New Honda New car review 2008-2009

First, you will want to examine the specific hybrid’s estimated gas mileage - and be sure to ask when the gasoline engine kicks in, too. You may find that if you drive a lot of highway miles at faster speeds and the gas engine kicks in at 35 mph, you may not save as much money on fuel as you expected.

You’ll also want to consider any tax saving credits that being offered. There is a federal income tax credit (up to $3,400) given on the first 60,000 hybrid models sold. After that benchmark is met, the credit is gradually phased out. Fueleconomy.gov maintains a list of eligible vehicles and the current tax credits available, but you should also confirm with your dealership.

Also, you may want to think about hybrid car insurance. Some insurance companies offer a discount on hybrid car insurance - others do not. Hybrid cars are still relatively new to the marketplace, and shopping around for discounts that come with hybrid car insurance will pay off in the long run.

To be truly eco-friendly, you’ll also want to check the green rating for that particular hybrid car. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), four of the top 12 greenest vehicles of 2008, feature hybrid powertrain engines. However, there is a bigger environmental impact to consider. Some of the hybrids feature nickel batteries, which cause more long-term environmental damage than their gasoline counterparts. If you are interested in a hybrid car, be an informed consumer and check the air pollution scores, greenhouse gas scores, and other features that impact the environment.

Be aware that as a result of the growing popularity of hybrid cars, especially the Prius, you may pay over-sticker price because of the demand. You may also have a hard time locating the exact model you want, or be placed on a waiting list.

The best-selling hybrid cars of 2008 include:

Toyota Prius

With a $21,500 base sticker price, the Toyota Prius isn’t exactly cheap. However, it’s still a reasonably affordable hybrid car option for many consumers, especially after factoring in the fuel savings achieved due to the Prius’ 45 city/48 hwy mpg rating by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is classified as the most fuel efficient car in the U.S.

Currently the best-selling hybrid car, the Toyota Prius has been embraced by Hollywood - it’s a favorite among celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston, Larry David, Julia Robers, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow and Harrison Ford.

Many Prius owners claim to achieve over 60 mpg, and those employing hypermiling techniques may fare even better. For consumers averaging much less, the Prius sounds like a gift from heaven. However, the Toyota Prius may take some getting used to.

Overall, getting into a Toyota Prius seems more like entering a spaceship than an automobile. However, once you get beyond its odd shape, you’ll find alarge on-dash computer screen offering instant feedback on your gas mileage, as well as a rearview camera (you’ll need it in this vehicle due to blind spots). And you may miss other options, like a sunroof, which reduces fuel economy, too.

Honda Civic Hybrid

The Honda Civic Hybrid car has an EPA-estimated city/highway rating of 40 city/45 hwy mpg and a base sticker price of $22,600, comparable to that of the Toyota Prius. The Honda Civic hybrid features an Advanced Technology Partial-Zero-Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) rating, which is the most stringent emission standard achieved by a gasoline-powered vehicle in the U.S. In fact, it is classified as one of the most fuel efficient cars in America, along with the Toyota Prius.

In terms of looks, it’s hard to tell the standard Honda Civic from its hybrid counterpart. They are nearly identical.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry Hybrid car has a base sticker price of $25,650 and is a good option for those looking for a little more luxury and fuel efficiency. It looks like the standard Toyota Camry on the road, but offers a quieter ride due to the special acoustic-dampening windshield made to absorb road noise.

The Toyota Camry hybrid car has an EPA-estimated city/highway rating of 33 city/34 hwy mpg rating, which not as good as either the Prius or Civic Hybrid cars. However, as a mid-size sedan, it offers room for the entire family.

Ford Escape Hybrid SUV

Known as the most fuel efficient SUV on earth, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV has an EPA-estimated city/highway rating of 34 city/30 hwy mpg rating and base sticker price of $26,640. It’s available in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive, and features a tough, rugged look, although technically it’s still considered a cross-over vehicle.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the Ford Escape hybrid is ranked 15 out of 27 in terms of affordable compact SUVs, a few spots below the gasoline version. The new 2008 model was redesigned to provide a more comfortable rise and mature appearance.

Overall, the Ford Escape hybrid has received good, thumbs-up reviews in publications ranging from the New York Times to Newsday.

Hybrid Insurance

You’ll find plenty of information online at FuelEconomy.gov, from a specific vehicle’s energy impact score, carbon footprint statistics and EPA air pollution score to its eligibility for a tax credit. Other helpful green vehicle information is available at the EPA Web site.

