Smart Car Scores Big on Cute

Are there any good choices for consumers in the car size debate?

(NEWSER) - In the push to curb America’s fuel intake, consumers must often make a choice between safety and fuel economy, Joseph White writes in the Wall Street Journal. The real problem, though, may be that small cars have to share the road with SUVs. “A much bigger issue is the incompatibility between truck-based SUVs and cars of any size,” says a researcher. More»

(NEWSER) - Despite predictions of its demise, the SUV is alive and well at the New York auto show this year, Dan Carney writes for MSNBC. Sure, more fuel-efficient models of classic 4x4s make up the majority of the cars on display, but reports that the gas guzzler is passé, emanating from “literary critics, Broadway choreographers, and other practitioners of the bedrock industries that built this country” are greatly exaggerated. According to one website that tracks such things, half of Americans shopping for new cars are looking at crossovers and SUVs. More»

But big trucks are becoming scarce as automakers retool for fuel efficient models

(NEWSER) - Gas prices are down and the sales of SUVs and pickup trucks are accelerating, albeit only into second gear, reports the Wall Street Journal. As gas edges closer to $2, buyers are picking up bargains on the big gas guzzlers dealers couldn’t give away couple of months ago. And desperate manufacturers still are offering huge discounts on leftover 2008s. More»

Coming soon to a compactor near you

(NEWSER) - The possibility that one of Detroit's Big Three automakers is headed for the scrap heap left US News and World Report wondering which cars Americans could live without. Here are some top candidates:

• Jeep Commander: This boxy model gets 16 mpg and it shows: sales are down 55%.
• Dodge Durango: Even the hybrid version of this SUV hasn't stopped sales from falling an astonishing 54%.

'09 version of luxury automaker's S-Class will get about 30 mpg

(NEWSER) - Mercedes is adding a hybrid model to its line of S-Class luxury autos in June 2009, BusinessWeek reports, promising nearly 30 miles to the gallon and adding $14,000 to its $88,000 base sticker price. The model—which, unlike some other hybrids, can’t run exclusively on battery power—should hit showroom floors in the US by next September. More»