Lower your gas costs. Learn the secret strategy that will allow you to get a 14 per cent discount at the gas pump.

If you know the smart way to purchase your gas you can save a considerable amount of money. The following strategies could save you 4 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent or even 14 percent of your gas costs.

In this article you will learn the secret to using two strategies that together should provide you with a significant discount on your gas costs.

There are a number of alternatives that will result in savings. Among the best is the use of credit cards that offer rebates. By using the right cards you can lower your costs without having to change your driving habits or do any special maintanance on your car.

Many gas companies offer credit cards that pay rebates on gas purchases. The typical card will rebate you 10% on your gas purchases for the first two or three months and then rebate you 5% on your gas purchases thereafter.

For example currently Hess Oil has a credit card that will pay 10% for the first 60 days for Hess gas purchases and 5% for Hess gas purchases after 60 days.

Marathon Oil has the same 10% for 60 days 5% thereafter program. Speedway has an 8% for 60 days and 4% thereafter credit card program. All these cards also offer 1% rebates on other purchases and can be used anywhere Visa or MasterCard is accepted.

The examples just listed are issued by gas companies. There are also general market credit cards that will provide you with discounts off your gas costs.

Many credit card companies offer cards that have special rebate amounts for gasoline. For example: currently Discover Card is issuing a Discover Gas Card that will give you back a rebate of 5 percent of the gas you purchase with the opportunity to increase it to 10 percent at selected retailers. It also gives you a 1 percent rebate on other purchases.

Another example: Chase has a gas MasterCard that will give you a rebate of 5% for gas purchases and 2% for purchases everywhere else.

The advantage to using a general market card as opposed to a gas credit card is that you can use the general market credit card to buy gas at any station and get the high rebate. The gas company card only pays you the high rebate at the gas company’s own stations.

On the other hand the gas company credit card will generally pay you a premium of 10 percent or 8 percent for the first 60 days where the general market card may not.

That is the main strategy for getting a discount of anywhere from 4 percent up to 10 percent. Certainly any rebate is welcome in light of the cost of gasoline. 4% is good and 10% is even better. But there may be a way to cut your cost of gas even more. Maybe even to 14%.

Here’s how. Many gas companies offer pre paid gas cards or gas gift cards. In many cases these prepaid cards will offer a bonus or discount. For example in some cases you can purchase a $50 gas card for $48.

That means you pay $48 for the card but the card allows you to buy $50 worth of gas. That is the same as getting a 4% discount. In most cases you must buy these prepaid cards at the gas outlet.

Now here is where the extra savings comes in. If you purchase the prepaid card using the gas company credit card during the initial period when you are getting a 10% rebate you will get a 10% rebate on the prepaid card.

Then if you are buying a prepaid card that gives you a 4% discount, the $50 dollar card for $48 cost, you are compounding your savings.

You are getting a 10% savings on the rebate and you are getting a 4% savings on the prepaid card. In total you are getting a 14% savings!

Recommended Reading

• Build a Solar Car
• Top 10 Best Hybrid Cars
• What is Hypermiling?
• Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars

More Information on Green Living

• Convert Any Car to Electric — "All the steps are numbered with diagrams to be easy to follow. The conversion does not take too long, all you have to do is follow the simple plans I provide and in a month, you will cut your gas bill to zero."
• Renewable Energy Solutions — "Family living off the grid with renewable energy takes know how and applies it to solar panels and wind generators."
• Build A Wind Generator — "For the past 15 years our family has been living off the grid with only solar and wind power. We moved to our present location, built our own house ourselves and set to work to find alternative energy options for our home that we could afford."

How a Woman In Cleveland Paid 89 Cents For a Gallon Of Gas and How You Can Too. Learn her secret to saving at the gas pump.

In August of 2005 the price listed as the price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas was $2.29. That same day Kellie Courtney of Cleveland paid only 89 cents a gallon. Marion Charvat paid $1.09 a gallon. Marion filled her Volkswagen Jetta for only $12.45. How could they buy gas so cheap? They did it because they are smart consumers. Here’s how they did it.

