Filed under: Budget, Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Honda, Volkswagen, Comparisons
Battle Of The Eco Compact Cars
Battle of the Eco Compact Cars - Click above for high-res image gallery
If you wanted a highly efficient compact car five years ago, you bought a hybrid. Diesel was still a dirty word commonly reserved for heavy-duty pickups and the occasional Euro import, and 30 miles per gallon was just becoming the new industry benchmark. The Chevrolet Volt was still just a concept, all-electrics like the Nissan Leaf were barely a blip on our radar, and if a car was turbocharged, it was for go-fast reasons, not fuel-sipping ones.
Fast forward to 2011. Times have changed.
Now, 40 mpg is the new 30 mpg, and we're quickly approaching the days when 50 mpg won't be such a lofty number. After all, there are quite a few cars that already crest that mark without breaking a sweat (including one or two of the cars in this test...).
Enter the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco and 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI - a trio of cars that all boast fuel economy figures of 42 mpg or higher on the highway, and all have price points within the $18,000 to $24,000 range. All three fuel-sippers take a completely different path towards overall efficiency - traditional hybrid, turbocharged gasoline and clean diesel.
We're here to put these three eco compacts through their paces - testing not only economy, but general drivability, quality, comfort and value. The winner won't be based simply on its miserly ways - all three cars are pretty darn close in that regard. Instead, we're looking to see which car represents the best overall package, regardless of powertrain. We're here to find out which eco-warrior is the one we'd open our wallets for.
Continue reading Honda Civic Hybrid takes on Chevrolet Cruze Eco and Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Honda Civic Hybrid takes on Chevrolet Cruze Eco and Volkswagen Jetta TDI originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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