2012 Ford Focus

The 2012 Ford Focus has been redesigned from the ground up, including a renewed interior and updated sporty exterior. Front head lamps rap around the front of the focus with LED lighting.  The car is equipped with a direct injection 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine with an output of 160 horsepower with a 6 speed automatic transmission.  Ford Company has taken a stance on "going green" by creating a vehicle that gets and EPA estimated 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.  Acceleration for a compact car is usually quite responsive.  The Focus whizzes from 0-60 in a comfortable 8.3 seconds.  The Ford Focus is one of the fastest accelerating vehicles in the compact car segment. 

0-60 Guide of Compact Cars 

• 2011 Chevy Cruze 9.4 seconds
• 2011 Toyota Corolla 9.1 seconds

2012 Honda Civic

The Honda Civic has been one of the best selling midsize cars in America for many years.  The 2012 Honda Civic has made big improvements with interior quality and exterior design.  The Civic now gets an EPA   estimated 28 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway.  The 2011 Civic received and estimated 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway by the EPA.  Honda has cranked out 3-5 more miles per gallon out of their new Honda which is extraordinary for a one-year-leap.  The MSRP for the base Honda Civic sedan is $15,605 - $25,490.  The fully equipped Civic Hybrid can come as high as $30,000.  The Honda Civic is equipped with a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine has 140 horsepower.

What I think about the 2011 Honda Civic.  I am not much of a Honda driver.  I am more of a Ford and Chevy guy, but I will definitely be open minded to any vehicle make or model.  When I look to buy a car there are three things I want in a car.  First I want a vehicle that gets great mpg.  Second I want great style.  Third and lastly I want decent room.

2011 Ford F-150 Platinum Edition

 The Ford F Series has been the best selling pickup in America 1977 and it has been the number one selling vehicle in America since 2010 with production hitting in the 500,000's.  The 2011 Ford F150 Platinum is one of the most expensive trims you can get in an F150 pickup truck.  The F150 has a MSRP of $22,790 for the basic trim level and tops out at $51,525 for the Harley Davidson trim level.  The truck comes with several different engines the 3.5 liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine, 3.7 liter, the 5.0 liter V8 and the 6.2 liter V8 (the biggest engine the F-150 has to offer.  Ford has been working on the F150 for decades with engineering style and durability as well as reliability.  Ford Motor Company has come out with new EcoBoost technology that uses Variable Valve timing as well as a supercharger making the vehicle more efficient.  The 3.5 liter V6 pushes out 365 horsepower and climbs from 0-60 mpg in 6.82 seconds.  That is really quick for a full size pickup that is getting 16/22 city/highway.   What I think:    I have always been a huge fan of pickups and Ford.  I have to say that I am very impressed with the engineering put into every Ford especially the F Series pickups.  As gas prices are going up people are looking for more fuel efficient vehicles that are going to save them money.  Yes gas prices go up but consumers are not going to stop looking for a truck that is durable and can handle most conditions the environment can give them.     

2011 Chevy Volt

The Chevy Volt has been in the spotlight for many years because it could be the new type of transportation for the world.  Chevy has spent over a billion dollars to develop this revolutionary electric vehicle of the future.  There are many reasons why the Volt is such a revolutionary vehicle over the last 100 years of automobiles.  The Volt is an extended range electric vehicle which means the vehicle moves only by electric power.  The car has an on-board generator using a 1.4 liter 4 cylinder 150 horsepower engine to recharge the 500 pound batteries while driving.  This car gets 25-50 miles on electricity depending on the conditions of the road, environment and driver acceleration/braking.  A lot of people criticize Chevy by saying it is not an electric car and it is not revolutionary.  Transportation experts say that 75% of Americans drive under 20 miles everyday.  That means America could cut oil consumption by 75% in the transportation sector.  The Chevy Volt gets and EPA estimated 95/90 city/highway on electric power and 35/40 city/highway mpg.  Even on gasoline along that is even better miles per gallon than the base Chevy Cruze and Honda Civic.  Many people are interested in new technology and the future of transport ion in America and around the world.  There is one turn off about the Volt, the price is high.  The MSRP of the vehicle is $40,280 which comes with a $7500 Tax credit bringing the Volt's price down to $32,780.  Sure I say the Volt's price is high but you are going to save mountains of money over the years using electricity which costs about $1.50 per charge rather than gasoline at $3.40-$3.99.

If you're thinking about buying an electric car, here are some suggestions:

• Nissan Leaf: $32,780
• Tesla Roadster: $109,000
• GEM: $7,495
• ZENN: $6,000