The reason that Kellie and Marion were able to purchase gas at such a low price is that they treated gas like it was any other item that they would go to a store to buy. They shopped around and they found a way to purchase their gas at the store that they found had the absolute lowest cost. They found a frequent shopper program that allowed them to lower their gas cost. They found it at a grocery chain called Giant Eagle.

Giant Eagle does business in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. Recently Giant Eagle added a new component to their frequent shopper program. It is called Fuelperks. It is a program that offers discounts on gas at Giant Eagle’s own stations for shopping at Giant Eagle using their frequent shopper card.

For every $50.00 of purchases using the frequent shopper card the consumer will get a 10 cent reduction in the price of gas for one tank fill up. Purchase $100.00 worth; get 20 cents off a gallon. Purchase $500.00 worth and get $1.00 off a gallon. Buy enough groceries and you can get gasoline for free.

A large family that has to buy a lot of groceries every week will very quickly earn large discounts at the gas pump. The prices at Giant Eagle are in line with most of the other groceries in the area and their regular price on gas is in line with other gas stations so you really are getting a legitimate discount on gas.

You have to buy groceries somewhere; you might as well buy it a store that gives you a substantial discount on gas while you are at it. That is one way to beat the gas pump.

Treat gas like anything else that you buy. Look for the best deals. Look for frequent shopper programs in your neighborhood that allow you to build up discounts you can use towards gas. Look for gas discounts and incentives anywhere you see a gas pump. Look for stores that may be branching out into the frequent shopper area or stores that now sell gas that didn’t before.

In order to compete with the new grocery gas stations many gas convenience stores are beginning to implement frequent shopper programs that will result in lower gas costs. But more and more traditional stores that never sold gas before are realizing that discount gas is a big incentive to get shoppers. Giant Eagle is one example of a traditional grocery store branching out to sell gas at a discount.

According to the Food Marketing Institute, just 18% of grocery stores built in 2003 had gas pumps; last year, more than 60% of new stores were built with gas stations. They have seen the value of offering gas to their customers as a loss leader.

The mega retailers are another place you should look for bargains. As in many areas Wal-Mart / Sam’s Club are jumping into the gas business big time. The VP in charge of fuel for Wal-Mart says he is looking to extend Sam Walton’s marketing strategy to gasoline by building gas stations at every Sam’s Club throughout the country. In his view, putting in pumps should be “standard practice. It just fits our business model: we want to bring everything [to consumers] at the lowest price.”

So how can you lower your gas costs? Treat gas like any other item you purchase. Look for deals, discounts and low prices. Comparison shop. Find the retailers that offer the best program for you. Look for gas bargains at some of the non traditional outlets like grocery stores or mega stores. Then maybe you will be able to buy that tank of gas for 89 cents a gallon like Kellie Courtney did.

Recommended Reading

• Build a Solar Car
• Top 10 Best Hybrid Cars
• What is Hypermiling?
• Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars

More Information on Green Living

• Convert Any Car to Electric — "All the steps are numbered with diagrams to be easy to follow. The conversion does not take too long, all you have to do is follow the simple plans I provide and in a month, you will cut your gas bill to zero."
• Renewable Energy Solutions — "Family living off the grid with renewable energy takes know how and applies it to solar panels and wind generators."
• Build A Wind Generator — "For the past 15 years our family has been living off the grid with only solar and wind power. We moved to our present location, built our own house ourselves and set to work to find alternative energy options for our home that we could afford."

This article shows the reader tips and tricks for saving fuel economy and paying less at gas stations.

Car maintenance can be expensive, and the rising cost of gasoline in the United States can really drain, so to speak, the funds available for car maintenance and related costs.
According to Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council, Loose or missing gas caps, under-inflated tires, worn spark plugs, and dirty air filters all contribute to poor fuel economy.

