BMW has decided to engage futher the European low-CO2 market segment with the launch of the BMW 316d. The 316d uses the same powertrain as the 116d and gets remarkably low CO2 emissions of just 118 g/km. In both cars, BMW uses a detuned version of its 4-cylinder 2.0 liter diesel engine, found in 18d, 20d and 23d iterations, depending on power. The difference between the 318d and the 316d isn’t much, just lowered carbon dioxide levels of 5 g/km. That little drop can make a big difference for... Read More...

On a weekly basis, we auto writer types in the office get weekly reports about what cars are most popular in terms of searches on our site. And for much of 2008, we were amused by reports for "Inside Line," our dedicated car enthusiast site. One phrase kept coming in as number one. It wasn’t one of the expected ones like, "Nissan GT-R," "Bitchin’ Camaro" or even "Danica Patrick." It was, believe it or not, "2009 Honda Fit." Sure, we can... Read More...

The 2009 Mini Cooper is the automotive equivalent of a boundlessly energetic Jack Russell terrier. Sure, it makes a lot of noise. Sure, it plays a little rough sometimes. And, well, it’s little. But when that pooch is bounding toward you, yipping gaily, lips peeled back in an apparent smile, you can’t help but smile back. That’s the Mini in a nutshell — it’s not the most refined pup in the litter, but its exuberant personality is bound to win you over. Let’s start... Read More...

Carving out a niche is often seen as a good thing. But the 2009 Volkswagen Touareg 2 occupies a niche that’s more problematic than anything else. This is a premium SUV with true off-road chops, but it’s too pricey for desert-dwelling nomads and not quite chic enough for the hedge-fund set. When the Touareg "1" was introduced back in 2004, VW was new to the SUV game and wanted to make sure that its debut offering could hold its own against the likes of Land Rover. It was engineered... Read More...

The subcompact economy car class has historically been populated by vehicles that had all the materials and build quality of a plastic toy found in a box of Cocoa Puffs. To call some of these cheap would be an insult to cheap things. But in the past few years a more competitive market has forced these bottom feeders to up their game in terms of overall quality and the adoption of modern convenience and safety technologies. The 2009 Toyota Yaris is a prime example of this. This is Toyota’s... Read More...

There’s an obvious reason why the 2010 Toyota Corolla is bound to be one of the country’s best-selling vehicles this year: Since its debut more than four decades ago, the Corolla has become synonymous with dependability. That alone, we suspect, is enough for many. But if these shoppers did venture over to their local Hyundai or Mazda or Honda dealers for some test-drives, they’d likely realize that the Corolla is far from the class leader it once was. It’s not a bad car by... Read More...

Hybrid-powered vehicles may warm the green-hued hearts of their owners, but they also tend to lighten owners’ wallets. Sure, they’ll save you money on gas, but typically, you have to pay so much more up front for hybrid technology that you’ll never recoup that initial investment. The 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid is the rare exception to that rule. Thanks to a dual-mode gas-electric hybrid powertrain, its green credentials are impeccable — 34 combined mpg and Advanced Technology... Read More...

If you’re interested in a hybrid, your choices are few, far between and very mediocre. There’s a reason a certain funky Toyota hybrid hatchback outsells all other gas-electric models combined. Everything else is too slow, too small, too expensive, too rare, not efficient enough or just not a very good car. All those politicians who lambasted Detroit for not making fuel-efficient cars people want to buy may have had a point… until now. The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the first hybrid... Read More...