EPA Ratings

On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency stunned many observers by finalizing emissions standards* for new cars through the year 2025. While environmental groups praised the ruling--which came more than a year before it was due--automakers grumbled that the new benchmarks would force...Read More»

Four years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a plan to boost fuel economy dramatically by the year 2025. Though things aren't progressing as quickly as some had hoped, a few months ago, the EPA insisted that automakers can still achieve a 54.5 mpg fleet-wide fuel economy within ten...Read More»

Owners of certain Hyundai and Kia models—and perhaps officials at those automakers—have cause to breathe a sigh of relief. That's because after a scandal in which the two brands were found to have reported EPA fuel economy numbers that were up to 6 mpg higher than true test numbers...Read More»

In the fall of 2012, Hyundai and Kia were staring down the barrel of some massively bad press. Consumers had complained so long and so loudly about real-world gas mileage compared to the two brands' fuel economy claims, the EPA decided to investigate. The findings landed Hyundai and Kia squarely on...Read More»

People in the health and fashion industries are fond of saying things like, "30 is the new 20". Now, automakers are saying it, too -- at least when it comes to fuel economy. Thirty miles per gallon is a sweet spot in the auto industry -- far better than the underwhelming 20 mpg threshold, but not...Read More»

CORRECTION: See below It's been an interesting couple of years for Ford. The automaker is still riding a wave of popularity in the wake of its decision not to take bailout dough from the federal government during the Great Recession. Along the way, Ford's reputation has been buffed by some truly...Read More»

UPDATED: See below* U.S. headlines were still focused on Hyundai and Kia's fuel-economy flubs when folks on the internet turned their attention to the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and C-Max Hybrid. Both vehicles have been criticized in the press for not meeting their advertised fuel efficiency, and now...Read More»

Picking powertrains used to be simple: straight-six or V-8? But consider the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion mid-size sedan that reaches dealers this fall: It comes with a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, or you can pick from a choice of two different smaller, turbocharged EcoBoost fours, in 1.6- and...Read More»

Back in November, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation announced new fuel-efficiency regulations affecting vehicles built through 2025. Many automakers and environmental groups have praised the guidelines, but dealers warn that they could boost the cost of new...Read More»

Will the EPA's proposed 54.5-mile-per-gallon fuel economy standards, in the works for 2017 through 2025, end up costing consumers more? Or limiting their choice? Two of the largest consumer organizations, Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), insist that the answer to both...Read More»

Will your next vehicle get much better gas mileage than your current one? Ask most car shoppers and it's a priority. A new mandate formally announced this morning arguably makes it even more likely you'll find one with significantly higher mpg. The Obama administration and U.S. Environmental...Read More»

While the launch of the all-new 2012 Honda Civic was slowed somewhat by the after-effects of the Feburary earthquake and tsunami in Japan, 2012 model cars are now in dealerships. Gas mileage has gone up pretty much across the board, with the lowest figures of 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 25 mpg...Read More»

The 2011 Toyota Prius remains the highest-mileage gasoline non-plug-in vehicle on the U.S. market, at an EPA-rated 51 mpg city, 48 highway, but when you look at sales-weighted averages, the fleet of new cars that Hyundai is selling, as a whole, beats that of Toyota. The sales and pricing data...Read More»