Here are some tips, courtesy of the Car Care Council, to help you save money on gasoline, even as the prices continue to climb.

Don’t drive aggressively. This can actually lower gas mileage by up to 33 percent on the highway and five percent on city streets, resulting in a cost of 7 to 49 cents per gallon.

Take care of your tires. A smart care maintenance tip in general, since driving with an under inflated tire is the equivalent of driving your car with the parking break on, and can cost you a mile for each gallon.

Watch out for worn spark plugs. Vehicles have four, six, or eight spark plugs, and these fire as much as three million times every on thousand miles, which creates heat, electrical, and chemical erosion. Replace your spark plug regularly for proper care maintenance, and gas conservation as well.

Change your dirty air filter. Air filters clogged with dust, dirt, and bugs cuts off the air and results in more gas than necessary being burned. This wastes gas, and causes the engine to lose power as well.

Watch those gas caps. Approximately 17 percent of vehicles, according to the CCC, have gas caps that are damaged, loose or missing, and this causes 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize each year.

Don’t idle excessively. Idling gets you zero miles to the gallon, and you really only need to warm up your vehicle for about one to two minutes.

Watch that speed. As your car’s speed increases, gas mileage decreases, and each mph over sixty results in an additional ten cents per gallon cost.

Lose some weight. By simply removing unnecessary items from your vehicle, you could reduce the weight by 100 pounds, which in turn will reduce your MPG by up to 2%, based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the weight of the vehicle.

Proper car maintenance is the best way to get the most out of your car, and to make sure that it remains fuel efficient. Don’t skip regular visits to the auto mechanic—the health of your car depends on them.

Recommended Reading

• Build a Solar Car
• Top 10 Best Hybrid Cars
• What is Hypermiling?
• Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars

More Information on Green Living

• Convert Any Car to Electric — "All the steps are numbered with diagrams to be easy to follow. The conversion does not take too long, all you have to do is follow the simple plans I provide and in a month, you will cut your gas bill to zero."
• Renewable Energy Solutions — "Family living off the grid with renewable energy takes know how and applies it to solar panels and wind generators."
• Build A Wind Generator — "For the past 15 years our family has been living off the grid with only solar and wind power. We moved to our present location, built our own house ourselves and set to work to find alternative energy options for our home that we could afford."

Read this Toyota Sequoia hybrid review if you want to know more about it’s price, design, availability, performance and more.

In July of 2008, gas prices reached record highs, peaking at over $4.00 per gallon. With fuel prices putting such a crunch on peoples’ budgets, consumers began looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles, and auto makers responded to the demand.

Originally hybrid vehicles were limited to smaller, economy cars. But today’s family needs a larger vehicle that can do more than commute to work. Americans need vehicles that can drive your kids and their friends to soccer, grocery shop, take the dogs to the vet, and pack up for a family road trip. The vehicle needs to be not only fuel-efficient, but also accomodate the demanding needs of our busy lifestyles.

[ad]

Toyota is set to unveil an entire line of plug-in hybrids at the 2009 Detroit auto show. Toyota has put themselves directly into competition with General Motors by upping the ante on its line of hybrid vehicles.

The new line will run on a combination of fuel and ion batteries. The Sequoia is set to be one of the new vehicles in the lineup to be given both a hybrid and a standard engine model.

Why the Sequoia? It is Toyota’s more upscale SUV, and Toyota wants to be put in line to win over some of Lexus’ clientele.

The Sequoia offers roomier cargo space, as well as more luxury options than, for instance, the Highlander. With options on the Sequoia, such as four wheel drive, leather interior, GPS, and all the other options expected of a luxury vehicle, it is no wonder Toyota expects there to be a high demand for a Sequoia hybrid. With hybrid vehicles having a greater demand than ever, it makes sense to convert some of the most popular vehicles in an auto-maker’s lineup to hybrid vehicles. The same holds true for Toyota.

