Consumerist
gas prices
Posts Tagged “
Fuel Economy
”
gas prices
fuel economy
When Does It Make Financial Sense To Downsize Your Car?
Over at Consumer Reports they've been running the numbers, trying to figure out when it makes financial sense to downsize into a more fuel efficient car. More »
bad consumer
Woman Protests High Gas Prices By Setting Fire To Gas Stations, Starbucks
Here's a bad idea. Please don't protest high gas prices by setting fire to a Chevron station, an Arco station, and a Starbucks. Meet Diane Craig, 64, of Danville, California. She's accused of using "fireplace logs" to try to start fires inside the restrooms of the two gas stations and a Starbucks. More »
fuel
Poll: Can You Drive 55? Should We Bring The National Speed Limit Back?
Remember the 55 mph speed limit? Remember... ignoring it? Wired's Autopia blog is wondering if we should consider bringing it back. Back in 1974 Congress passed the National Maximum Speed Law, and threatened to cut funding to any state that didn't comply with the new 55 mph maximum speed limit. Theoretically, forcing everyone to drive slower increases fuel economy, and the oil embargo had people stressed. But did the lower speed limit work? Did we save gas? More »
fuel
6 Gas Saving Myths... Debunked
CNNMoney has compiled a list of gas saving myths and asked Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com to debunk them. Here's the list: More »
rankings
Nissan Altima Takes Two Top Spots In Consumer Reports' Sedan Showdown
Because of a drop of nearly 10% in fuel economy in this year's Honda Accord over the previous one, it lost its title as a "Top Pick" for midpriced family sedans in the Consumer Reports Auto Issue this year. The new winner is the Nissan Altima 3.5 SE (V6), which was reviewed by the magazine nearly a year ago. Both the Altima and the previous Accord got 23 mpg, while the new, 2nd-place 2008 V6 Accord gets only 21 mpg. More »
Congress approved a bill mandating car makers improve fuel economy from 25 MPG to 35 MPG by 2020. Hopefully there will still be a planet left to drive on by that time. [Chicago Tribune]
news from the swamp
Bush Fuel Economy Plan Rejected By The Courts
The Bush administrations fuel economy plan was rejected by 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Thursday. The court ruled that National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "failed to address why the so-called light trucks are allowed to pollute more than passenger cars and didn't properly assess greenhouse gas emissions when it set new minimum miles-per-gallon requirements for models in 2008 to 2011," according to the Associated Press.More »
The court ordered the White House to examine why it continues to consider light trucks differently than cars. Regulators made a distinction between cars and light trucks decades ago when most trucks were used for commercial purposes.
cars
Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars
Here's the top 10 most fuel efficient cars, according to the 2008 Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy's fuel economy guidebook, published this Saturday. Prius tops the charts.
More »
news from the swamp
Senate Passes Energy Bill With New Fuel Economy Standards
The Senate has passed an energy bill that establishes new fuel economy standards. More »
on the cheap
How To: Drive Slower
Some of us owned a Geo Metro in high school and college, so we never had to worry much about this issue, but for those of you who have the ability to drive too quickly, this post is for you.More »
beer
Will More Fuel Efficient Cars Lead To Cheaper Beer?
Gas guzzlers don't just spew more carbon into the air, they apparently affect the price of a cold, frosty brew:Heineken CEO Jean-Fran ois van Boxmeer pointed out on Wednesday that the increasing demand for grain for biofuel will put pressure on the price of grain, and by extension on malt and hop prices as well, two important raw materials.
We're assuming he means that ethanol production is to blame for the spike in grain prices. (Corn is at a 10-year high today.) More »
cars
New EPA Fuel Economy Stickers To Use More Realistic Estimates
Starting with the 2008 line, new cars will feature an improved fuel economy sticker with better estimates of gas usage. The stickers will show an increased range of expected mpg, depending on how one drives. More »
fuel economy
The News; Wal-Mart Hires Flying Nun
• The creative team was crushed to learn Mother Theresa wasn't available. [LAT] "Wal-Mart Puts Its Faith in Ex-Nun to Convert Critics"• Keep those tips up, Barbie! [NYT] "Mattel Reports a Profit"
• Almost all the news that's fit to print. [NYT] "Times to Reduce Page Size and Close a Plant in 2008"
• A butterfly coughs in Arabia. [CT] "Wake-Up Call to U.S. on Oil?"
• The breathtaking views available while on the osteoporosis drug Evista include fatal strokes and blood clots. [LAT] "Lilly Drug Shown to Raise Blood-Clot Risk"
• Gas efficiency party like it's 1994. [LAT] "'Fuel Economy Unchanged From Decade Ago"
• Mr. Hooters is dead at 69, huh huh. [NYT] "Robert H. Brooks, 69, Owner of Hooters Restaurant Chain, Is Dead"
