Hybrids can Save You Over $2,000 per Year!

The most important factor to your car's price is not the upfront price; it is the fuel milage! A study by Consumer Reports concludes that for the average driver, buying a car with just 5 more miles per gallon than a less fuel effecient car will save you $590 a year! This also means that hybrids will save you a lot of money over time. For example, a hybrid Toyota Prius costs only $1,000 more than a gas-powered Toyota Camry, but will save you about $2,360 per year! The only problem is that hybrids are a lot less fun to drive. If you would like a hybrid but would like a car that is rather fun to drive, I recommend the Ford Fusion Hybrid. This $28,000 family sedan is a hybrid, but actually has a good ride and handling balance. It arguably is the only hybrid that is somewhat fun to drive. It gets 41 miles per gallon in the city, and will return you about 34 miles per gallon under normal driving circumstances. It can even drive up to 47 mph on electric power alone.

The Ford Grand C-Max: A minivan that's actually mini!

Why do they call minivans "mini" when the new Siennas, Grand Caravans, and Odyssies are far from being mini? Good question. Well, for the more thrifty and less big-oriented people, Ford is going to come out with the Ford Grand C-Max. It is avaliable in Europe, and will be avaliable in the USA around mid-2011. This actual mini minivan will be 2 feet shorter than a Honda Odessy. The specs are still getting figured out by Ford, but it should have a 1.4 liter 4-cylinder engine, an automatic gearbox and front wheel drive. It still has the minivan in it: folding seats for a flexible interior and sliding rear doors for easy access. It also drives much better than a well, big minivan. It should be much more nimble. Considering that a reasonably-equipped Grand C-Max could have a price tag below $25,000 (compare to $33,000 for a well equipped Odyssey), this will really be a great minivan.