Archive for the ‘Elantra’ Category

Hyundai has made a very smart choice on its Elantra sedan for 2010: improved its fuel economy. And at the center of the improvement is a new frugal base model, the Elantra Blue.

Through some relatively simple engineering enhancements—such as a smart alternator, lower-friction components, and revised/taller gear ratios, along with revised engine calibration—Hyundai has improved fuel efficiency on the Elantra Blue (versus last year’s Elantra models) by up to eight percent. EPA ratings now stand at 26 mpg city, 35 highway with the standard five-speed manual transmission—up from 24 mpg city, 33 highway on last year’s model.

Due to “smart...

For 2010, Chrysler has slimmed down the choices on its Dodge Caliber hatchback and spiffed up the interior, to make the car more competitive with the best of its class. It now offers just two engines and two transmissions, slightly improving the gas mileage.

We've never rated the Caliber particularly high among compact cars, due to its below-par fuel efficiency and a grim, dismal, hard-plastic interior. The revised 2010 Dodge Caliber addresses both those complaints.

The base engine is now the 2.0-liter four, replacing a previous 1.8-liter option, with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). EPA...

Generational biases are nearly impossible to overcome when it comes to cars and image, and what types of cars are hot or not. At least until recently, much of the Baby Boomer generation, which has held most of the new-car buying power, has been decidedly anti-wagon.

My generation, the young side of Gen X plus Gen Y, has liked wagons all along; I can't remember a time when my peers considered them uncool. Whether or not it goes back to the knee-jerk resistance to the Plymouth Voyager minivans and Ford Explorer SUVs that our parents' generation gravitated toward, we really love our sport wagons.

If you're looking for a wagon—especially a...