By Alex Kramer

Pros:

• Eye-catching exterior design
• Roomy, well-apportioned interior
• Smooth, quiet hybrid drivetrain
• Solid handling and ride quality

Cons:

• A bit slow for a car with over 200 hp
• Brake pedal feels squishy
• Untested fuel efficiency

The folks at Kia Motors are very optimistic. Having launched seven brand new models in under 2 years and with record sales growth over the past year, Kia is transforming itself into a major player in the car market.

Part of this success is surely due to an emphasis on value, which has resonated with buyers in these tough economic times. At the same time, a shift away from forgettable econoboxes and towards quality design and engineering has made for an almost unbeatable combination of high quality at a low price.

To keep the momentum rolling, Kia is now offering a hybrid gas-electric vehicle in the form of its Optima mid-size sedan. With gas prices looking to stay close to $4 a gallon, this could be the perfect time to make a case for fuel efficient motoring and take a bite out of the growing hybrid sedan segment.

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By contributing editor David Colman

PROS:

• 58% more room
• Double sunroof
• Airy interior

CONS:

• Reduced MPG
• Awkward shape
• Plethora of driving distractions

A couple of years ago, 3 of us set out on wine country safari in a second generation Prius 4-door. By the end of the day, the cabin of that car was beginning to feel very small. The trunk was loaded with cases of wine and the rear springs sagged accordingly. Our spirits flagged from sharing such close quarters. While the trip was a success, the Prius was judged to be undersized for the mission.

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By Jessika Lora

Positrons:

• Roomy and flexible interior space
• 100 mile range on a single charge
• Solar panel converts sunlight into power to charge essentials without draining the battery
• Turning heads and changing the minds of even the old-timers

Electrons:

• Limited number of places to plug-in and recharge
• Only a 100 mile range on a single charge
• Using 110V household current, you can fly to Hong Kong in as much time it takes to charge a drained battery
• Blind spot caused by rear hatch pillar

Driving up the 101 my dad saw the Nissan LEAF billboard next to the 4th street Bay Bridge on-ramp, “That car doesn’t use ANY gas?” At $4.25 a gallon and with no indication of a price ceiling he encouraged me to look into this car, “You know, you’re driving up and down the bay 120 miles each day, this could pay for itself in gas savings.”

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By contributing editor David Colman

Hits:

• Be the first on your block
• Incredible torque
• Lavish interior

Misses:

• Some drivetrain tremors
• Pricey

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Chevrolet Volt Consumer Reviews	Chevrolet Volt More Expert Reviews	2011 Chevrolet Volt Photo Gallery	2011 Chevrolet Volt Specs

By Dan Tsuchiya

Positrons

• Great Design and better looking than any Prius made to date
• Electricity first; leading to 250-500 mpg if you have access an outlet
• Feels safer and more substantial than it’s competitors
• 0-60 acceleration faster than a Honda Civic

Electrons

• Electric Vehicle (EV) range limited to 35 miles before gas motor has to recharge batteries
• Interior has too many hard plastic surfaces
• Soft-touch buttons are too sensitive
• Navigation and radio are integrated such that you can’t have one on without the other

Living with the Chevrolet Volt is about making a green statement, but without the usual green sacrifices. It’s not a hybrid as defined by the Toyota and Honda camp, it’s an extended range electric vehicle (EV) that combines the gas saving benefits of pure electric cars with the range and convenience of conventional gas powered cars. While the Toyota and Honda camps utilize gas and electricity in parallel, the Volt takes a series approach, EV first then gas. The EV range fully charged is about 35 miles and once that power depletes, the Volt fires up its 1.4L engine to charge the batteries and provide juice to the electric motor, allowing for another 250-300 miles of driving under normal conditions.

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The Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid plug-in, the concept car which debuted at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, is now available for order for $845,000.

The 918 Spyder will come equipped with a plug-in hybrid system that consists of a high-revving V8, 500-horsepower engine, combined with two electric motors for an additional 218-horsepower. The electric motors will provide about 16 miles of electric-only driving on a single charge and are powered by a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery that can be charged from any conventional power socket. The Porsche 918 Spyder also features a 7-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual clutch transmission, a 0-62 time of 3.2 seconds, and a top speed of 199 mph.

