Auto News 5

Miles to Date: 35,056
Months in Fleet:10

This Honda Insight lists for about $5000 more than our similarly equipped Four Seasons Fit. The extra money nets you a continuously variable transmission rather than the Fit's 5-speed manual or automatic transmission, two inches more in length (the cars have identical width and track), nicer floor mats, and, oh yeah, Honda's Integrated Motor Assist Technology. The hybrid scores a whopping 12 mpg better in the city and 8 mpg better on the highway. And yet, it drives very similar to the Fit, not surprising since they share many suspension components. In fact, the most noticeable difference on the road is not due to the Insight's electric motor but rather to its transmission. The CVT eliminates the engine drone that afflicts the Fit at highway speeds. Around town though, it makes the Insight feel more sluggish, and doesn't offer the precision of Honda's excellent manual shifter.

Just like you, we always want to know what's coming next from Detroit, Tokyo, Stuttgart, Munich, Los Angeles, and all the other places where automotive engineers and designers dream and scheme on our behalf. Car companies, of course, are loath to share information on new products lest their competitors try to copy them--or you decide not to buy the cars they already have on dealer lots. Car companies, though, are simply groups of people, and some of them have a hard time keeping secrets. So, we poke, we prod, we cajole, and we uncover information that becomes the basis for our annual Sneak Preview issue. As always, some of our information is educated guesswork based on hints, insinuations, hunches. Make no mistake, though, these cars are on their way, even though details may change. Ladies and gentlemen: our list of 136 cars coming over the next few years...

Just like you, we always want to know what's coming next from Detroit, Tokyo, Stuttgart, Munich, Los Angeles, and all the other places where automotive engineers and designers dream and scheme on our behalf. Car companies, of course, are loath to share information on new products lest their competitors try to copy them--or you decide not to buy the cars they already have on dealer lots. Car companies, though, are simply groups of people, and some of them have a hard time keeping secrets. So, we poke, we prod, we cajole, and we uncover information that becomes the basis for our annual Sneak Preview issue. As always, some of our information is educated guesswork based on hints, insinuations, hunches. Make no mistake, though, these cars are on their way, even though details may change. Ladies and gentlemen: our list of 136 cars coming over the next few years...

Just like you, we always want to know what's coming next from Detroit, Tokyo, Stuttgart, Munich, Los Angeles, and all the other places where automotive engineers and designers dream and scheme on our behalf. Car companies, of course, are loath to share information on new products lest their competitors try to copy them--or you decide not to buy the cars they already have on dealer lots. Car companies, though, are simply groups of people, and some of them have a hard time keeping secrets. So, we poke, we prod, we cajole, and we uncover information that becomes the basis for our annual Sneak Preview issue. As always, some of our information is educated guesswork based on hints, insinuations, hunches. Make no mistake, though, these cars are on their way, even though details may change. Ladies and gentlemen: our list of 136 cars coming over the next few years...

If you think that companies like General Motors only think about fuel economy when new CAFE standards are making news, you'd be wrong. GM and other manufacturers are always looking for new technologies to more efficiently power the next generation of transportation.