Cars.com Hybrid Mileage Challenge: Part 5

In Cars.com’s latest Mileage Challenge, we relied mostly on each car’s onboard mileage readout, a feature integrated into the trip computer on many cars these days. Ultimately we chose to use the readouts over our own at-the-pump calculations. In our final installment, we’ve decided to look at just how those readouts work — and more specifically, how accurate they are compared to calculations made at the pump.

Experts were split: Some defended the onboard displays as significantly more accurate than at-the-pump calculations. Another said that the differences tend to even out over time, while another warned that mileage readouts have their own set of potential inaccuracies.

So what makes these things tick?

My New Office: 2008 Lexus LX 570

I discovered a great new use yesterday for the redesigned 2008 Lexus LX 570. I’ve been testing it this week and drove it up to Elkhart Lake, Wis., for a rally event. On day two of the event, rain descended on the Road America track and I retreated into the security of the LX 570 to get some actual work done.

2009 Weekend Athlete Wish List

The new model year is upon us, and 2009 is looking like a good year for Weekend Athletes of all stripes. Automakers are coming up with a bunch of cars that hold a lot of promise.

Government Takes on Hybrid Reliability

For about 10 years, the long-term reliability of hybrid-electric vehicles has remained relatively unknown and constantly in question, even though current hybrids’ track records and reliability ratings are positive. People fear having to replace a hybrid’s expensive battery pack, and are generally concerned about high-dollar repairs because of the advanced technology in hybrids. Surprisingly, these concerns have been directly confronted by the U.S. government.

VW to Give $1,500 for College With New Routan Minivan

We’ve seen some innovative incentive offers before. Recently, car companies have jumped on the exploding gas-price craze, offering to help pay for fuel. Well, college costs are growing rapidly, too, which is why VW is targeting families with an incentive to save for future education funding.

With every sale of a new Routan minivan, VW will pay $1,500 into a UPromise account supplied by the buyer. The college-saving website then allows users to put the money into a 529 plan.

It’s not a bad idea, especially to tout a new model hitting the market for the first time, but VW says the Routan won’t hit dealerships until September. That’s a long time to wait after generating buzz with this college-cash announcement. The Routan is based on Chrysler’s Town & Country minivan and will have a starting price of $24,700. 

More VW Routan News

El Camino Likely Out As G8 Sport Truck Name

Yesterday, Cars.com attended a press event featuring the new Pontiac G8 Sport Truck. If you recall, Pontiac asked consumers to name the new model. Names came flooding in, and the company is now down to 10 finalists, and they’re going through a vetting process. According to Pontiac spokesman Brian Shipman, the name El Camino is most likely out as the name, because of internal discord about a Chevy nameplate being applied to a Pontiac vehicle. Sorry, El Camino fans.

Cars.com Hybrid Mileage Challenge: Part 4

We’ve been blogging all week about Cars.com’s latest Mileage Challenge, in which we took four hybrids through a day of Chicago traffic. Along the way we logged more than enough seat time to size up the competing drivetrains. Though different in many ways, all of them build on the same formula: a gasoline engine aided by one or more electric motors, which draw power from a high-voltage battery that’s recharged by the brakes. (Got all that? Next up: quantum physics 101.)

Read on for our thoughts.

Today on MotherProof: The 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser Reviewed

Emily Hansen had a chance to preview the 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser a few months ago, and at the time she felt like it would be a decent family vehicle. After an extended test drive, though, she found her initial optimism fading. It's not just the Land Cruiser's $63,000 price tag or its hulking design, the massive SUV simply failed to impress her in any significant way. Read Emily's full review on MotherProof.

2008 Toyota Land Cruiser Review (MotherProof)

Question of the Day: What Makes and Models Can You Get In-Dash GPS Systems In?

In-dash GPS systems used to be a perk exclusive to luxury rides, but this is far from the case anymore. Now, GPS systems appear in a whole range of vehicles, though they’re typically tied to a larger multimedia system that can add a good chunk of change to the purchase price of a vehicle. Ask.cars.com explains how you can find a car or truck with the type of GPS system you're looking for.

What makes and models can you get in-dash GPS systems in? (Ask.cars.com)

Suzuki Offers to Pick Up Summer Fuel Tab

Automakers know what's on customers’ minds and what’s keeping them away from dealerships: the price of gas. On the heels of Chrysler's promotion guaranteeing car buyers pay no more than $2.99 a gallon over the next three years, Suzuki has introduced its own promotional fuel ploy.

Less ambitious, Suzuki is promising to pick up the entire cost of gas for the summer if you buy a Suzuki vehicle before June 30. You'll get 0% financing and a debit card good for three months of fuel, up to 1,000 miles driven per month. That means the value of the card is different depending on the vehicle you purchase.

Suzuki's plan differs in scope from Chrysler's, which immediately took a flogging from the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group that called the plan a "cynical deal" and an attempt to "fool customers." The group points out that if Chrysler increased the fuel economy of its vehicles by just 3 mpg, drivers would save $3,000 over the life of the vehicle rather than the roughly $400 over three years that it anticipates coming with the gas deal.

Read the value of Suzuki's gas debit card for each of its vehicles after the jump.