Four Hybrid and Diesel Suvs
Despite legislation being bandied about in Congress that may force everyone in this country to drive cars that are essentially the same size, some people in this country do need larger vehicles. If you are a bitterly single environmentalist who bores all his or her dates with diatribes about the heathens who drive SUVs or trucks then how could you know many people need big vehicles for their families or jobs?Oh, wait. That would mean you would have to spend a minute outside of the obnoxiously narcissistic frontal lobe which refuses to accept the fact that you are not superior to everyone. Just because you blog on the Huffington Post or write for the Los Angeles Times does not mean that you can tell a hole in ground from the dark and unpleasant recesses of your own posterior.This article won't cover full size trucks like the Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado but they should not be discounted from the race for fuel efficiency. Both of these trucks have sold relatively fuel efficient diesel versions for decades. In addition, Chevy is poised to release a hybrid version of the Silverado once all that nasty bankruptcy business is behind it. And this is no half-baked hybrid system as it was developed in conjunction with BMW and Mercedes which will soon be releasing variations in its own models soon.Although there was a fad going there for a few years where people were using full size pickups as commuter vehicles (an admittedly silly thing to do), sales figures show that this is something the gas price spike a year ago put an end to. But even in the boom times most trucks were bought by construction contractors or individuals who needed to tow horse trailers or boats. Try towing a horse trailer in a Honda Civic. Not-Gonna-Happen.While most of the vehicles in this piece focus on models in the luxury end of the SUV/Crossover segment that is not because diesel or hybrid tech is unusable in the Explorer class. For some reason, though, manufacturers are putting very tentative toes in using alternatively fuelled propulsion in their SUV models. Most mainstream manufacturers who even offer hybrid options on their SUVs are generally hyping their new four cylinder options much more heavilyas is the case with the new four cylinder Toyota Highlander.Here, in no particular order are four of the best choices in SUVs/Crossovers for those of you out there who want to save money on gas and do their bit to save the Earth. You might be able to fit your two days worth of groceries and cat food in your Smart car but some people out there have children, hobbies and jobs. Do you have any idea how much stuff you need to haul around in your car nowadays when you are a mother? Just one car seat alone takes up over half of the rear seats in most cars.This guide is dedicated to all you new and long time moms and dads raising their kids as best they can in a world that seems to demand that they fit the stroller, car seats, diaper bags, grocery shopping, football uniforms, dry cleaning, kids carpool and the family dog in a Toyota Yaris. It's just not possible, people, so back off and peel those I heart Al Gore and Tree Hugger stickers off the back of your pollution belching 1978 Volvo station wagons. We don't care what you think.BMW X5xdrive35dTake the fastest, cleanest and most fuel efficient twin-turbocharged six cylinder diesel engine on the world market and shoehorn it under the hood of the best handling SUV and you have true automotive magic. If you can afford the price of entry into the world of this brilliant BMW diesel (starting at $51,200) run and don't walk to your local BMW dealer. If the price seems steep (and it can be once you dive into BMW's irresistible option list) do take into account that BMW is always offering lease specials and pays for all maintenance for 4 years/50,000miles.While BMW could no doubt help the Earth by shortening the name of the X5xdrive35d (imagine all the letters and numbers wasted making the logo), the engine in this vehicle is truly an environmental tour de force. When compared to any U.S. market diesel SUVs it not only gets the best government fuel efficiency rankings but in a number of recent independent tests routinely managed over 30 mpg in mixed city/highway driving. That number would be even higher if BMW would introduce its Efficient Dynamics stop/start system that is standard on European diesel models. But apparently the firm doesn't think Americans will accept their engines turning off at stop lights. Don't hybrids do that?BMW's excellent fuel efficiency readings were also not attained in controlled settings with the air conditioning off while going 40 miles per hour. The studies actually found this diesel got better gas mileage with the air conditioning on and the faster the average speed. Just remember that on that next balmy 100 degree day as you blow past that aging hippie in his tie-die VW Microbus at 75 miles per hour with the automatic temperature control in your X5 set at a crisp 68 degrees.As with every SUV on this list, the BMW X5 exceeds Euro6 (due in 2014) emissions regulations as well as those currently demanded by the state of California (currently the smog Nazis of the entire world). To achieve this, the BMW uses an AdBlue urea additive that is sprayed into emissions gasses when they are recycled back into the combustion chambers. It isn't as clean as a Prius in relation to the release of certain smog creating emissions but is cleaner