Auto News 5

Gas prices have been as volatile as the stock market lately and experts assure us both will be rebounding, though nobody knows exactly when. Investing in the market now, though it might seem counterintuitive, could set you up for a handsome reward in the future. The same goes for buying a new fuel-efficient automobile. If you purchase a hybrid vehicle today, when demand for fuel-sippers is relatively modest, you'll probably end up getting a better deal on the car and you're also insulating yourself from future spikes in gasoline prices. Think of it as an automotive hedge fund, but without the sleazy Wall Street guys and enormous bonus scandals.

Arrived in fleet: Friday, March 13, 2009

I forgot just how quiet hybrids are. Like, silent. As in, so silent when you start one, you turn it off and try again because you think nothing happened. So silent that it's like a party trick I perform for Lovely Rita and Ali at the parking garage downtown. Check this out! It's RUNNING. No, really!!

Although Nissan has promised to offer battery/electric vehicles by next year, it's still found time to occasionally tinker with gasoline/electric hybrids. That's a good thing, as the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid is one of the most enjoyable hybrid sedans on the market.

With the small car category gaining strength, more and more automakers are looking to make their pint-size offerings stand out from the masses. Based on the entry-level Rio, Kia's brand-new 2010 Soul fits this mold well, its heavy revisions allowing it to compete with the squarish likes of the Scion xB and the Nissan Cube, not to mention the less funky progenitor of the modern box cars, the Honda Element.

To understand the Camry Hybrid's position in its segment, you need only realize that both the Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima's powertains are based on Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (Nissan actually licenses the technology, Ford's setup is independently developed but essentially identical). If that's not enough, recall that the Camry has been the best selling car in America for eleven of the last twelve years. Clearly, the Camry is the car Nissan and Ford designers had at the center of their sights. Unfortunately for Toyota, both have been quite successful. While the Camry Hybrid is still a strong choice, its age is starting to show.