People are starting to think outside the box and even experimenting with things like water4gas and the infamous water car.

What, a car that runs on water? Whatever! Now you’ve heard it all, right?

I checked into this claim, when I received a targeted email from a company, or rather research group. THey were building and testing small units that turn water into a gas that could be burned along with your regular fuel, to increase gas mileage and engine efficiency.

I read their case studies and realized that it actually could be done.

I was always interested in the idea of using hydrogen for fuel instead of gas. But there were problems and danger associated with storing hydrogen in tanks under pressure in a vehicle. Have you ever heard of Hydrogen Bombs?

But these people weren’t making hydrogen and storing it, but using HHO or Browns gas, which some people call it, to burn along with their fuel to significantly increase gas mileage. The water car that they are using is actually a hydrogen on demand hybrid.

Water4gas technology uses this Browns Gas or HHO(2 parts hydrogen to 1 part oxygen) to produce a safe and constant supply of gas to make their engines more efficient, and use less gas in the process.

The emission from the browns gas after burning is water. Your emissions are cleaner and better for the environment.

Hydrogen generators are being built by these back yard mechanics and being installed, to produce claims of 30-60% increases in MPG or more. One man was using a 99 Toyota Corolla and had experienced 62 MPG using water4gas technology. His water car, or hybrid was just one example that was illustrated on the website.

It appears that his technology has been around for awhile. Fuel prices have caused this water4gas technology to be resurrected, with everyday people experiencing great success.

Cheap parts using everyday items are used to build these hydrogen-on-demand systems and are easily installed on your car or truck. Pre-built units are available for people that aren’t mechanically inclined.

There are increasing numbers of people that have started new businesses that utilize the water4gas technology. These people build the units and install them for people that want their own water car, or water hybrid.

So there you have it, an old technology in a new time. What do you have to lose by at least checking out the possibility of turning your gas hog into a fuel saving hybrid. THis is perfect for people who want to decrease their carbon footprint.

Hybrid cars are all the rage today. When you see that Toyota Prius gliding by on silent engines, you drool at its sleek, shiny look, the new upholstery and that new-car smell. This, and other hybrid cars, are the next wave of fuel-sipping cars of the future. How about if I tell you you can have your very own hybrid car, and its sitting in your garage. Right now.In the strictest terms, a hybrid vehicle is “a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel the vehicle.” For this purpose, the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) will be used as a comparison. HEV’s have an internal combustion engine and an electric motor in one chassis. This is what gives the HEV its phenomenal mileage gains.

HEV’s reduce fuel wastage by addressing the following situations:

-Lower energy lost during idling by turning off the gas engine

-Recharge the electric batteries while running the combustion engine, by regenerative braking, or both

-Making the combustion engine smaller in size and power, maximizing output of the gas engine and reducing weight and wastage of work (about 20% of engine power is used to directly move the wheels, the rest is lost to combustion, noise, or unburned fuel)

Needless to say, owning a hybrid car is expensive. Cutting edge technology and having bragging rights usually are.

If you don’t have the budget, 3rd party hybrid kits are also available to convert conventional cars to a hybrid system. However, like the above, the cost is still prohibitive. Might as well buy a hybrid car, why don’t you?

No, 3rd party hybrid kits are not what this article is about.

So what is the goal of having a hybrid car? It’s all about mileage, getting the most miles per gallon (MPG) or kilometers per liter (KPL). And if its mileage you need, you only need to look at the faucet. Water. Or in more better terms. Hydrogen and Oxygen.

Yes, hydrogen-on-demand systems are like hybrid systems, except a lot more value for your money. You don’t have to buy a new car for it. It will work just fine on the car you’ve been driving for the past five, ten, and twenty years.

And it will breathe new life in your car.

Hydrogen is surprisingly not a new technology. It has been around in the 19th century as a way to light gaslight, using “oxyhydrogen” to heat piece of limestone to illuminate the night.

Though usage of pure hydrogen is a few years away from being perfected, someone got the great idea to, why not just mix it with conventional gas or diesel? Eureka. A way to gain unimaginable mileage at a fraction of the cost of a hybrid car. This system is called hydrogen-on-demand (HOD).

An HOD system is a vehicle-mounted hydrogen and oxygen delivery method that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen through the process of electrolysis. The power is drawn from the batteries and the hydrogen-oxygen mix (HHO) is drawn into the engine for combustion. Naysayers say that this is an impossible process as it takes more energy to generate hydrogen to fully power a car engine.

