Non Hybrid Fuel Savers

Which Cars Offer Fuel Economy Without The Hybrid Label?

So we're hearing a lot of talk about hybrids, plug ins and EVs.  However, if you're looking for fuel economy outside of the hybrid family, you have options.  Let our friends at Popular Mechanics tell you a little more.    

2012 Ford Mustang 

The Mustang not only looks cool and has a great heritage, but it offers great fuel economy numbers.  The 'Stang offers 19 mpg city and 31 highway.  Popular Mechanics says it best: "If your commute involves some highway time, you owe it to yourself to consider the Mustang. Efficiency has rarely been more fun."

2012 Honda Fit

The Fit brings 28 city/35 highway mpg to the table.  For an ideal modern version of the classic hatchback, look no further than the Honda Fit. It's small, fun to drive, capable of hauling your stuff, and doesn't require a dedicated savings account for gas money.  Opt for the Fit Sport with automatic transmission and you'll even get paddle shifters on the steering wheel!

2012 Nissan Juke S

The Juke is one of the most unique looking vehicles on the market, you'll know one when you see one. The Juke is funand has enough room to take some friends and their things with you. Plus, it's a fuel-sipper; even the all-wheel drive option gets 25 city/30 highway.  The S gets 27/32.  Not bad right?  

Vegetable Seat Cushions From Ford

Ford Using Forward Thinking Manufacturing Techniques 

Ford is already know for their creative, eco-friendly solutions to manufacturing. It seems like the automaker has taken it a step further.  

At a the recent Forward with Ford conference, Ford announced they are actually using corn and soy beans in their auto production.  Very interesting use of vegetables, Ford.  

The corn and soy beans will make their way into manufacturing for seat cushions and other parts.  This goes along with another recent revelation that Ford uses cotton from blue jeans to make some interior padding and carpeting.  Not bad.  

Check out CNet's photo gallery from the event here.  

Celebrity and activist Ed Begley Jr. was on hand to talk going green with Ford.  Electric vehicle were also a big topic of conversation, as they usually seem to be these days.  

Ford mentioned a recent study which revealed that 42% of consumers consider fuel economy to be an extremely important factor when buying a new vehicle.

Not surprisingly, Ford delivers 12 vehicles that get 40 mpg or higher.  

So if fuel economy is something that's important to you (we're guessing it probably is), swing by West Herr Ford in Amherst or Hamburg and see how we can save you money at the pump! 

Straightforward Ideas for Straightforward Savings

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HAS A FEW IDEAS TO SAVE YOU MONEY AT THE PUMP

So fuel efficiency is all the rage, but not everyone has a hybrid or more fuel efficient car.

Luckily, the Department of Energy is here to help.  At the DOE website, you can find tips on driving techniques that will save you gas.  Here are some highlights:  

Drive Conservatively. Just a little extra speeding, braking and rapid acceleration can make a big difference. According to the DOE, these behaviors can lower your gas mileage by 33% on the highway and 5% around town, costing you as much as $1.25 per gallon.

Obey the Speed Limit. This one’s a no-brainer, but it’s easy to forget to slow down when you’re in a hurry. Still, the DOE claims “that each 5mph you drive over 60mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas.”

Remove Excess Weight. This might sound simple enough to be insulting, but we all carry around some extra stuff we don’t need in the trunk or back seat. If you take a minute or two to clean your car out, you could save almost $0.10 per gallon, depending on how much stuff you’ve got in there.

Avoid Idling. Whenever possible, turn your car off instead of leaving it to idle. This could make the biggest difference in the coming summer months because leaving your car to idle with the air conditioning on can cost twice as much ($0.02-$0.04/min.) as leaving it to idle with the AC off ($0.01-$0.03/min.).

These four points seem pretty basic, but they’re also easy to dismiss and forget about because they’re so simple. They could save you a few bucks a month though, so try to keep them in mind. It couldn’t hurt.

Automakers Want To Save You Money

Ford and GM To Introduce Stop-Start Fuel Saving Engine Technology

Ponder this for a second- 17.2% of a vehicle's fuel is consumed when the engine idles in traffic.

In other terms, that's 69 cents of a $4 gallon.  Both stats are courtesy of the Energy Department and the Detroit Free Press.  A diagram of how eAssist works

Luckily, automakers are attacking this problem with new stop-start engine technology.  

Essentially, the engine will shut down when the car is at a complete stop then restarts when the driver lifts their foot off the brake.  This technology is available already on most hybrids.

GM recently announced the stop-start system (they will call it eAssist) will be standard with the 2012 Buick LaCrosse 4 cylinder.  Ford too will add the feature which also appears in some BMW and Mercedes-Benz models.  

"This technology provides a lot of bang for the buck in terms of overall cost, compared with full hybrids," said Steve Poulos, chief engineer for eAssist.

Poulos said the LaCrosse with the 2.4-liter eAssist engine and a six-speed automatic transmission would achieve 25 city and 37 mpg highway, a 25 percent improvement over the 2011 model

If you drive in a city, it's impossible not to idle.  Until eAssist is more commonplace, go here for a few other ideas on how to save fuel.  

