Best Hybrids for the Money 2013

Gas prices remain volatile, but even so, no one expects prices below $3 per gallon ever again, and many parts of the country consistently see prices near or above $4. As much as ever, shoppers need to know how effectively hybrids deliver efficiency for your dollar — if they do at all.

To determine if a hybrid's added expense is worth the cash, we devised an efficiency-cost rating to reflect efficiency bang for your overall buck.

It's simply the combined city/highway mpg divided by the base price (MSRP plus destination charge). We then multiply that number by 1,000. This formula can be applied to any type of vehicle, hybrid or not. A high mpg rating and low price provide a high efficiency-cost rating. A higher score is the better score.

We don't account for equipment levels, quality judgments, cost of ownership or any variances from EPA mileage estimates. The goal here is to pay the least for the most mileage, barring all other considerations.

What We Miss in Our 2013 Honda Civic LX

Cars.com's editorial staff is just getting our feet wet with the newly purchased 2013 Honda Civic LX that joined our long-term test fleet in late February. The Civic is an undeniable powerhouse of standard features for the money with exclusive technology in base LX models that some compacts don't include even on their highest trim level.

Considering the new gadgets and toys inside the Civic for 2013, we polled our team to ask if a feature that eluded the Civic LX's standard feature sheet was sorely missed.

And to be fair, we asked what their favorite Civic feature was after turning the odometer over 1,400 miles.

Follow Our Long-Term Fleet

"So far my only gripe with the Civic is the lack of automatic headlights. I didn't realize how much I rely on automatic headlights on my own Subaru Outback until I got into the Civic," writes Cars.com Senior Editor David Thomas.

Tracking the Fuel Economy of Cars.com's 2013 Honda Civic, 2013 Subaru BRZ

We welcomed a 2013 Honda Civic to Cars.com's long-term test fleet in March to evaluate the unheard of changes Honda made just one year after the Civic's complete redesign. Like our 2013 Subaru BRZ, the one-year ownership experience is tracked in numerous ways including detailed gas mileage logs.

The Civic's gas mileage was not one of the numerous alterations for 2013; the 2012 Civic's EPA-rated 28/39 mpg city/highway was already competitive.

Follow Our Long-Term Fleet

We've only just begun to put the LX sedan trim level with an automatic transmission through its paces after logging 1,400 miles in just over two months. The Civic is mostly being used as a commuter car in and around Chicago with city and suburban stop-and-go driving, a style of driving reflected by the observed 28.4 mpg average. Road-trip season is approaching quickly, and we expect to rack up quite a few trips this summer to test the Civic's 39 mpg highway rating.

Does Honda's LaneWatch Replace a Blind Spot Warning System?

I recently spent a week in the 2013 Honda Crosstour. While I couldn't get over the aesthetics of this oddball (a fellow mom said it looked like a reincarnated Pinto), it did prove to be a practical family car with some innovative features.

The Crosstour has a new Honda safety feature called LaneWatch, which is also found on the 2013 Accord. According to Honda, the system "uses a camera positioned below the passenger-side exterior mirror to display a wide-angle view of the passenger side roadway on the intelligent-Multi-Information Display. The image appears when the right turn signal is activated, or when a button on the end of the turn-signal stalk is pressed."

I was a little baffled as to why LaneWatch was not integrated with a blind spot warning system, which can alert the driver with a tone or light if someone is in the car's blind spots. The two seem like a natural pair, but if they're not paired together, is LaneWatch a replacement for blind spot warning?

Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: March 2013

With the top seven automakers reporting numbers — which account for the vast majority of new-car sales — March sales have crept up around 3.2% over year-ago levels. Honda, GM and Ford saw the largest gains, but no major automaker saw a double-digit increase.

The top sellers are a reshuffle from February's list; all 10 are back. The Nissan Altima jumped three spots from February, and despite an 8% sales drop, it's the best-selling sedan by just 100 cars in March. Madness? Not really. Look back at March 2012 and the Altima even beat out the Chevrolet Silverado for a podium finish in monthly sales.

Lower year-over-year incentives played against Nissan's redesigned sedan as surging competitors — the Honda Accord and the Ford Fusion — saw larger gains. Ford says the Fusion had its best sales month in the nameplate's 7 1/2-year history, and this happened with fewer incentives than on last year’s outgoing model. The Escape hit its highest monthly total in its 12-plus-year history. Those two cars — and rising Explorer and F-Series sales — overcame falling Focus, Edge and Mustang sales to drive Ford to a 5.7% year-over-year increase.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Honda Civic

Honda took its compact car back to the drawing room after only one model year, and the much-needed update makes the Civic competitive again, says Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek. More standard features, nicer cabin materials and an appealing price tag launch the Civic back to the head of the compact class for 2013 — which is great, because we'll be spending a lot of time in the sedan this year.

2013 Honda Civic Review

Video of the Honda Odyssey Vacuum in Action

You've heard about it. You've read about it. Now we have it in action. Honda's aptly named HondaVac has nearly as much suction power as a standard garage ShopVac, and Cars.com's editors put it to the test in this video with Peanut M&Ms of all things.

2014 Honda Odyssey: Up Close

One of the most popular family-hauling vehicles in the land has been given a freshening and shown to the world at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. The 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan gets a mild interior and exterior update, and the automaker brought its top trim level, the Touring Elite, to the show.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Up front, the new Odyssey receives a relatively mild update, with new headlights, a twin-bar grille, a more sculpted hood (now made out of aluminum) and chrome-trimmed fog lights. Out back, new LED taillights and badges complete the list of styling updates. The overall impact is minor, with only true minivan aficionados likely to notice the changes.

2014 Honda Odyssey at the 2013 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest, Chrysler Town & Country
• Looks like: Last year's Odyssey had some discrete Botox work
• Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V-6 engine with six-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: Summer 2013

For 2014, the Honda Odyssey gets some minor work done inside and out to make it even more attractive to minivan shoppers. Its looks are refreshed with a new hood, front bumper, grille and fenders while the rear remains relatively the same besides new LED-enhanced taillights.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Minivan aficionados should understand, however, that the Odyssey on display at the auto show is the top-level Touring Elite version, which traditionally has featured some nicer exterior amenities — from unique side mirrors to wheels — than the rest of the lineup.

Could In-Car Messes Be a Thing of the Past With 2014 Honda Odyssey's Vacuum?

Parents, rejoice! The 2014 Honda Odyssey will have a first-ever in-vehicle vacuum system. Those Cheerios and cracker crumbs that often litter your car’s second and third rows could be just a temporary problem now that there’s an in-car vacuum to suck them up.

For 2014, the Odyssey is getting a refresh that includes the HondaVac system, which will be only available on the top Touring Elite trim when it goes on sale this summer. The 2013 version of that trim level starts at an eye-bulging $44,855 including destination.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

The vacuum was developed with ShopVac and has a replaceable filter and canister bag; nozzle accessories are integrated into the cargo area’s driver-side bulkhead.

The HondaVac system doesn't need an outlet or recharging; it can run continuously when the minivan's engine is running or for up to eight minutes after the car’s engine has been turned off.