than most regular gas powered sedans. Where the X5 and certain AdBlue using diesel engines find near equal parity with a hybrid is in the release of Carbon Dioxide gasses. Apparently many governments in Europe tax vehicles based solely on how much of this Greenhouse Effect causing gas is released into the air by your vehicle.The real way to answer whether or not you should go hybrid or diesel is by deciding what kind of driving experience you want. The BMW is a visceral, fast, and fun to drive beast that tells you with its slightly gravelly voice that it is ready to deploy its booty slapping 455 pound feet of torque at a moment's notice. This can mean life or death should your family need to take evasive action in the X5 after that Ikea truck ahead of you jackknifes thereby flinging poorly designed Swedish furniture across four lanes of traffic. It could happen.Lexus RX450hThis hybrid luxury SUV model is the anti-BMW diesel. Where the BMW is all sensation and throaty engine note tied in a sporty package, the Lexus extols the virtues of utmost efficiency with its downright addictive center screen economy flow charts and graphics. The Lexus seems like it treats the drivers better depending on how economically he or she is driving. The Lexus RX450h is the automotive equivalent of a librarian who is constantly telling you keep the noise down.But that is no bad thing. Sometimes after a long day at work or after taking 4 kids to a professional league baseball game that went overtime you just want a car that doesn't ask much of you. And the Lexus will never ask much of you. It won't even ask you to hear it. Even when the electric batteries drain and the gas engine starts up you can barely hear it. Add in the fact that you get a 38 city/28 highway fuel economy rating and you can see why so many people like this hybrid SUVAs is true with any hybrid, though, fuel economy is highly dependent on how you drive. Hybrids excel in city driving where the vehicle is allowed to run more often in low speed all electric mode. On the highway the fuel efficiency gains are far more minimal. Hybrids also get better gas mileage when you are easy on the gas and utilize tricks like coasting to a stop as to maximize battery regeneration. It is sort of like the automotive equivalent of driving your laptop. Frugal and hi-tech but not much fun to drive.Audi Q7 TDINow trickling into Audi dealerships across the country, this new diesel variant of the big Audi SUV should appeal to any plus sized family. The moderately functional third row of seats sets it apart in the market but anyone bigger than kids just recently out of car seats will probably not appreciate having to sit back there. Little kids, though, will no doubt fight over the rear most pews just like their parents once fought over who got to sit in the rear facing seat of the family Ford Country Squire station wagon.Even though the Audi Q7 TDI follows a similar blueprint when compared to the similar diesel X5 it is down slightly on power, isn't quite as clean emissions wise and isn't as fast due to a higher curb weight. The Q7 is no slouch in the power department though as it has 225 horsepower and 406 pound feet of torque. In a rather lame attempt to be cheaper than their foes at BMW, the Audi Q7 TDI is priced from $50, 600a savings of about $1,000. That kind of price difference barely matters when you are comparing a Corolla and a Civic.The interior is stylishly sophisticated and manages the unique trick of having all the most up to date modern features without overwhelming you with obscurely marked buttons and switches. Design at Audi always manages to create an interior that is user friendlythis cannot always be said about BMW which on more than one occasion has taken a perfectly functioning object in a car and made it unnecessarily complex.You say that you want a vehicle that is fuel efficient, inexpensive to operate, has a huge cargo area and is environmentally sound then might I recommend one that quite possibly might also never depreciate?For years, VW has quietly imported small numbers of TDI models into the United States and due to their fuel efficiency and the generally robust nature of diesel engines, these Golfs and Jettas have attracted a devoted cult following. So much so that you can find well used old examples on the internet selling for their original MSRP. That NEVER happens.The VW Sportswagen TDI starts at a reasonable $23,870 and can be equipped with a manual transmission or VW's class leading DSG Double-clutch automatic transmission. The DSG working in conjunction with the diesel is excellent at accessing the steep torque curve of the diesel engine. Fuel economy ratings are 31 city/ 40 highway from a four cylinder engine with 140 horsepower and 236 pound feet of torque. That is more torque than you get in a GTI. If you don't know, it isn't horsepower you feel when a vehicle pushes you back into your seat as you accelerate. It is the torque.With a cargo area that is larger than many medium sized SUVs, the VW Jetta Sportwagen is an interesting alternative to the SUV. VW is only importing 5,000 a year, though, so supplies are limited. Another surprising fact? While many auto experts claimed Americans would never embrace diesel engined vehicles 80 percent of Jetta Sportwagens sold in the United States come with the diesel option.So just hurry up and pick one. You are already late for picking up junior from his piano recital and dinner isn't going to make itself.
