green living, smart spending
The upcoming 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show is the biggest in years, with more than 50 North American and world debuts of new cars, SUVs and trucks. The intros show that the auto industry continues to be a surprise bright spot in the overall economy. Green cars, including electric cars, diesel cars and extended range
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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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Every auto show features a concept car or several. Concept cars are important, because they give us a sneak peak at the car company’s design and technology direction, and the reaction of the media and the public can determine whether the concept gets put into overdrive, or parked in the garage and forgotten. Here’s what
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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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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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California B&Bs have gone green with a variety of innovative and eco-friendly practices, including using solar power and geothermal energy systems to reduce electric costs, and providing electric car charging stations for guests arriving in plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Mini E. In Santa Cruz, The
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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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