Currently, the standard Sequoia has an MSRP of around $34,000 for the base line model. The Platinum Sequoia runs for around $54,000. We can expect the price tags for the hybrid to be a bit higher than for the standard, but its price tag will even out in the long run on the cost of gas, as well as tax credits given by the federal government for converting to a hybrid vehicle.

Toyota expects to have an entire line-up of hybrid vehicles available to the general public by the year 2010. Until then, we are all going to have to sit back and wait for the Detroit 2009 auto show to see what the future has in store from Toyota.

Recommended Reading

• Looking for a Hybrid Car Dealer?
• Top 10 Best Hybrid Cars
• What is Hypermiling?
• Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars

More Information on Green Living

• Convert Any Car to Electric — "All the steps are numbered with diagrams to be easy to follow. The conversion does not take too long, all you have to do is follow the simple plans I provide and in a month, you will cut your gas bill to zero."
• Renewable Energy Solutions — "Family living off the grid with renewable energy takes know how and applies it to solar panels and wind generators."
• Build A Wind Generator — "For the past 15 years our family has been living off the grid with only solar and wind power. We moved to our present location, built our own house ourselves and set to work to find alternative energy options for our home that we could afford."

The only Nissan hybrids in the car market today is the Nissan Altima hybrid, and we can discuss fuel efficiency, price, and overall quality. This is another addition to the line of Japanese hybrid cars and it is just as well made as all other models.

This Nissan hybrid is powered by a combination of gasoline and electric powered motors. Hybrid electric vehicles and their designs are well known to top engineer specialists in Japan. They use some very ingenious concepts to keep their hybrid vehicles at the top of the pack.

[ad]

Fans have long expected Nissan hybrids to enter the marketplace. One model alone is almost insignificant when compared to multiple hybrid models made by other major manufacturers. Nissan is new to the hybrid market though and they are just getting their feet wet. The Altima hybrid should make a significant impact in the industry soon. There are bound to be more Nissan hybrids becoming available in the very near future.

The Nissan Altima hybrid should prove to be a very popular selection because of the large, hard-core following of Nissan Altima fans. The millions of loyal customers who love the Altima in the current gas engine model are certainly going to enjoy its new hybrid look and feel. There has been a clamor by Nissan enthusiasts for several years who wanted Nissan hybrids and now they have them.

Economy/Engine

This hybrid car by Nissan is only offered as a front-wheel drive model at the present time, although this could change soon. It comes with a 2.5-liter engine that has a four-cylinder dual overhead cam and this design is remarkably powerful while maintaining great fuel efficiency . You can get about 200 horsepower from this monster with both the electric and gasoline motors in operation. The gasoline engine can deliver an impressive 170 horsepower without any assistance. The electric motor provides an additional 30 horsepower to pep the action up just a little bit more.

The engine is connected to a CVT transmission , this type of design is also known as a continuously variable transmission. This is a uniquely designed machine that is essentially gearless. A CVT has no gears but uses variable adjustments when in operation.

The fuel economy is phenomenal when compared to other hybrid vehicles such as the Camry hybrid . This Nissan hybrid is capable of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. With a full tank of gas , the Altima hybrid car will take you about five hundred miles. The reason why this hybrid car gets better fuel economy during city driving is because the electric motor is the primary operational system at low city speeds.

In addition, this Japanese hybrid car is classified as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle , which makes the car even more marketable for the company. Currently, Nissan is looking into other hybrid technology to power this car such as a fuel cell (hydrogen power ) and they are even considering a natural gas for fuel. At present, these are concept ideas and remain only on the drawing board.

Price/Availability

This Nissan hybrid will only be available in the following states CA, CT, MA, ME, NJ, NY, OR, RI, and VT. Availability in these locales will still be tight. Drivers are going to be hard pressed to find even one hybrid Altima anywhere because of high consumer demand.

The base market price for the hybrid electric car by Nissan is twenty-six thousand dollars, however that does not include such fees as taxes, title etc. This hybrid model is only a few thousand dollars more than the standard gasoline model, which makes it an appealing option to many customers. The hybrid car cost can go up quickly depending on options and other additions.