The 918 Spyder Hybrid plug-in is similar to the concept shown at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, but is now based on a carbon fiber reinforced plastic monocoque and will feature a manual roof system with removable panels that can be stowed away in the front luggage compartment.

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By Derek Mau

Likes:

• Zero emissions
• Fuel cell technology suitable for larger vehicles
• Does not require any special service intervals or parts

Dislikes:

• Loud electrical hum from motors
• Cost of fuel-cell cars higher than hybrid cars
• Range limited not by size of hydrogen tank, but tied to location of H₂ fueling station

As part of the ceremony to mark the 125th birthday of the invention of the motor car, Mercedes-Benz is promoting their B-Class F-CELL car with a drive across the world as means of promoting the benefits and advantages of fuel-cell technology. Three production (not concept) B-Class F-CELL cars are crossing the globe to prove that fuel-cell cars can be a good alternative to relieving our dependence upon fossil fuels and operate like any other car on the road today. I was fortunate to drive one of the B-Class F-CELL cars when the caravan stopped in San Francisco for fresh Dungeness crab and warm sourdough bread at Fisherman’s Wharf.

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Toyota is expanding their Prius family with a new larger and heavier wagon-like Prius V — that’s the letter V for “versatility,” Toyota says, not the Roman numeral five.

The new Toyota Prius V, will go on sale in the United States in late summer or early fall. Toyota announced production has begun on the new gasoline-electric hybrid Prius wagon, that is set to hit Japan in April, followed by the U.S. and Europe. Although, those dates might slip as Japan begins clean up after its latest tsunami disaster.

Some major differences between the Prius hatchback and the new wagon-style Prius are improved visibility due to the driver being situated 1.2 inches higher, an extended rear cargo which will eliminate the hatchback’s split rear window, a 220 pound weight difference, and the option of a new polycarbonate panoramic moonroof that weighs 40 percent less than glass. The new Prius wagon is wider, taller and about five inches longer, and shares the same engine, platform, and hybrid drivetrain as the Prius hatchback, giving it approximately 42 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway. New inside features include a computer mouse-inspired one-dial climate control button and a high-capacity lithium ion battery.

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Chevrolet Volt Consumer Reviews	Chevrolet Volt More Expert Reviews	2011 Chevy Volt Photo Gallery	2011 Chevrolet Volt Specs

By contributing editor David Colman

Hits

• Breakthrough engineering tour de force
• No driving sacrifice needed to validate green passport
• Interior design top notch

Misses

• Even with tax rebate, pricey
• Not the package for the driving enthusiast
• 35 mile battery radius seems hardly worth the extra cost and weight

You’ll be reading reams of technical information about this car in the months to come, but what’s it really like to drive? Based on a 100 mile round trip between Sausalito and Marshall, the Volt offers a workable solution to everyday transportation for 4 with the added bonus of 25-50 miles of gas-free operation daily. Volt operates in 2 different modes. There’s battery power, which is good for that gas-free 25-50 mile romp, plus gasoline power for an added range of about 350 miles. If you drive short trips every day, it could be months before you need to refill the Volt’s 9.2 gallon gas tank.

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Honda CR-Z Consumer Reviews	Ford Fiesta Consumer Reviews	Mazda MAZDA2 Consumer Reviews

By Kurt Gensheimer

Back in the early 1990s when I was a few years away from my first driver’s license, one of the hottest cars you could own was the tiny little 1991 Honda CRX Si in yellow. It was small, quick and had an obnoxiously loud paint job that called attention to itself wherever it was. I’d sit in the back seat of my parents’ car as they chauffeured me to and from school, fogging up the window as I gawked at that yellow CRX which was always parked in some lucky guy’s driveway. I saved every waking cent until the day I was old enough to drive and flush enough to buy my own yellow CRX. It never happened. By the time I had enough money, my tastes had changed, and the CRX had morphed into the less desirable Del Sol.

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