Find Your Car's Most Fuel Efficient Speed

A Simple Way To Save Gas (and Money)

There are all kinds of fuel saving tips and tricks out there, but one that gets overlooked is driving speed.  By knowing your car and monitoring your speed, you can conserve gas.  

With fuel prices as they are, it's worth a shot isnt it?

Consumerist.com recently interviewed a long haul trucker about monitoring speed to save gas.  The trucker, simply known as Jason, offered up some incredibly useful insight.  

"Speed destroys your fuel economy," he writes. "I routinely drove 3,000 plus miles per *week. The faster you go, the more gas you burn." Here's some quick math to back up his claim

Driving at 70mph =under 6 mpg
Driving at 60mph =around 7 mpg
Driving at 57mph = 7.5-8.1 mpg

However, slow isn't always the best option either.  The best way to drive and save fuel is to figure out what speed is the most economical for your car.  There are two ways to do this:

1.   Google for your car's make and model and "most economical speed" and see what others before you have found out.  Simple, but maybe not the most fun.  

2.  -Fill up with gas
     -Record the mileage
     -Drive on the highway at your test speed until the tank is less than half full
     -Fill up the tank (ideally at the same pump as before)
     -Record the mileage
     -Subtract the first mileage from the second mileage
     -Divide result by the number of gallons it took to fill up your car that second time. That's your MPG.
     -Repeat the process using the second speed you want to test and compare the results.

So give it a shot.  You can also ask us at anytime with help on anything Fuel economy or car related.  Be safe and save some fuel!  

Fuel Economy AND Space- Not a Myth

See 5 West Herr SUVs That Offer The Best Fuel Efficiency

If you're buying an SUV you most likely value space in your vehicle.  Most drivers value gas mileage too. Now, the two are not mutually exclusive. Plenty of 2011 SUVs offer drivers the storage capability they desire and won't hurt them at the gas pump.

With that in mind we bring you 5 SUVs from West Herr brands that wont hurt your wallet to fill up:  

Toyota RAV4

Miles Per Gallon (MPG)- 28 hwy, 22 city, 24 overall

Popular Mechanics dubbed this the "ever popular RAV4" as it is a big seller.  One of the main reasons is of course it's fuel efficiency.  Plus Toyota is working on an all electric version, so the RAV4 is sure to appear on lists like this again.  

Subaru Outback Wagon 4WD

MPG-  29 hwy, 22 city, 24 overall

Popular Mechanics dubbed the Outback their "most versatile car."  They credited the Outback's excellent handling thanks to Subaru's all-wheel-drive technology.  So not only is the Outback fuel efficient, it handles in multiple situations too.  Can't beat that.  

 

Kia Sportage

MPG- 31 hwy, 22 city, 25 overall

Kia was recently named one of the most dog friendly brands by the AAA, so dog owners take note. Plus the price is extremely competitive, starting with a base price of $18,295.

Chevrolet Equinox FWD 

MPG- 32 hwy, 22 city, 26 overall

Take note that the Equinox has the best non-hybrid highway mileage we've listed.  Plus, owners rave about the vehicles room, comfort and overall driving experience.  Chevy also employs direct injection technology, which is good for a 3% gain in fuel efficiency on its own.  

 

Ford Escape Hybrid

MPG- 34 hwy, 31 city, 32 overall.

31 MPG in the city?  Not bad!  In front-wheel drive trim, the Escape serves up 30 mpg in all situations, plus with plenty of style and substance to boot. Sounds like a can't miss to us. 

So there you go.  

Why not swing by West Herr and test drive one of these fine cars? Visit us today! 

Aerodynamics- An Underrated Fuel Saver

How Proper Engineering Can Make A Car More Fuel Efficient 

A huge topic of conversation these days is how to save money at the gas pump. We all talk about car pooling or other solutions, but auto engineers at Ford are taking steps behind the scenes to ensure high fuel economy on their vehicles.  

Specifically, they are masters of aerodynamics. 

In a nutshell, fuel economy improvements can result from reducing friction and drag on a car.  This can occur within engines, but also as air flows over and around the vehicle as it efficiently skims through the atmosphere at cruising speeds.

Ford even has a wind tunnel on hand at their plants to test out all vehicles and their aerodynamics.  

“Aerodynamic development has yielded significant improvements in fuel efficiency across the full line of Ford vehicles,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development.

The all-new Ford Explorer SUV, 2011 North American Truck of the Year, and the Ford Flex crossover both enjoy improved fuel efficiency from painstaking detail work by designers and aerodynamicists collaborating in the wind tunnel.

Carefully balancing aerodynamic details such as the front air dam, sideview mirrors and rear liftgate spoiler adds nearly 1 mpg as Explorer quietly cruises the highway.  

Power usage also affects fuel consumption.  For example, the Flex's boxy shape requires only 8.90 horsepower to maintain a 55 mph cruising speed.  Using less power to carve through the atmosphere saves fuel, lowering the cost of ownership.

