Top 10 Fuel-Efficient Luxury Cars

Luxury cars are often not the fuel. Even if some do not - Hey, Range Rover - There are many who will receive gas mileage, which is as good as or better than your mainstream family sedan. From an initial list of luxury cars that get better than 25 mpg on the highway, through our 10 favorites. Please note that data on fuel economy in the best estimates of the model of engine, transmission and transmission choices can lead to lower estimates of EPA.

10. 2010 Volvo C30

With the C30, Volvo hoped to follow the success of the Mini Cooper with its own near-luxury compact car that delivers a sporty driving feel. The C30's interior is a study in Swedish simplicity, with materials that are better than you'd expect in a $24,100 car. Its hatchback design offers more style than the norm, too, so you'll look good while getting good mileage.

9. 2010 Audi A3 TDI

The A3 feels a bit down-market for Audi, but the TDI's turbo-diesel four-cylinder makes up for that with the sort of power that could pass for any luxury car. This thing moves out swiftly, and it gets an astonishing 30/42 mpg city/highway. Judging by our observed mileage in other TDI cars, there's a good chance you'll exceed those figures. Diesel exhaust is hardly the smelly affair it was years ago — nor is diesel fuel as pricey as it was months ago. On both counts, the A3 TDI stands to benefit.

8. 2010 Lexus ES 350

The Lexus ES has been a popular entry-level luxury sedan for years. In addition to thrifty fuel use for its size, the ES' cabin refinement is impressive, which helps explain why this car still sells well despite tough competition. Copious rear legroom, a sizable trunk and a comfortable ride all add up to a car that's viewed as a benchmark in its class.

7. 2010 Acura TSX

Acura has always offered luxury cars for a comparatively affordable price, and the TSX delivers a lot for less than $30,000. While it isn't a sport-sedan star or a cushy cruiser, it offers a respectable combination of both genres. The standard four-cylinder engine sips fuel and doesn't feel underpowered, either. Acura's new design language isn't universally liked, but on the TSX it's relatively subdued, making it more appealing to the masses.

6. 2010 Lexus RX 450h

We know that not every luxury shopper searching for fuel efficiency wants a sedan, which leads us to the Lexus RX 450h luxury hybrid crossover. Redesigned for 2010, the RX 450h notched significant fuel economy gains over its predecessor, the RX 400h, which was rated at 27/24 mpg for the front-wheel-drive model. What's more, the RX 450h doesn't give up anything in terms of luxury or comfort compared to its gas-only sibling, the RX 350.

5. 2010 Cadillac CTS

Passengers will be impressed by the CTS' hand-stitched dashboard and rising-screen navigation system, and they'd probably be surprised to know you can get highway mileage in the high 20s. The car has all the other credentials of a bona fide sport sedan: true rear-wheel-drive handling — so you get the sensation of being pushed forward, not pulled — plus precise steering, responsive V-6 drivetrains and strong brakes. It's easily GM's worthiest luxury sedan in years.

4. 2010 Lexus HS 250h

To date, mileage advantages among luxury hybrids have ranged from insignificant to ... respectable. The Lexus HS 250h is the first luxury hybrid to come close to the high bar set by nonluxury hybrids like the Toyota Prius. Like other Lexus models, the HS isn't as quick or sporty as some luxury sedans, but it has the qualities Lexus buyers have come to expect.

3. 2010 Hyundai Genesis

The Hyundai Genesis sedan won our Cars.com New Car of the Year Award for 2009, so you can imagine how highly we think of it overall. One of the many reasons is its excellent gas mileage with no acceleration penalty. If 18/27 mpg doesn't sound impressive, check out comparable full-size luxury sedans. Even the V-8 model's 17/25 mpg puts most to shame. Hyundai's not a fancy brand, but the Genesis is a fancy car that shows you can have it all.

2. 2010 Audi A4

The A4 combines an elegant cabin with surprisingly ample power from its turbocharged four-cylinder — plus an EPA rating of 23/30 mpg with front-wheel drive and an automatic transmission or 22/30 mpg with Quattro all-wheel drive and a manual. One caveat: Get a Quattro automatic, as many buyers do, and mileage drops to a less enthralling 21/27 mpg. That's more in the neighborhood of two-wheel-drive competitors, though, and given the A4 Quattro's all-weather capabilities, it's still pretty impressive.

