Test Drives, Trends & Events

Gas prices are higher than ever, but buying a hybrid car to save on gas doesn't always make good financial sense. In a recent study on hybrid cars, we calculated the number of miles required to break even in a hybrid car over its gasoline-only counterpart, based on gas prices in ten major metropolitan areas, and learned that only five hybrid cars will offer any return on investment for the average car owner who drives 15,000 miles annually and buys a new car every five years. 

The five hybrid cars that made the cut, in order of the shortest time to break even, were ... More...

General Motors (GM) is considering discontinuing or selling several more of its brands, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article. GM, which has been struggling financially, currently sells eight different brands, including Hummer, which it put up for sale last month. If you are considering buying a car from one of GM's brands, especially a Buick, Pontiac, Saab or Saturn, which are the brands most likely to be affected, should you reconsider your purchase?

The short answer is no. Regardless of whether a brand is sold or discontinued, your car warranty will still be in effect (though it may be managed by anoth...

With everyone feeling the pinch of gas prices lately, it's easy to start looking for cheap gas stations in your area or using a website, such as GasBuddy.com, to find low gas prices. In a recent conversation with Dr. Richard Cohen, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Temple University, who helped us debunk some common "tips" for improving gas mileage, he reminded me that driving a few extra miles to buy cheap gas may not be worth the savings.

In Philadelphia, where he lives, many residents are driving about 10 miles across the river to New Jersey, where gas prices are about 20 cents cheaper per gallon. Since, on average, it would take about a half gallon of gas to make the round trip, the extra cost is about $2 to get a $4 savings, netting only $2 extra savings, which residents need for the $2 minimum toll to cross the river to get to New Jersey! Doesn't make a lot of "cents," does it?

There are much better ways of saving money on gas and improving your gas mileage. Check out our top tips in our recent article: Gas Saving Ti...