Quality

Nissan builds quality cars but the standards with materials fall short of those used on Honda’s hybrid cars . The interior plastics used in the Nissan hybrids design are basic and do not hold up well over time. There are many unpadded areas found on the dash and surroundings. The quality of the radio and A/C are only fair. The sound system is actually better than most of the hybrid competitors.

On the plus side, the hybrid Altima battery packs seem to be of better quality than the Hondas and Toyotas . The exterior of the car is well made but not outstanding. This hybrid offers a roomy interior with good leg room and head clearance.

Looking for a hybrid tax credit? This article provides a history of tax rebates for hybrids including the conditions you need to meet. Tips are given on how to determine the write off. Will your car will qualify or not? Find out.

Introduction

What most people interested in buying a hybrid car does not know is the presence of hybrid tax credit. So, if you’re considering the idea of buying a hybrid simply because of its fuel economy, then here’s a very interesting factor that may instantly bring you to a "yes" decision.

When It All Started

Since year 2005, the IRS has given a hybrid tax credit to taxpayers that drive cars which utilize alternative fuel sources through the Energy Policy Act.

What Does It Say?

By the conditions of the 2005 law, they would take the tax rebate directly from your total sum of tax which you, as the taxpayer would otherwise be indebted. This trims down or could even eliminates your tax which you would pay in the first place. If you’re not certain whether your specific "green" vehicle would qualify for this kind of credit or not, you could simply call your local dealership or your car manufacturer . It’s that easy.

The Marked Date

Qualified vehicles that were bought on or after January 1, 2006, would be at liberty for this kind of tax credit. In general, you could get an amount from about $400 up to $3,400. The amount that you’ll get would be based on your car’s fuel economy .

Basic Computation

The tax refund you can get from buying a hybrid vehicle is a mix of two diverse tax credits. You should understand that the math on this computation can be very complicated, and the good thing is, you are not obliged to do it. Your vehicle’s auto manufacturers along with the IRS would be the ones responsible in certifying your hybrid tax credit amount .

Certain Conditions

The hybrid car tax allowance might go away very soon. It actually highly depends on the customer demand for the new hybrid trucks and cars. The tax credit’s value starts to diminish as soon as your manufacturer has sold sixty thousand or more qualified cars. So, the phase-out would start on the level of your auto manufacturer. Hence, well-known brands might watch their tax credits diminish sooner, in contrast to less popular brands.

If your vehicle is valid, you may claim your credit’s full amount up until the end of the 1st quarter just after the quarter where your vehicle’s manufacturer records their sale of their 60,000th qualified vehicle. While during the 2nd and 3rd quarters after the quarter where the 60,000th vehicle was sold, you could claim 50% of your original tax credit. Nonetheless, during the 4ht quarter, you could only claim 25% of your allowable credit.

(Again, just ask your dealer for the answer. Don’t try to figure it out! )

The government actually has qualified various models and makes for this kind of tax credit. Such certifications set the greatest dollar value which your credit could be. Your credit may also be reduce by different limitations.

[ad]

Under direction released by the IRS, your auto manufacturer could give you a certification, which specifies the amount that is left on your hybrid tax rebate . The IRS uses the following sixteen criteria:

1. Name

2. Tax identification number and address of your manufacturer

3. Make, model, model year, and various identification information

4. A written statement which states that the car was created by the manufacturer

5. What type of credit your vehicle is qualified for

6. Amount of your tax credit (with complete computations)

7. Your vehicle’s gross weight

8. Your vehicle’s weight class

9. Your city’s fuel economy for the vehicle

10. A statement which says your vehicle actually complies with the necessities asked for on the Clean Air Act

11. A duplicate of the certificate which proves that your vehicle suffices the emission standards that were set by the government in Clean Air Act

12. A statement saying that your motor vehicle complies with your state’s air Q.C. law

13. A statement that your vehicle complies with specific motor vehicle safety conditions

14. A statement that your vehicle utilizes hybrid technology: both internal combustion system and rechargeable energy system.

