Honda Ready to Take On the Prius

Toyota and Honda square off with dueling technologies, too

(NEWSER) - Toyota and Honda have begun waging battle in the hybrid market, and a price war is bound to speed conversion by consumers—the Prius is expected to dip below $21,000 in order to compete with the $19,000 Insight in Japan. But the two aren't just versions of the same new option, writes Salon. Different technology makes Toyota's offering both more expensive and more efficient for in-town driving, while Honda's is more efficient for highway driving. More»

11.5% June drop in US sales blamed on low inventory of popular small models

(NEWSER) - Popularity is proving quite the pickle for Toyota: Dwindling supplies of hot sellers like its hybrid Prius fueled the 11.5% drop in US sales last month, Reuters reports. With a waiting list 6 months long, Prius sales fell 26%—even as rival Honda bumped its sales 13.8% thanks to record demand for its fuel-efficient Fit and Civic vehicles. More»

CNNMoney puts the rubber to the road and finds the best cars in 10 categories

(NEWSER) - Whether you want something small and hip or capacious and safe, you can find it in CNNMoney's guide to the best cars of 2007 as determined by Consumer Reports.

1. Budget car, subcompact: Honda Fit
2. Sedan, less then $20,000: Honda Civic
3. Sedan, $20,000 to $30,000: Honda Accord
4. Sedan, $30,000 to $40,000: Infiniti G35
5. Luxury Sedan: Infiniti M35

It's expected to go on sale in early 2012

(NEWSER) - Toyota will introduce a new hybrid next month that is smaller and more affordable than the Prius, reports the Detroit News . The hybrid-only subcompact is expected to go into production in 2011 and be in US showrooms by early 2012. Toyota, which will offer a peek Jan. 11 at the North American International Auto Show, expects it to be a big seller. Prius currently rules the market: With a starting price of $22,400, about 417,000 had been sold through October. More»

Not dirty, sexy, or violent, brand is 'a minor miracle'

(NEWSER) - Nissan already had its work cut out in designing a hybrid—whatever it made had to measure up to Toyota’s hugely successful Prius. Then it needed a name, which came at the end of a process blending business, culture, and the law. Possibilities must be cleared in hundreds of countries, not only for copyright restrictions but for potential unintended hilarity: see Mazda’s “Bongo Friendee” van and Daihatsu’s “Naked” minicar. The result is the green-sounding Leaf. More»