But who said anything about running a car on pure hydrogen? Why not mix it with gas or diesel? Eureka once more. It only takes minute amounts of hydrogen to create a powerful combustion with gas or diesel.

The following effects are confirmed when hydrogen is introduced into an internal combustion engine and compressed:

-Water vapor comes out the exhaust as a result of HHO ignition

-Exhaust emissions smell less of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide as HHO burns the mixture more completely and requires less fossil fuel in every cycle.

-Mileage increases by 12%-70% depending on make, model, driver attitude, and supporting devices

-The engine releases more energy than ethanol-based mixes, maintaining the overall power of the car

-Fuel is burned more completely which gives cleaner emissions

-Fuel octane level are raised because hydrogen improves anti-knocking properties, making the engine quieter

-Lowers overall engine temperature

-Requires the engine to use less gas per cycle

Is it safe?

HOD systems generate hydrogen only on demand and are therefore safe. When no electricity is routed through the HOD system, no reaction is generated. No hydrogen is in storage in this system but is kept in medium, which is basically water.

Cost?

Parts are sourced from everyday parts found in hardware shops and basic electronics stores. Total cost for a basic unit can range between $70 to over $200 USD.

What’s offered by most HOD enterprises are plans for do-it-yourself systems, with offers to build the system for the consumer if they so wish. This way the customer can opt to build it himself or to buy a unit once the concept is understood after obtaining the plans to prevent fraud.

For more information on building your own HOD system, increasing fuel economies, and increasing MPG, please visit the url at: http://www.savepetrolfast.com

The question is will it last? Have we finally reached a crisis point in a time when the world’s automobile manufacturers realize we need an alternative to gas powered vehicles? That the only way to avoid the fate of the dinosaur is to drive better gas mileage into their cars and trucks while continuing research on other alternatives? Consumers are buying electric car kits, spending money on electric car conversions, and trying to find out exactly what electric cars are and how they work. But if gas sees sub two dollars a gallon, will we forget about the pain of $5 a gallon gas?Most people say no. Most people realize we have gone down this road before and they are not willing to get caught behind the eight ball again. Problem is no one tells the car makers. All of the majors are working on alternative fuel sources for the next few model years banking on the fact that the world’s drivers have had enough. Problem is if gas is cheap again, consumers will pick up right where they left off and drive up demand for SUV’s and other gas guzzlers which will force automobile manufactures to retool to release pent up demand and sideline their “green” programs yet again.

Going Green Does Have Problems

There is a huge outcry against the E85 or Ethanol based fuel program. For one the energy savings created by using ethanol is negated by the fact that it burns less efficiently than gas. Also, with the price of food skyrocketing, people have a problem with turning that food into fuel. Not to mention logistics, there are only 1500 service stations out of a total of 176,000 that offer E85 ethanol, and the vehicle in question has to be converted to take the 85/15 ethanol gas blend. In other words, this will be another boondoggle that gets us no were fast.

There Are Other Solutions

The electric car is seen as the next best technology and will hit the market in full force over the next few model years. Toyota is considering a Prius with solar panels to power the air conditioning unit. General Motors is planning on launching the sleek and sexy Volt in 2010, and BMW is working on a hydrogen powered engine they say will be ready in less than ten years. There are rumors that Mercedes-Benz plans on eliminating gas powered engines from its entire fleet by 2015. That is a pretty bold effort, but one that is surely needed.

But if any of these fantastic technological breakthroughs are going to be successful people are going to have to buy them. No one is going to confuse you for a secret agent while tooling around town in your Prius, and you are certainly going to get stares in your SMART car from Mercedes, but for all the wrong reasons. But not to worry all of you fashonistas out there waiting for the right car to accessorize your dog-wallet-purse-girlfriend-job with, the Volt is a nice looking vehicle and if you happen to have a hundred grand laying around, you could always pony up for a Tesla and be green and sexy all at the same time!

