday at a Green Car conference organized by Automotive News, an industry trade publication. Echoing a sentiment expressed throughout the daylong conference, Tavares said an electric car is theoretically cheaper to manufacture than a gas model ??? until you add the battery cost.
Combined, Tavares said, the car and leasing will rival a conventional car’s cost of ownership. Nissan’s first electric car will hit municipal and other fleet testing in the U.S. and Japan in 2010. “We’re getting cars on the ground with real people [...]

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CarsCast Weekly: 11.14.08

December 31, 1969

Call it “CarsCast Royale,” or “You Only Live Weekly.” Whatever the title, it’s CarsCast Weekly: The James Bond Edition. OK, so this mostly involves Stephen dressing in half a tuxedo that doesn’t really fit him, but that accent is dead on. This week, Lindsay and Stephen have the results for Cars.com’s low-cost-car mileage challenge, so you can find the best deal in a bad economy. Then they highlight their favorite gadgets from this year’s SEMA show ??? nifty little cars and car doohickeys that are as awesome as they are impractical.
CarsCast Weekly: 11.14.08

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Chrysler’s $2.99 Gasoline: How’s it Looking Now?

December 31, 1969

At the height of the gas-price dramatics this summer, Chrysler introduced an incentive that would ease the pain of shelling out $4 a gallon for fuel. Buyers had the option of either securing $2.99-per-gallon fuel for three years (which was later combined with a small cash-back rebate), a rather large cash-back bonus or zero-percent financing. Well, for the past three weeks the national average price for 87 octane gas has been below $2.99 per gallon ??? it???s now at $2.15 per gallon ??? and diesel is approaching the sub-$2.99 mark, at a national average of $3.03. Diesel, 87 octane and E85 were included in the offer; E85 is currently $1.75 per gallon.
As long as fuel prices stay low, consumers who chose the fuel offer won???t see any savings. As the offer???s fine print states, ???If the Let’s Refuel America card is used to purchase fuel at a price less than [...]

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