1. 2009 BMW 335d

To those who say they'd never buy a diesel-powered luxury car, I say drive the BMW 335d and then get back to us. It's a diesel car unlike any you've probably experienced, what with its abundant low-end torque, quiet operation and cleaned-up emissions. Plus, the 335d retains all of the winning ride and handling characteristics of the gas-powered 3 Series. There are other luxury cars with higher fuel economy estimates, but the 335d represents the best combination of efficiency and driving enjoyment.

Top 10 Worst Car Names

We spend a lot of time discussing how a car behaves, how it looks and how it performs in crash tests, among others. Sometimes, however, our first impression of a car comes from his name - and this impression is not always a good idea. Here are 10 cars in 30 years with names so terrible and difficult as we are sometimes surprised consumers gave them a shot. Remember this list is based solely on the name of the car, and has absolutely nothing to do with the actual substance of the car.

10. The Entire Lincoln Lineup

2010 Lincoln MKZ

Lincoln is a brand with a considerable history, and we know they know how to give cars strong iconic names such as Continental or Navigator. Somewhere around 2007, many of those easy-to-remember names went out the window, leaving consumers with a hodgepodge of names starting with "MK." That's a shame because Lincoln has a strong lineup right now. What's the difference between the MKZ, MKX and MKS? Gimme a second to look it up because I honestly can't remember which is which.

9. Hyundai Equus

2011 Hyundai Equus

The inclusion of the Equus might be premature considering it's not even on sale yet, but this could be the push Hyundai needs to give the car a proper name before it's released. Companies occasionally give Latin names to products to make them sound sophisticated or fancy, but Equus just makes us think of the Broadway play of the same name — most recently starring Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame — where a young man loves horses a little too much.

8. Toyota Yaris

2010 Toyota Yaris

There was a girl in my dorm freshman year who organized her shoes alphabetically by mood. She majored in dead languages and responded to every single question with "no worries." She once set the dorm microwave on fire by overcooking a ham-and-cheese Hot Pocket. Yes, that story is ridiculous and nonsensical ... sort of like naming a car Yaris.

7. Kia Forte Koup

2010 Kia Forte Koup

As writers, we're particularly offended when companies take liberties with the English language in an effort to be cutesy — and this is no exception. We actually like this car! But Kia is asking us to overlook years of schooling and experience to accept their quirky spelling of coupe. It might require a few sessions with a therapist before we can get to that happy place.

6. Subaru B9 Tribeca

2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca

Here we've got a family crossover named after a fashionable neighborhood in lower Manhattan and ... a World War II bomber? Consumers didn't understand the B9 moniker either; that part of the name got the ax when Subaru redesigned the SUV for the 2008 model year.

5. Volkswagen Touareg

2007 Volkswagen Touareg

A few Volkswagens could've made this list, but the Touareg was easily the name that tripped up our American mouths the most. Early Touareg commercials in the U.S. even depicted people struggling to say the name. When an automaker has to spend precious time and ad dollars helping consumers learn to pronounce the car's name — something is wrong.

4. Ford Probe

1993 Ford Probe

There are many borderline inappropriate jokes you could make about a 1990s sport compact named Probe, but we're far too classy for that. Even if you don't take into account the tasteless jokes, this is just a bad car name. There is nothing cool about a probe (the word, not the car). What thesaurus was Ford using where probe was synonymous with sleek and sporty?

3. Subaru Brat

1982 Subaru Brat

Although Brat is technically an acronym — it stands for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter — it's a particularly unfortunate one. "Brat" is almost never used to describe something positively. A brat is not a calm, confident driver who knows what he wants and how to get it. A brat is busy throwing a hissy fit in the corner because his mom won't let him borrow the car to go buy the new Styx album.

2. Isuzu VehiCROSS

2000 Isuzu VehiCROSS

Isuzu deserves a little credit for creating an attention-grabbing crossover before it was even a recognized vehicle segment, but the name practically beats consumers over the head with the idea (think SUV plus a cross-training sneaker). Add to that the unnecessary capitalization and the fact that VehiCROSS is a mouthful, and you have one bad name.