Despite legislation being bandied about in Congress that may force everyone in this country to drive cars that are essentially the same size, some people in this country do need larger vehicles. If you are a bitterly single environmentalist who bores all his or her dates with diatribes about the heathens who drive SUVs or trucks then how could you know many people need big vehicles for their families or jobs?
Oh, wait. That would mean you would have to spend a minute outside of the obnoxiously narcissistic frontal lobe which refuses to accept the fact that you are not superior to everyone. Just because you blog on the Huffington Post or write for the Los Angeles Times does not mean that you can tell a hole in ground from the dark and unpleasant recesses of your own posterior.
This article won't cover full size trucks like the Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado but they should not be discounted from the race for fuel efficiency. Both of these trucks have sold relatively fuel efficient diesel versions for decades. In addition, Chevy is poised to release a hybrid version of the Silverado once all that nasty bankruptcy business is behind it. And this is no half-baked hybrid system as it was developed in conjunction with BMW and Mercedes which will soon be releasing variations in its own models soon.
Although there was a fad going there for a few years where people were using full size pickups as commuter vehicles (an admittedly silly thing to do), sales figures show that this is something the gas price spike a year ago put an end to. But even in the boom times most trucks were bought by construction contractors or individuals who needed to tow horse trailers or boats. Try towing a horse trailer in a Honda Civic. Not-Gonna-Happen.
While most of the vehicles in this piece focus on models in the luxury end of the SUV/Crossover segment that is not because diesel or hybrid tech is unusable in the Explorer class. For some reason, though, manufacturers are putting very tentative toes in using alternatively fuelled propulsion in their SUV models. Most mainstream manufacturers who even offer hybrid options on their SUVs are generally hyping their new four cylinder options much more heavilyas is the case with the new four cylinder Toyota Highlander.
Here, in no particular order are four of the best choices in SUVs/Crossovers for those of you out there who want to save money on gas and do their bit to save the Earth. You might be able to fit your two days worth of groceries and cat food in your Smart car but some people out there have children, hobbies and jobs. Do you have any idea how much stuff you need to haul around in your car nowadays when you are a mother? Just one car seat alone takes up over half of the rear seats in most cars.
This guide is dedicated to all you new and long time moms and dads raising their kids as best they can in a world that seems to demand that they fit the stroller, car seats, diaper bags, grocery shopping, football uniforms, dry cleaning, kids carpool and the family dog in a Toyota Yaris. It's just not possible, people, so back off and peel those I heart Al Gore and Tree Hugger stickers off the back of your pollution belching 1978 Volvo station wagons. We don't care what you think.
BMW X5xdrive35dTake the fastest, cleanest and most fuel efficient twin-turbocharged six cylinder diesel engine on the world market and shoehorn it under the hood of the best handling SUV and you have true automotive magic. If you can afford the price of entry into the world of this brilliant BMW diesel (starting at $51,200) run and don't walk to your local BMW dealer. If the price seems steep (and it can be once you dive into BMW's irresistible option list) do take into account that BMW is always offering lease specials and pays for all maintenance for 4 years/50,000miles.
While BMW could no doubt help the Earth by shortening the name of the X5xdrive35d (imagine all the letters and numbers wasted making the logo), the engine in this vehicle is truly an environmental tour de force. When compared to any U.S. market diesel SUVs it not only gets the best government fuel efficiency rankings but in a number of recent independent tests routinely managed over 30 mpg in mixed city/highway driving. That number would be even higher if BMW would introduce its Efficient Dynamics stop/start system that is standard on European diesel models. But apparently the firm doesn't think Americans will accept their engines turning off at stop lights. Don't hybrids do that?
BMW's excellent fuel efficiency readings were also not attained in controlled settings with the air conditioning off while going 40 miles per hour. The studies actually found this diesel got better gas mileage with the air conditioning on and the faster the average speed. Just remember that on that next balmy 100 degree day as you blow past that aging hippie in his tie-die VW Microbus at 75 miles per hour with the automatic temperature control in your X5 set at a crisp 68 degrees.
As with every SUV on this list, the BMW X5 exceeds Euro6 (due in 2014) emissions regulations as well as those currently demanded by the state of California (currently the smog Nazis of the entire world). To achieve this, the BMW uses an AdBlue urea additive that is sprayed into emissions gasses when they are recycled back into the combustion chambers. It isn't as clean as a Prius in relation to the release of certain smog creating emissions but is cleaner than most regular gas powered sedans. Where the X5 and certain AdBlue using diesel engines find near equal parity with a hybrid is in the release of Carbon Dioxide gasses. Apparently many governments in Europe tax vehicles based solely on how much of this Greenhouse Effect causing gas is released into the air by your vehicle.
