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Pros and cons of a Honda Civic vs a Lamborghini Gallardo

TO finish first, race-team crew chiefs remind their impatient young drivers, you must first finish. This is another way of saying that a tortoise could have better odds against a hare than a bettor might otherwise presume, according to The New York Times' Jerry Garrett.

Recently, I pitted the most fuel-efficient new compact car sold in the United States against one of the thirstiest gas guzzlers on American roads. I wanted to see just how much difference there really was — not in the mileage, which anyone can learn by simply reading the window sticker — but in dollars and cents under typical driving conditions.

My decidedly unscientific test consisted of taking a Honda Civic Hybrid on a 300-mile trek, followed by a drive over the same route in a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, an Italian exotic with three fewer seats but nearly five times the horsepower.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:42 AM to Alternative fuels , Environment , Fuel economy | Permalink | Comments 0

Gasoline price top concern for consumers: survey

NEW YORK - Despite a flailing U.S. economy and a national housing crisis, gasoline prices are the leading factor in changing American consumer spending, according to a survey by the National Association of Convenience Stores, according to Reuters.

Forty-five percent of U.S. consumers said soaring gasoline prices have effected their spending more than rising energy and food costs, the flagging economy or the national mortgage and lending crisis, the survey found.

The survey, released on Monday, was of 1,215 Americans on behalf of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

On average the tipping point for the average consumer to cut back on gasoline use is $3.71 a gallon, according to the survey.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:34 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota Profit Rises 7.5 Percent on Year

TOKYO -- Toyota's profit for the October-December quarter rose 7.5 percent from the previous year as booming sales in China, Africa and South America offset declining U.S. sales and a stronger yen, according to the Associated Press.

The Japanese automaker - in a neck-and-neck race against General Motors Corp. for the top spot in global vehicle sales - sold 2.281 million vehicles in the fiscal third quarter, up 5.8 percent from the same period a year ago, it said Tuesday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:23 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Drops Below $89 on Recession Fears

VIENNA, Austria -- Oil prices slumped Tuesday, dragged down by persistent concerns about the U.S. economy and global stock market declines, according to the Associated Press.

Energy investors often view stocks as a proxy for economic growth, and in some recent sessions, movements in the oil market have closely followed that of global equities.

Light, sweet crude for March delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange lost $1.41 to $88.61 a barrel in electronic trading by aftenoon in Europe.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:20 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0