Consumer Reports surveys cars with best gas mileage

Tag : Bead Slippers


As gasoline prices top $ 4 a gallon, Consumer Reports ($ 5. 99 )hits the newsstands in July with a cover story on gas-saving cars.The cover auto is a redesigned Toyota Corolla that got 32 miles pergallon in the magazine’s tests. The magazine rates 31 newsmall sedans and 21 top used cars with the best mpg.

Consumer Reports’ survey includes Hyundai, Toyota, Ford,Chevrolet and Subaru.

And who topped the list ? It depends on which list you look at.

The magazine has developed a useful new statistic — cost“per miles per gallon.” This is calculated by dividingthe vehicle’s purchase price by its overall miles per gallonduring Consumer Reports ’ testing. The lower the price permpg, the better.

In that category, the Honda Fit Sport (manual transmission ) with34 mpg and a $ 464 price per miles per gallon topped the list. TheHonda Fit was second, the Toyota Prius third.

The cost of the vehicle has an impact on per-mpg totals. The HondaFit Sport was $ 15, 765, compared to the Toyota Prius ’ $ 23,780. So despite the fact the Prius tested at 44 mpg (the best amongnew cars tested ), its price-per-mpg cost was higher, at $ 540.

Consumer Reports also makes another important point: Trading tooearly could cost consumers more in the long run.

Rik Paul, automotive editor of Consumer Reports, says ownersusually don’t factor in hidden costs, particularlydepreciation and interest that “are less tangible costs thanthe high price for a gallon of gas.” It might, Paul says, beless expensive “to tough it out another year or two with agas guzzler than trade in too early.” Subscribers to ConsumerReports’ online edition can compare costs for one, three,five and eight years of ownership.

When factoring in everything — crash protection, comfort,reliability, styling, etc. — the top rated vehicle in compactsedans was the Hyundai Elantra SE, followed by the Honda Civic EX(manual ) and the Toyota Prius Touring car. In subcompacts, HondaFit Sport (manual ) led the way, followed by the Nissan Versahatchback and the Honda Fit (base ).

While we’re on the topic, Consumer Reports also has a“Save at the Pump” feature with some useful tips ontire pressure, how to get better mileage during summer travel andthe best used cars for fuel economy. A 2000 Honda Insight toppedthe under $ 10, 000 list, while the Toyota Prius was tops in the $10, 000 to $ 20, 000 price range.

PAGE TURNERS Extreme Weather, a special issue from Astronomymagazine, should be of interest to many of us, given the wildweather we’ve had this year. The special issue ($ 7. 95 ) hasfeatures on climate change, tornadoes and hurricanes, plus a fieldguide to clouds and more. There is a particularly informative storyon how scientists track weather from outer space and a fascinatingtrip with storm tracker Warren Faidley. A feature on lightning hasa graph that shows Arkansas is one of the states with the greatestrisk of death from lightning, although we are not one of the stateswith the most fatalities. Florida leads with 71, themagazine’s story states. The current Harvard DivinityBulletin is, as usual, loaded with thoughtful and thoughtprovokingreading on faith and religion. Especially interesting is MarilynneRobinson’s piece on reverence, which is described as a formof awe. Reverence, Robinson says, will help ward off inflexibility.For subscription information ($ 15 donation requested ), go to www.hds. harvard. edu and click on “Publications.” Thethrice-annual magazine may be available at libraries.

GET CRAFTY Under $ 25 ($ 7. 95 ) is a special issue of Bead Styleoffering quick and easy projects that cost less than $ 25. Thewell-organized issue breaks projects down in sections titled Under$ 25, Under $ 20, Under $ 15 and Under $ 5. Among the finds: agemstone ring and bracelet ($ 14. 87 ) and a shell pendant ($ 4. 84). Instructions and illustrations are clear. Make It Mine ($ 7. 95) offers loads of ways to take everyday objects and clothing andput a unique and personal stamp on them. Also inside the Springissue are shoe embellishment projects, a potato-stamp dress and howto turn old jewelry into retro-looking wine charms. The summerissue of Living Crafts ($ 5. 99 ) has a scarf created by wetfeltingwool over silk, how to dye fibers in your backyard and knitting avest and slippers for men. For the kids ? A drawstring backpack fora summer trip. The current issue of All You ($ 1. 97, an amazingbargain ) has decorating plans to set a pretty table for the Fourthof July, plus tips on saving money on summer vacation and some newfast-tofit nutritious meals. And loads of coupons.

FRANK AND ANDY Well ring-a-ding-ding. Frank Sinatra, who recentlyreached No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts with NothingBut the Best (Reprise / Rhino ), is the subject of a commemorativeissue by Life Books. This glossy, photo-packed fanzine, RememberingSinatra: 10 Years Later (Life Books, $ 19. 95 ), explores myth,stories and music with a contribution from Tony Bennett. ArtistAndy Warhol founded Interview magazine, an unabashedlycelebrity-worshipping magazine. The June / July issue (with MarcJacobs on the cover looking Warhol-esque ) features several storieson, and about, Warhol, the Factory Girls and more. E-mail:ewidner@arkansasonline. com