Soaring oil prices have made all of us think about alternatives to gasoline. Unfortunately, till date, the majority of vehicles run on either gas or diesel, both of which are now touching never before highs. With even the G-8 leaders agreeing that developing new technology is the only way of dealing with the world oil crisis, the common man is forced to think of options to make both ends meet. But the good news is that commoners like us have already developed technologies that bring down fuel consumption to extremely affordable limits.And no, we are not talking of high priced gas-electric hybrids offered by leading car manufacturers, but a small do-it-yourself kit that lets you run your car on water. The hybrid technology that uses an electrolyzer for converting water into HHO or hydroxy gas, where the hydrogen part is used to power the engine has been around for the past five years. Constantly rising oil prices have put these machines into the limelight as a serious alternative to other high priced or energy deficient hybrid cars. So before you think of looking at other hybrid technologies, have a look at some of the major advantages of running cars on water:

If it seems that you keep pumping gas into your car, it may be time to find something that is more fuel efficient while providing you with the best ride to other places. Finding high gas mileage cars is your first step towards adding into fuel efficiency and can provide you with an alternative for being on the road. Knowing what to look for with the characteristics of the cars and finding those that are rated at the top will allow you to get a better turn on the road you are on.One of the easiest ways to find high gas mileage cars is to check in with those who are monitoring and rating the makes and models of each car. This is done by the environmental protection agency, also known as the EPA, and includes a complete list of the cars makes and models, the years they come out, how many miles per gallon they get and whether they will be fuel efficient or not. If you want to go off of a complete list, this is the best place to start in order to get the correct knowledge.

Other knowledge bases that will carry the same type of information are found through ratings with options such as the ten most efficient cars that are on the market. When you read these, you should keep in mind that the ratings are often based off of personal comparisons or experience. You will also want to note that these ratings do not add in additional types of cars, such as hybrid vehicles or alternative vehicles that may be able to provide more to the economy.

Another way to look into the best mileage cars is to look into the way that the cars are built. The first characteristic within this will be the number of cylinders that are in the car. For smaller cars, finding something with a 3 or 4 cylinders will most likely be more efficient in the gas mileage that it is able to use. For larger cars, a six cylinder car will be more effective in allowing you to drive in the right way because of the way that it is built around this specific feature.

The characteristics with the build will also be effected by the way that the car switches into the different gears. Many will say that having a manual or automatic car will sometimes switch whether the car is more fuel efficient or not. This is because the manual cars will have more control of when you switch, allowing for some fuel to be saved when you are switching from the different gears. Keeping in mind the characteristics that you can add in order to keep your car fuel efficient is another way to allow your wheels to save you money while driving.

Knowing your options is always the first turn of the key towards igniting the right vehicle and will allow you the capacity to stay on the road with your options. Finding high gas mileage cars is your first step towards investigating the right vehicles and knowing what will work the best in order to save from the rises in fuel and the need to continue to drive forward.

Deciding on a vehicle at this time in the economy is one of the best things you can do in order to keep everything fuel efficient. If you want to make sure that you find the best deals, than one of the places to start is by making gas mileage comparisons. There are several places that you can look in order to see exactly how much you would spend with different makes and models, all which will provide you with a more effective way to drive through the different areas of town.When you start to compare, you will want to look into the most efficient areas that offer the right information. There are different research companies that are now dedicated to finding the necessary information on fuel costs, as well as how much vehicles will get when they are side by side with each other. The comparisons that are made will include the makes and models of vehicles, as well as the standards for what the miles per gallon are with the cars. Beyond this, these research areas will determine exactly how effective these are in comparison with other cars, either divided by comparing it to the class of the car or by showing everything in a side by side comparison.

Not only will gas mileage comparisons be available through these research companies in order to create a more fuel efficient economy, but there are also extra tests that come as a part of the comparison research. This will tie into how the car runs and what is ignited each time it is driven, giving a better idea of what is needed for it to keep running. Things such as greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution ratings and even safety information can be provided with the makes and models of each car. This will provide you with a complete comparison of which make and model is the best to drive.

Beyond this, you can look into the comparisons that are not only being made with regular makes and models, but also with the different types of vehicles that are available. This will include hybrid vehicles, which will be a make that combines electric with gas in order to drive. There are also options such as diesel vehicles, which will use sulfur diesel and bio-diesel in order to be more fuel efficient. There are also comparisons with newer makes such as flex - fuel vehicles, which will use ethanol instead of gas in order to provide a better ride.

No matter what your options are for finding the right vehicle, you will want to start by comparing and contrasting the different makes and models of each type that is available. Knowing what to look for and tapping into different research centers will provide you with the capacity to know which vehicle is the best to invest in and will provide you with a way to rate your cars to the others that are available. Through the gas mileage comparisons, you can then determine how to be completely energy efficient.