1. Ford Aspire

1997 Ford Aspire

It's pretty safe to say that many drivers' dream cars fall under the category of sports car or luxury auto; few children hope to one day spend their commuting hours behind the wheel of a 63-horsepower subcompact hatchback. When Ford slapped the Aspire name on the back of this car, they were basically saying: "Yeah, even our car knows you wish you were driving something cooler."

Hyundai All-New i40 Sedan 2011

Just a couple of months after debuting the i40 Station Wagon at the Geneva Salon in March, Hyundai is now getting ready to lift the covers off the sedan version of its mid-size model, which will receive its world premiere at the upcoming 2011 Barcelona Motor Show on May 12th. The South Korean automaker released the first teaser rendering of the i40 Sedan, which will effectively replace the older generation of the Sonata in the European market and compete in the D-segment against the likes of the Opel Insignia, VW Passat, Toyota Avensis and Citroen C5.

Like the estate model, the saloon is the product Hyundai’s European R&D center in Rüsselsheim, Germany. So far, Hyundai has released very details about the car as we only get to know that it will ride on a wheelbase measuring 2.77 meters long and that according to the company, will deliver “best-in-class dimensions for front head (1025mm), shoulder (1455mm), and leg (1170mm) room”.

European buyers should expect the same engine lineup as the estate including a 1.7-liter turbo diesel and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit, with more information to be released after its presentation in Spain.

Not surprisingly, the i40 sedan follows Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language, which includes a big crease along the shoulder line and a heavily profiled rear end.

“We have used very strong, fluid lines from front to rear to give i40 a distinctive appearance,” commented Thomas Bürkle, Chief Designer at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre. “We wanted to move away from the typical three-box saloon and create a car that was in keeping with the sporty nature of the i40 estate. By sculpting a low, elongated roof line, we’ve given the i40 saloon a striking coupe-like silhouette,” he added.

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HYUNDAI NUVIS CONCEPT

The world has the opportunity to take a look at the future of Hyundai, when Nuvis concept will make its debut in 2009 New York Auto Show.

The concept car Nuvis the eleventh signature to be developed in the Design Society of California, Irvine, Calif. In addition to presenting the capabilities of the leading brand, Nuvis also alludes to a possible design direction for a cross next generation, combines the attributes of a top urban car and a luxury SUV.

In keeping with Hyundai has promised to bring any brand of fuel economy of the United States in 2015, Nuvis architecture is powered by Hyundai Blue Hybrid Drive, which uses a breakthrough in battery technology lithium polymer battery.

Evolution of design

In developing the first project, Hyundai's engineers liked the interaction between the natural, fluid elements with hard surfaces and structures to create the illusion of continuous motion. In particular, designers have studied how to distribute the water over and through the hull and the side of the boat creates a wake, or how the wind shapes the snow or tuiskuttaa the trees. life force, these factors were taken Nuvis design.

"Our goal was to create a living machine, constantly moving, the driver and passengers can be part of," said John Krsteski, Hyundai Design Manager. "There are no lines or in a car standing still."

In addition to invoking an irrepressible sense of movement, the Hyundai design team has taken the more practical things into account. Nuvis is designed to accommodate the diverse interests of a modern society, an active partner. The Nuvis is supposed to be at ease in his time at a retreat in the desert, arriving at the foot of the ski slopes in the afternoon, then cruise to a gala dinner in the evening.

The design team sought to create a vehicle that will complement its surroundings, without having a negative impact. The versatility of the vehicle structure, combined with hybrid technology that Hyundai Drive Blue achieves this goal.

Exterior styling

The authoritarian Nuvis has a face shown by the strong, the hourglass shape that frames the blue acrylic headlamps and aggressive grille shield, two rings are offset by the bright white pair of the rings red in the taillights.

Perched on top of 22-inch wheels, Nuvis "proportions are long, strong and protective. Two and a half lines of life set to the water flowing effect when the appearance of movement.

Besides the dynamic angles and fixed position, nüvi provides a wealth of unique exterior elements.

"One of the best attributes Nuvis is that the protective roof seems to float above the body through the use of hidden pillars and glass high-contrast" said Andrew Hudson, senior designer for Hyundai. "This effect begins to projectors and takes the entire production of rear-end a large body of high side and back."