15. A statement that your vehicle meets or even exceeds California’s standards on low vehicle emissions.

16. Proof that your vehicle doesn’t go further than the designated maximum power standard

These are just some of the prerequisites for you to get hybrid tax credits. Although there’s a lot of them, it is definitely worth it in the end.

More Information on Green Living

• Convert Any Car to Electric — "All the steps are numbered with diagrams to be easy to follow. The conversion does not take too long, all you have to do is follow the simple plans I provide and in a month, you will cut your gas bill to zero."
• Renewable Energy Solutions — "Family living off the grid with renewable energy takes know how and applies it to solar panels and wind generators."
• Build A Wind Generator — "For the past 15 years our family has been living off the grid with only solar and wind power. We moved to our present location, built our own house ourselves and set to work to find alternative energy options for our home that we could afford."

Do you want hybrid tax credits ? In this article I cover that topic in the follow way. First, I discuss the history of tax credits. Second, I discuss how they are calculated. Third, I discuss the conditions that must be met for hybrid tax refunds. And lastly, I explain the IRS qualifications for hybrid vehicle tax credits.

Earning And Saving Via Hybrid Tax Credits

What most people interested in buying a hybrid car does not know is the presence of hybrid tax credits . So, if you’re considering the idea of buying a hybrid simply because of its fuel economy, then here’s a very interesting factor that may instantly bring you to a ëyesí decision.

When It All Started

Since year 2005, the IRS has started giving hybrid tax credit s to the individual taxpayers that drive cars which utilize alternative fuel sources . In fact, there was one time where green minded taxpayers only got a clean fuel burning deduction. However, that only applied to vehicles that were under the gas-electric hybrid category. Nevertheless, as 2005 came, the deduction rule was replaced by the up to date legislation, which is the Energy Policy Act.

What Does It Say?

By the conditions of the said 2005 law, they would take the tax credit directly from your total sum of tax which you, as the taxpayer would otherwise be indebted. This trims down or could even eliminate your tax which you should pay in the first place. If you’re not certain whether your specific "green" vehicle would qualify for this kind of credit or not, you could simply inquire from your local hybrid car dealership or your car manufacturer.

The Marked Date

Qualified vehicles that were bought on or after January 1, 2006, would be at liberty for this kind of tax credit. In general, you could get an amount from about $400 up to $3,400. The amount that you’ll get would be based on your car’s fuel economy and fuel savings .

Basic Computation

The tax credit you can get from buying a hybrid vehicle is a mix of two diverse tax credits. You should understand that the math on this computation can be very complicated, and the good thing is, you are not obliged to do it. Your vehicle’s auto manufacturers along with the IRS would be the ones responsible in certifying your tax credit’s amount.

Certain Conditions

This kind of tax credit might be brief. It actually highly depends on the customer demand for the new hybrid trucks and cars. The tax credit’s value would start to diminish as soon as your manufacturer has sold sixty thousand or more qualified cars. Additionally, the phase-out would start on the level of your auto manufacturer. Hence, well-known brands might watch their tax credits diminish sooner , in contrast to less popular brands.

If your vehicle is valid for a hybrid tax credit, you may claim your credit’s full amount up until the end of the 1st quarter just after the quarter where your vehicle’s manufacturer records their sale of their 60,000th qualified vehicle. While during the 2nd and 3rd quarters after the quarter where the 60,000th vehicle was sold, you could claim 50% of your original tax credit. Nonetheless, during the 4ht quarter, you could only claim 25% of your allowable credit.

The government actually has qualified various hybrid models and makes for this kind of hybrid tax credit . Such certifications set the greatest dollar value which your credit could be. Your credit may also be reduce by different limitations.

