Put to the test: Touted fuel-saving cars
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With the high prices, everyone is looking for ways to cut their fuel bill. And automakers are heavily promoting their new fuel-savers.
Toyota's game-of-Life ads highlight the much-anticipated Prius C, a smaller, less expensive version of the Prius.
Ford is promoting its new gas-saving Focus, the SFE version.
Meanwhile, Honda is advertising its new Civic fuel-saver, the HF. And Chevy is touting its Cruze ECO.
How well can these four vehicles stretch your fuel dollars? Let's start with the Prius C.
"In city driving, the Prius C delivers an amazing 37 mpg, which is the highest of any car Consumer Reports has tested," said Rik Paul of consumer Reports.
But the Prius C is slow to accelerate. The ride is stiff, and the cabin is noisy, too.
As for the other cars, manufacturers made current models more fuel-efficient with modifications like low-rolling-resistance tires and aerodynamic add-ons.
These vehicles are all promising 40 miles per gallon or better on the highway. Consumer Reports used a special device to measure highway mileage.
Tests show all three cars do get 40 miles per gallon or better, as promised.
"We found an improvement of 1 to 3 mpg overall with these cars. But you pay $500 to $800 extra for those fuel-saving options," said Paul.
Instead, consider the Mazda3 Skyactiv, which rated higher in Consumer Reports' tests.
Toyota's game-of-Life ads highlight the much-anticipated Prius C, a smaller, less expensive version of the Prius.
Ford is promoting its new gas-saving Focus, the SFE version.
Meanwhile, Honda is advertising its new Civic fuel-saver, the HF. And Chevy is touting its Cruze ECO.
How well can these four vehicles stretch your fuel dollars? Let's start with the Prius C.
"In city driving, the Prius C delivers an amazing 37 mpg, which is the highest of any car Consumer Reports has tested," said Rik Paul of consumer Reports.
But the Prius C is slow to accelerate. The ride is stiff, and the cabin is noisy, too.
As for the other cars, manufacturers made current models more fuel-efficient with modifications like low-rolling-resistance tires and aerodynamic add-ons.
These vehicles are all promising 40 miles per gallon or better on the highway. Consumer Reports used a special device to measure highway mileage.
Tests show all three cars do get 40 miles per gallon or better, as promised.
"We found an improvement of 1 to 3 mpg overall with these cars. But you pay $500 to $800 extra for those fuel-saving options," said Paul.
Instead, consider the Mazda3 Skyactiv, which rated higher in Consumer Reports' tests.
