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Consumer Reports' tests how to get the best gas mileage

The best way to burn less fuel is to buy a car that gets better gas mileage. But our tests with a Toyota Camry and other vehicles show there are ways to minimize what you spend at the pump with your current car.

Most Environmentally Friendly Car Brands

The results of Consumer Reports' latest car brand perception survey are in, featuring a whole section on green cars. While eco-friendliness is only the fifth most important feature to consumers, Toyota scored well with almost half of consumers associating it with being a green brand.

The survey represents over 2,000 adults from around the nation, and had respondents rank the most important features in a car's brand and then whether a company was effective in that category.

Auto Sales Hit 15-year Low

DETROIT (Reuters) - Three top investors in the automotive industry painted a grim picture on Sunday for the sector in 2008, with one executive predicting a possible slump in U.S. sales to levels not seen in 15 years.

The weakest forecast is for a possible 9.4 percent decline. But all three -- Jerry York, an adviser to billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian; financier Wilbur Ross; and Thomas Stallkamp, a former Chrysler president -- were more pessimistic than many in the battered industry.

Showing Off the Power of Going Green

FRANKFURT: "Turn out the lights, the party's over," Willie Nelson sings. "They say that all good things must end." If this year's Frankfurt motor show, which opened to the public here on Saturday, is any indication, the horsepower party that automakers have been reveling in the last few years seems to be coming to an end. The hangover may be about to begin.

China Holds "no car" Day

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is holding a "no-car day" in 108 cities on Saturday as it tries to clean up its notoriously smoggy skies, a task made more urgent by the approach of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The 12 Greenest Cars of 2007

You might be surprised to learn that you don't need to drive a hybrid car to do your part for the Earth. Yes, of the year's 12 most environmentally friendly 2007-model cars — a list dominated by tiny, economical models — six are hybrids. And two gas/electric hybrids — Toyota Motor's Prius and Honda Motor's Civic Hybrid — are tied for first place. But half of the cars are just old-fashioned, gas-powered vehicles that happen to be small and efficient, with low emissions.

On The Road Tips From The EPA

The burning of fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change, but these emissions can be reduced by improving your car's fuel efficiency. You can take the following actions to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the nation's dependence on oil and save money. For more information, there are also a number of transportation tools available to estimate emissions from transportation and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that can be reduced through specific activities. Before buying a new or used vehicle (or even before renting a vehicle), check out EPA's Green Vehicle Guide and the jointly-run EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide. These resources provide information about the emissions and fuel economy performance of different vehicles.

In 2005, Americans - with the help of ENERGY STAR - saved about $12 billion dollars on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to annual emissions of 23 million vehicles. In addition, they used 150 billion kWh less electricity, or about 4% of total U.S. demand.

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