Under direction released by the IRS, your auto manufacturer could give you a certification, which specifies the amount that is left on your tax credit. It would be the IRS, whom will dictate that the certification of the producer should have the following sixteen essentials:

1. Name

2. Tax identification number and address of your manufacturer

3. Make, model, model year, and various identification information

4. A written statement which states that the car was created by the manufacturer

5. What type of credit your vehicle is qualified for

6. Amount of your tax credit (with complete computations)

7. Your vehicle’s gross weight

8. Your vehicle’s weight class

9. Your city’s fuel economy for the vehicle

10. A statement which says your vehicle actually complies with the necessities asked for on the Clean Air Act

11. A duplicate of the certificate which proves that your vehicle suffices the emission standards that were set by the government in Clean Air Act

12. A statement saying that your motor vehicle complies with your state’s air Q.C. law

13. A statement that your vehicle complies with specific motor vehicle safety conditions

14. A statement that your vehicle utilizes hybrid technology: both internal combustion system and rechargeable energy system.

15. A statement that your vehicle meets or even exceeds California’s standards on low vehicle emissions.

16. Proof that your vehicle doesn’t go further than the designated maximum power standard

These are just some of the prerequisites for you to get hybrid tax credits. Although thereís a lot of them, it is definitely worth it in the end.

[ad]

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED…

How to Pass Your Road Test — "Want to Pass Your Road Test on the First Try? Want to Stay Alive? Want to Stay Safe?"

I discuss the following about the 2009 Mercury Mariner hybrid . First, I discuss all the upgrades from the 2008 hybrid. Second, I talk about style and space. Third, I talk about technology such as maps and GPS. I also talk about some other fun aspects of the Mariner hybrid.

Going On The Practical Side: The 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

If you’re a Ford fan and you’re looking for a good hybrid SUV, then you’re probably in luck since the 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid is now in town. This SUV vehicle may look as if it doesn’t offer much that other SUVís of its types do. However, looks can be pretty deceiving. This car shouldn’t be underestimated, since it has a lot to offer than what you may have in mind. So, here are essentials that you need to know about this practical SUV.

Upgrade Galore

Although Ford have made a significant upgrade from the 2007 model to the 2008 model, the company makes another yet notable improvements with its 2009 model. In fact, a lot of experts believe that this model has a lot to offer from the 2008 model.

As a sneak peek, one of these improvements would have something to do with its advent of Sirius and Sync Travel Link. These two technologies are used by Ford to distinguish itself. Additionally, the 2009 Mariner doesnít only get a new cabin tech; its engine also becomes a little bigger. Hence, you get more horsepower, without losing the advantage of fuel economy .

General Specs

This car, along with its stable mate, the Ford Escape Hybrid , are actually the only available small full hybrid SUVs. This car can accommodate to seat five people. It also has a pretty large cargo space, which is built via unibody construction. Being a hybrid, this car could be driven by the use of mere electric power if youíre traveling short distances and on low speeds.

Another great perk of the 2009 Mercury Mariner hybrid is that its engine automatically turns off whenever you’re stuck in traffic or on a stop light. This mere feature alone can help you save a lot with your car’s gas and power consumption! Because of this car’s characteristic, full hybrids usually get better mileage rates inside the city compared to the highway. In fact, this car was rated by EPA at 31 mpg highway and 34 mpg city.

Traffic Avoidance

Although hybrid systems can help you save gas when caught in traffic, you would rather not crawl at 5 mph. On such situations, you can use the car’s navigation system, so that you could see how efficiently you could avoid traffic.

The 2009 Mercury Mariner hybrid actually has a hard-drive-based system for navigation. It utilizes high-resolution touch screen maps. The best thing here is that the Sirius Travel Link actually gives you traffic reports , which would be overlaid on your car’s navigation maps . Here, you could see how traffic is flowing on highways and freeways. Additionally, you get reports on specific incidents, whether it be vehicle accidents or road construction.