The real way to answer whether or not you should go hybrid or diesel is by deciding what kind of driving experience you want. The BMW is a visceral, fast, and fun to drive beast that tells you with its slightly gravelly voice that it is ready to deploy its booty slapping 455 pound feet of torque at a moment's notice. This can mean life or death should your family need to take evasive action in the X5 after that Ikea truck ahead of you jackknifes thereby flinging poorly designed Swedish furniture across four lanes of traffic. It could happen.
Lexus RX450hThis hybrid luxury SUV model is the anti-BMW diesel. Where the BMW is all sensation and throaty engine note tied in a sporty package, the Lexus extols the virtues of utmost efficiency with its downright addictive center screen economy flow charts and graphics. The Lexus seems like it treats the drivers better depending on how economically he or she is driving. The Lexus RX450h is the automotive equivalent of a librarian who is constantly telling you keep the noise down.
But that is no bad thing. Sometimes after a long day at work or after taking 4 kids to a professional league baseball game that went overtime you just want a car that doesn't ask much of you. And the Lexus will never ask much of you. It won't even ask you to hear it. Even when the electric batteries drain and the gas engine starts up you can barely hear it. Add in the fact that you get a 38 city/28 highway fuel economy rating and you can see why so many people like this hybrid SUV
As is true with any hybrid, though, fuel economy is highly dependent on how you drive. Hybrids excel in city driving where the vehicle is allowed to run more often in low speed all electric mode. On the highway the fuel efficiency gains are far more minimal. Hybrids also get better gas mileage when you are easy on the gas and utilize tricks like coasting to a stop as to maximize battery regeneration. It is sort of like the automotive equivalent of driving your laptop. Frugal and hi-tech but not much fun to drive.
Audi Q7 TDINow trickling into Audi dealerships across the country, this new diesel variant of the big Audi SUV should appeal to any plus sized family. The moderately functional third row of seats sets it apart in the market but anyone bigger than kids just recently out of car seats will probably not appreciate having to sit back there. Little kids, though, will no doubt fight over the rear most pews just like their parents once fought over who got to sit in the rear facing seat of the family Ford Country Squire station wagon.
Even though the Audi Q7 TDI follows a similar blueprint when compared to the similar diesel X5 it is down slightly on power, isn't quite as clean emissions wise and isn't as fast due to a higher curb weight. The Q7 is no slouch in the power department though as it has 225 horsepower and 406 pound feet of torque. In a rather lame attempt to be cheaper than their foes at BMW, the Audi Q7 TDI is priced from $50, 600a savings of about $1,000. That kind of price difference barely matters when you are comparing a Corolla and a Civic.
The interior is stylishly sophisticated and manages the unique trick of having all the most up to date modern features without overwhelming you with obscurely marked buttons and switches. Design at Audi always manages to create an interior that is user friendlythis cannot always be said about BMW which on more than one occasion has taken a perfectly functioning object in a car and made it unnecessarily complex.
You say that you want a vehicle that is fuel efficient, inexpensive to operate, has a huge cargo area and is environmentally sound then might I recommend one that quite possibly might also never depreciate?
For years, VW has quietly imported small numbers of TDI models into the United States and due to their fuel efficiency and the generally robust nature of diesel engines, these Golfs and Jettas have attracted a devoted cult following. So much so that you can find well used old examples on the internet selling for their original MSRP. That NEVER happens.
The VW Sportswagen TDI starts at a reasonable $23,870 and can be equipped with a manual transmission or VW's class leading DSG Double-clutch automatic transmission. The DSG working in conjunction with the diesel is excellent at accessing the steep torque curve of the diesel engine. Fuel economy ratings are 31 city/ 40 highway from a four cylinder engine with 140 horsepower and 236 pound feet of torque. That is more torque than you get in a GTI. If you don't know, it isn't horsepower you feel when a vehicle pushes you back into your seat as you accelerate. It is the torque.
With a cargo area that is larger than many medium sized SUVs, the VW Jetta Sportwagen is an interesting alternative to the SUV. VW is only importing 5,000 a year, though, so supplies are limited. Another surprising fact? While many auto experts claimed Americans would never embrace diesel engined vehicles 80 percent of Jetta Sportwagens sold in the United States come with the diesel option.
So just hurry up and pick one. You are already late for picking up junior from his piano recital and dinner isn't going to make itself.
