Decline and Fall of the SUV

(Newser) - Ford’s 2010 Fusion hybrid will debut this spring with an EPA rating of 41mpg city and 36mpg highway, writes Joseph White in the Wall Street Journal , but reaching those underwhelming numbers could be a tough ride for most consumers. Complicating Ford's tough sell are anemic gas prices, writes White, but the Fusion represents the direction Ford—and other American automakers—will need to take to compete with foreign carmakers' more accelerated leap into the green segment. More »

(Newser) - It may be hard to sell, but a gas tax would be a “win, win, win, win” move—for the environment, the economy, the war on terror, and America’s standing in the world, Thomas Friedman writes in the New York Times . Barack Obama still has the popularity to impose such a tax—and offset it by lowering payroll taxes—but so far looks like President Bush, who "wimped out and would not impose a tax when prices were low." More »

(Newser) - The next time you honk your car’s horn, you might want to ask why you're doing it. Grabbing the horn by the bull for Slate, Dave Johns thinks you’re probably too close to do anything but tell your obstacle to get out of the way. That’s because drivers use their horns “as a tool for scolding rather than safety,” one expert says. More »

(Newser) - Americans are driving less and burning less fuel, but it could be too soon for conservation fans to celebrate. That dip, and global economic gloom, has sent oil and gas prices spiraling down, Joseph White writes in the Wall Street Journal , depriving the government of taxes it needs for transportation infrastructure—and perhaps sapping consumers’ motivation to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles. More »

(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%. More »

(Newser) - Think you’re saving money by driving that small, fuel-efficient car you traded in your SUV for? Maybe, but you’re probably paying more for your insurance—a lot more, reports the Wall Street Journal . In accidents, small cars tend to sustain more damage, and occupants more injures, than larger vehicles. Hence a Honda Civic, for example, incurs higher premiums than the company’s larger SUV CR-V. More »

(Newser) - With sales of SUVs and trucks dwindling, car companies have begun to push smaller, more fuel-efficient models—but not for the same small prices. Without the $10,000 profit that was typical on SUVs, automakers can no longer sell cars like the Ford Focus for an average profit of $100. Some are using extras to lure higher-spending customers. More »

(Newser) - America’s obsession with super-size cars seems to be running out of gas. The Daily Green reports on the seven signs of the SUV apocalypse: The numbers: Sales of small cars were up 11% in the first half of the year, while SUV and truck sales were down by 14% and 23%, respectively. The demand: The unofficial waiting list for GM’s new electric offering, the Chevy Volt, is 33,000-strong. More »