Getting To Know The Cabin

Although this car is thought to be as a mid-luxury brand, between Lincoln and Ford, this car’s cabin isn’t that dramatically nicer compared to what you could find with the Ford Escape hybrid . The cabin is generally made up of standard grade leather. However, it also has some small chrome accents. The car also comes with a steering wheel that is leather-wrapped.

Nevertheless, the cabin also has its major positive and impressive parts. For instance, its tech is actually the same for both brands. You also get full control using your touch-screen LCD over various amenities that your car provides, such as: hard-drive-based navigation, stereo and Bluetooth phone. However, what’s much better is that its Sync lets you get full control of such systems using your voice. It also gives full integration with the MP3 player .

[ad]

Map Navigation

This car also has a very excellent navigation system. This is probably because of its maps that are viewable in 3D or top-down. Since it’s hard-drive-based, the maps actually refresh in a quick rate. Thus, it becomes easier for you to move your map around to select various destinations by simply touching the location that you want to go to.

The system also provides you with full database of points-of-interest, along with different means of going to your destination like freeway entrance and address. If you’ll be using the car’s address entry, you’ll have to use 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrids onscreen keyboard, which could be switched between QWERTY format and alphabetical order.

[ad]

With the introduction of the first hybrid vehicle, the world’s fascination with higher miles-per-gallon vehicles has been steadily increasing. And motorcycles, for the most part, are well known for their ability to offer great mileage . So it should be no surprise that companies such as Honda, Yamaha, and other motorcycle manufacturers are trying their hand at creating a hybrid motorcycle.

The whole idea behind creating a hybrid motorcycle is creates the not-so-unrealistic expectations that the world may soon see a 100 mile per gallon motorcycle .

There are a number of smaller manufacturers that currently offer hybrid motorcycles, but the larger companies have been slow to embrace the idea of a hybrid motorcycle because of the engineering challenges they would face in mass producing these bikes. This thinking, however, seems to be changing.

With these smaller manufactures already creating these alternative fuel motorcycles, and with the public embracing these new motorcycles, the idea of such a creation is forcing the larger motorcycle manufacturers such as Honda and Yamaha to begin working on these challenges. In fact, Honda and Yamaha have both been working on models that could be on the market as soon as 2010 .

The estimate is that these new hybrid motorcycles will deliver a 50% improvement in fuel economy . With these motorcycles already having a range from 40 to 50 miles per gallon, a 50% increase would be a significant improvement.

Currently, both Honda and Yamaha are working on an electric motorcycle, which has a range of approximately 60 miles. While this is not extraordinary in itself, this does give the average rider more than enough power for running around town.

The technology challenge is still an issue with trying to create a hybrid motorcycle that compacts the technology of the hybrid engine in the small, limited area motorcycle engines now occupy, and still offer a decent range for riders.

[Note: Learn more about hybrid batteries .]

Given the current world economy demanding higher mileage vehicles and with the continual rise in oil and gasoline prices, all should lead the motorcycle industry to create a line of hybrid motorcycles that offer even higher fuel economy than current models and in the near future, could lead to an impressive 100 mile per gallon motorcycle…and that would be very beneficial to both the industry and the economy as a whole.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED…

How to Pass Your Road Test — "Want to Pass Your Road Test on the First Try? Want to Stay Alive? Want to Stay Safe?"

Note: Not all hybrid car videos are the same. Some will be boring. Some will help you make buying decisions as part of your electric and gas car research. Some won’t cover MPG and fuel economy . Some won’t talk about hybrid car batteries . You just don’t know what you’ll get.

More Information on Green Living

• Convert Any Car to Electric — "All the steps are numbered with diagrams to be easy to follow. The conversion does not take too long, all you have to do is follow the simple plans I provide and in a month, you will cut your gas bill to zero."
• Renewable Energy Solutions — "Family living off the grid with renewable energy takes know how and applies it to solar panels and wind generators."
• Build A Wind Generator — "For the past 15 years our family has been living off the grid with only solar and wind power. We moved to our present location, built our own house ourselves and set to work to find alternative energy options for our home that we could afford."