Gas-Saving Moment of the Day: Social Site Carpooling

Sure, Facebook and MySpace are great if you want to know that someone's favorite movies are “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Love Actually,” or that their favorite bands include Celine Dion (none of these examples are about me, by the way), but how about some information that helps you save gas?

Several social networking sites are trying to tap into the gas panic of 2008 by setting carpoolers up with each other. Sites like GoLoco.org and eRideShare.com allow drivers to match with passengers, using information that ranges from what kind of music you like to how much money you're willing to contribute to a driver.

The sites may still have some hurdles to overcome. After all, there is no enforcement agent except a gentlemen's (or ladies’) agreement. If you've got a specific destination in mind, though, it might not hurt to see who else is going your way.

Related:
More Gas-Saving Moments of the Day (KickingTires)

Today's News From the Cars.com Family

A reader asks whether the Toyota Tundra Double Cab is the same thing as an extended cab, and Ask.cars.com accompanies its answer with some helpful pictures. According to PickupTrucks.com, the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 will launch with an aggressive six-year, 0% financing plan. Looks like Dodge knows the national mood is not favoring trucks. Meanwhile, MotherProof.com reviews the 2009 Pontiac Vibe, a hatchback with an unfortunate name but solid features and value pricing.

Is the Toyota Tundra Double Cab the Same As An Extended Cab? (Ask.cars.com)
2009 Ram 1500 to Launch With 6 Year 0% Financing (PickupTrucks.com)
2009 Pontiac Vibe Review (MotherProof)

Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Lexus IS-F

Senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder likes to drive fast cars. Who doesn’t, right? That’s why his take on the all-new 2008 Lexus IS-F is so interesting. He really hammers the go-fast Lexus on its choice of transmission, holding it up to the reigning king of the class, the BMW M3 — as he should. See if its power and eerily beluga whale-like looks won Joe over in the end.

2008 Lexus IS-F Expert Review

Study Finds Two Laws Have Reduced Drunken-Driving Fatalities

Two laws that have been on the books in all 50 states since 1988 are garnering new praise for lowering drunken-driving fatalities.

A scientific study in the July issue of Accident Analysis and Prevention has credited the increase in the drinking age to 21 with reducing the ratio of drunken-driving deaths by 11%. Making possession of a fake ID illegal and suspending the individual’s driver’s license has lowered fatalities by another 7%.

While it is illegal to use a fake ID to purchase alcohol in all 50 states, a driver's-license sanction is not necessarily the resulting punishment. The study urges that if such a law were made national and tied to highway funds (as is done with 21 as the designated drinking age), deaths would be lowered even further.

There have been occasional murmurs of reducing the drinking age to 18, especially in light of the role young soldiers have played in the Iraq war (you can fight and die for your country but can't legally drink a beer?) and the issue came up in a Democratic debate during the fall. However, the AAP study found that raising the drinking age to 21 has been crucial in lowering drunken driving deaths.

We'd like to hear what you think. Would you support driver's-license sanctions for people caught using a fake ID? Do you think a drinking age of 21 is fair and effective?

Safety: Alcohol Laws Found to Reduce Drunken-Driving Deaths (The New York Times)

Weekend Athlete: 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

In my book, Jeep Wranglers are like tuxedos: You don't buy them for comfort, you don't buy them to use every day, but when you need one, there's no substitute. But does that mean the four-door, Unlimited version suits a Weekend Athlete?

Toyota to Build Prius in U.S.

Toyota announced today it would begin building its popular hybrid Prius sedan in a new assembly plant in Mississippi. The plant is under construction, and production of the Prius there won’t start until late 2010. The next-generation Prius should go on sale sometime in 2009 and will initially be built in Japan. 

Toyota also announced some production moves due to the weak market for trucks and SUVs. Starting in August, Toyota will stop production of the new Tundra pickup and Sequoia full-size SUV at both its Indiana and Texas plants, but production in those spots will resume in November. Starting in the spring of 2009, the Tundra will only be built in Texas. 

Toyota’s Indiana plant will make up for the loss of the Tundra by producing the Highlander three-row crossover beginning in the fall of 2009. The Highlander was originally intended to be built in the new Mississippi plant that the Prius is now taking over.

The moves mean Toyota is not immune to the current shift in consumer demand. The company says its workers will be provided work during the hiatus. 

What Cars Are iPhone Friendly?

With the new iPhone hitting stores tomorrow, it seems like a good idea to check in with major car brands to find out which have integrated the iPhone into their vehicles. Can they play music with a USB cable? How about Bluetooth compatibility? We contacted representatives from many companies to find out just how well their cars can incorporate the iPhone.

Gas-Saving Moment of the Day: Buy in Bulk

If you've seen the new movie "Wall-E," you know that the downfall of human civilization can be attributed to bulk retail stores like Buy 'n Large. However, when it comes to saving on fuel, buying in bulk can be environmentally friendly and save you money.

Ask yourself how often you make trips to the grocery store, hardware store or other retailers. Unless you've already got your family's shopping down to an exact science, chances are you could cut back even further.

First of all, you’ll save at the register, especially if you’re buying in bulk with discount coupons, or if you’re getting items that are on sale. Secondly, the more you spend on one trip to the grocery store and the more food and basic necessities you stock up on, the fewer return trips you’ll have to make each month.

The key is to not run out of one essential item that will send you driving back to the store between trips. For instance, after a trip to the grocery store, you might realize later that night that you’re out of toothpaste, so you drive back the next day, probably spending less on the toothpaste than the gas.

The fewer reasons you give yourself to make multiple trips for basic items, the more you can pinch your pennies when it comes to gas. In other words, stock up on toothpaste.

Related:
More Gas-Saving Moments of the Day (KickingTires)

Today's News From the Cars.com Family

Someone out there is thinking ahead: Ask.cars.com answers one reader's question about which cars have 10-year/100,000-mile warranties. PickupTrucks.com has spy shots of another diesel pickup — this time the 2010 Chevy Silverado 1500 — and man is that diesel V-8 looking risky right now for GM. MotherProof.com has a list of the top cars that make moms hot, whether that’s because of the vehicle's utility, its fuel-efficiency or the fact that it’s the Audi R8.

Which Cars Have a 10-Year/100,000-Mile Warranty? (Ask.cars.com)
Spied: 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (PickupTrucks.com)
Cars That Make Mom Hot (MotherProof)

MyGallons Comes Under Scrutiny

A week ago we reported on gas-hedging company MyGallons, which allows drivers to buy fuel at today's prices in the anticipation that it will be more expensive down the road. The company has now come under the scrutiny of the Better Business Bureau.

The BBB told Consumerist.com that a red flag went up when they found out that MyGallons claim that it had partnered with U.S. Bank to fund the venture was not true. In fact, U.S. Bank declined to partner with MyGallons. Furthermore, MyGallons has no contractual agreement with any gas station chains that its credit card will even be accepted, yet it has continued to sign up customers.

MyGallons said it was on the verge of releasing information on its partnership with another bank and that none of this would affect customers, who it said will get their gas as promised.

MyGallons is essentially gambling that gas prices will go down, while its customers are betting that it will only go up. As we warned in our previous post, there is no surefire way to predict gas prices. Any investment comes with risks, but gas-hedging has now begun to look even riskier.

BBB Says MyGallons.com "Omitted Fact" In Advertising, Has No Contract to Process Transactions (The Consumerist)