green living, smart spending
The all-new 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a three-door, front-wheel-drive sporty hatchback that delivers up to 40 mph on the highway, 29 mpg in city driving, priced from $17,300 for the six-speed manual and $18,550 for the six-speed EcoShift dual clutch automatic transmission. The 2012 Veloster shares a platform with the Hyundai accent compact sedan, but
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The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is GM’s newest addition to what’s called the 40 Plus mileage club. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic delivers an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, it’s fun to drive, and has a starting price of just $14,995. No wonder sales of this well-designed subcompact are booming. Also, it just happens to be
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Even the top-of-the-line fully loaded 2012 Toyota Yaris is under $20,000, and will save you money while you drive it, since it gets an estimated 30 mpg city and 38 mpg highway. Safety features — Equally important, the all-new Yaris is loaded with safety features, some of which are unusual in a car this size
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Pardon the pun, but the 2012 Scion IQ is a smart buy. This feature loaded premium micro-subcompact four-seater starts at just $15,265. The Scion iQ is only 10 feet long, making it the world’s smallest four-seater, but it’s big on safety and technology — including the world’s first rear window airbag — plus other functionality
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The 2012 Nissan Versa is the least expensive car in North America, with a starting price of just $10,990 MSRP and a budget-saving fuel economy of 33 mpg combined city/highway. Now that I have your attention — The 2012 Nissan Versa is no upholstered roller skate, no stripped-down entry-level tin can that you’d be embarrassed
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The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is an icon, a bargain, and fuel efficient,too. The redesigned third generation of the classic “people’s car” will start at just $18,995, for a stylish, sporty, four-passenger car that’s fun to drive , and loaded with what I call creature features. The 2.5 liter base model has a 170-horsepower in-line five-cylinder engine
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Seats five, gets 40 mpg highway and 28 city, has a fun, sporty driving feel, a top safety rating, and a base price of $16,500. Even the fully-loaded top-of-the-line model clocks in at just $22,500. No wonder the Ford Focus is one of the bright stars in the Ford garage. The Ford Focus has been
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Some people say it’s funny looking, but there’s nothing funny about the price of the 2011 Nissan Juke crossover — $19,570 MSRP for a model with the handline and perfomance of a sports car and the cargo space of an SUV. The 2011 Nissan Juke offers a sporty driving position and handling, thanks to a
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Price, fuel efficiency, US government safety ratings, depreciation and residual value, and warranty coverage all determine whether a vehicle is a good buy. NADA Guides, a top provider of vehicle information and pricing, scores hundreds of vehicles each model year to determine the Best Car Buys. Here’s the 2011 list for the most popular car
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Fuel efficient, fun to drive, starting price of just $15,800. No wonder nearly half of all Mazda models sold in North America are the Mazda3, which has been racking up awards — the latest of which is as a “top safety pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), for achieving the highest crash
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