Maximize Your Own Fuel Efficiency

Ford Helps You Save Money At The Pump 

We've all seen what's going on with gas prices, no fun right? It's a good thing Ford offers multiple eco friendly driving advancements with almost their entire fleet.  As a bonus, the technology is just plain fun to use, even offering rewards and tips.  

“Fuel economy and technology are consumers’ biggest priorities – and we have made them Ford’s as well,” said Mark Fields, Ford president, The Americas.

Ford’s suite of green driving technologies enable consumers to modify their driving habits through coaching methods and rewards that encourage eco-friendly driving behaviors.

By making simple adjustments in everyday driving habits – from rolling up windows when traveling more than 50 mph to staying on top of vehicle maintenance – consumers can increase their fuel efficiency while decreasing their impact on the environment and the cost of vehicle ownership. 

Ford’s growing lineup of green driving technologies and driving tips include:

EcoMode
EcoMode coaches consumers in the art of eco-driving using real-time feedback, while scoring and rewards are displayed on the instrument cluster. The software application generates a personalized driver operation scorecard by rating driver behavior that impacts fuel efficiency. Scores are displayed using an easy-to-follow five-leaf icon, with two leaves set as the default and five leaves being the maximum achievable score. Throughout a drive, the scoring system generates hints on how to gain more leaves by implementing eco-driving methods. It also allows drivers to review their generated score against the software’s optimized eco-driving patterns. Testing has shown a 24 percent fuel economy increase, on average.

MyFord Touch with EcoRoute

MyFord Touch™ provides drivers with real-time feedback on vehicle fuel efficiency and performance, helping coach drivers to maximize their miles per gallon. With the addition of EcoRoute, a map-based navigation system that instantly calculates the most fuel-efficient driving route, consumers are further empowered to control their fuel efficiency, with testing demonstrating fuel economy gains of up to 15 percent.

SmartGauge with EcoGuide
SmartGauge with EcoGuide is a unique instrument cluster specifically designed for hybrid vehicle owners. The technology creates a more connected driving experience, by coaching drivers to further maximize the fuel efficiency of their hybrid vehicle through real-time feedback and rewards. SmartGauge with EcoGuide features full-color LCD screens that can be configured to show different levels of information, including fuel and battery power levels, average and instant miles per gallon, and growing leaves and vines that track and reward the driver’s efficiency – more leaves and vines denote better driving habits.

It's Official: The Plural of "Prius" is "Prii"

Toyota Puts The Debate To Rest With Help From The Public

Consumers have spoken: multiple Toyota Prius vehicles will now be referred to as "Prii."  The term won out in a vote by the public against other suggestions including Priuses, Prius, Prium and Prien.

To mark the occasion, Dictionary.com has updated its Prius listing with the appropriate word for more than one Prius hybrid. 

"Community has always been a big part of the Prius brand, so it was only fitting that we invite the online communities to participate in the plural discussion," said Colin Morisako, advertising manager for Toyota. "The people have spoken-Prii will be the accepted term used to describe multiple Prius vehicles going forward."

Toyota received over 1.5 million votes during the 6 week campaign.  

Toyota has made it clear that the company intends to grow the Prius family in the near future with the addition of production versions of the seven-passenger Prius V and the more compact Prius C Concept. 

Each new family member will maintain Prius' core values of high fuel economy, low emissions, proven gas-electric hybrid technology and environmental stewardship. For more information on the Toyota Prius family of vehicles, visit www.toyota.com/priusfamily.

Visit a West Herr Toyota location today and give the Prius a test drive! 

Power AND Fuel Economy: Together At Last

Ford F150 Eco Boost Offers Truck Fans Fuel Saving Capabilities 

Most truck owners need towing power, but a powerful truck is often associated with high fuel usage.  Not anymore.  The new Ford F150 features an EcoBoost engine that will boost fuel economy by 20% from the last model.  

"Customers have embraced the EcoBoost solution of delivering the power they desire with the fuel economy they demand in a no-compromise package,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The EcoBoost truck engine for the 2011 F-150 will deliver those attributes and has been specially tuned and tested to deliver the best-in-class towing and capability our truck customers demand.”

An EcoBoost-ed F-150 will have an 11,300-pound maximum trailer tow capacity -- that matches the figure for trucks with the 6.2-liter engine.

Payload capacity is best-in-class, Ford claims, at 3060 pounds. The engine's efficiency is supplemented by a new electronic power steering system and a six-speed automatic across the F-150 lineup

The key technology built into every EcoBoost engine, including turbocharging and direct fuel injection, is particularly relevant to customers of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine.

“Truck customers should think of the EcoBoost truck engine as a gas-powered engine with diesel-type capability and characteristics,” said Jim Mazuchowski, V6 engines program manager. 

The EcoBoost F150 is available to test drive at West Herr Ford of Hamburg today and will be available to buy soon.  Stay tuned to our blog for all the details.