Wide, swinging doors, open or closed, creating unique front, rear and side. Blue ambient lighting to throw the body increases the feeling of luxury out of the vehicle.

An additional design element is presented to the nüvi is a brushed aluminum accents that spans the entire length of the vehicle. Usually, this type of plate are found around windows. On the nüvi, extends this headlights base, multiply on the hood and across the beltline, top and rear spoiler.

INTERIOR DESIGN

In compliance with the regime of exterior design, is "unity spacious and luxurious interior is dominated by a cool, center console blue acrylic, which rises and rises like a river. The floor in a cascade, with its blue ambient lighting enhance an environment where technology seamlessly flows around the driver and passengers.

Updated information from the dashboard streams throughout the cabin as passengers can use each other through the sense Methode Electronics Touch ®, which combines all four business class seats. car infotainment system feeding the channel from the outside - the people, for example, can learn the specialties of the restaurant in the evening driving past.

Shaped, the seats are comfortable and custom fabric on a scale that is silver-black sunburst finish. True eco-friendly fabric seats offer textile industry-leading solutions for environmentally friendly textiles. Nuvis fabric is made from post-consumer 100 percent recycled polyester - back to bottles of soda - and more sustainable production processes. Hyundai working with the Creative True to produce this unique structure with a repeat 80 inches provides a fabric that is the environment in an attractive, since it is the viewer. Responsible for the safety belts offer the Harveys Seatbeltbags original, well-known manufacturer of bags made from seat belts. Harveys is also developing two bags Nuvis similar concept.

Behind, high floor-frame Nuvis "lithium-polymer battery.

HYUNDAI’S HYBRID BLUE DRIVE ARCHITECTURE

Hyundai’s all-new, homegrown Hybrid Blue Drive architecture helps define the Nuvis concept. Hyundai’s proprietary parallel hybrid drive system mates the already-fuel efficient 2.4-liter Theta II engine to a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 30kW (205 N-m) electric motor for maximum fuel economy.

Hybrid Blue Drive has an all-electric mode and a parallel drive mode, meaning that the wheels are turned by power coming directly from the gasoline engine, or the electric motor, or both together, as conditions demand. This parallel hybrid drive architecture will serve as the foundation for future Hyundai hybrid drive vehicles, starting with the next-generation Sonata in the United States.

To maximize fuel economy, all of the Theta II’s major driveline and cooling system components have been optimized to reduce friction, while the crankcase has been filled with low friction oil.

Engine management software automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a halt, cutting emissions to zero. The engine automatically restarts when pressure is reapplied to the accelerator pedal due to the Integrated Starter Generator (ISG).

To further reduce fuel consumption, the Theta II’s engine management software, which governs injection pressure, engine cycle timing and exhaust retreatment rates, has been revised. This control strategy assures that maximum efficiency is achieved during gentle acceleration, while greater power is immediately available during full acceleration.

During deceleration, regenerative braking also comes into play to help conserve energy.

To ensure that the engine runs at lower RPMs, the top three gear ratios in the transmission have been extended. Fuel economy is further optimized through the latest electric motor-assisted steering system which reduces power drain and low resistance tires.

The nine major components of Hyundai’s Hybrid Blue Drive include:

1. An efficient 30kW electric motor, delivering 205 N-m of torque
2. A regenerative braking system
3. An integrated starter generator that enables the engine to turn off at stops and restart automatically under acceleration
4. A breakthrough lithium polymer battery package, with 5.3 Ah of capacity at 270 volts
5. Optimized Theta II 2.4-liter engine
6. 6-speed automatic transmission with an improved-efficiency electric oil pump
7. Weight-efficient architecture coupled with a low drag coefficient
8. Electric air conditioning compressor
9. Hybrid power control unit

LITHIUM POLYMER BATTERY TECHNOLOGY

Hyundai’s hybrid system stores its electrical charge in a 270V lithium polymer rechargeable battery (5.3Ah/270V) that surpasses both existing nickel-metal hydride and pending lithium-ion applications. Lithium polymer batteries are more durable and space-efficient than other, bulkier hybrid batteries.