The New York Times
Until recently, “fuel economy often didn’t make the top 10” when car buyers were asked about their priorities. But now cost-cutting is on everyone’s mind. This “high-mileage masterpiece” officially gets 41 mpg highway—a mark matched among non-hybrids only by the two-seat Smart. On a recent test drive, it did even better, averaging 48 mpg. Who knew “driving a steady 60 mph could be so gratifying?”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This is the first “hyper-clean” European diesel to be certified in all 50 states. No smoke, no smell, no “exotic post-combustion exhaust treatments.” The styling of the car is much less advanced—“nonprovocative right down to its brake shoes.” While the TDI may have “the erotic appeal of a chilly bedpan,” cars don’t come much greener.
Car and Driver
This four-door, front-wheel-drive diesel doesn’t advertise its greenness. The 140-hp engine sprints to 60 in 8.1 seconds, and “massive torque” makes passing relatively easy. In recognition
of the TDI’s advanced technology, the feds are even “offering a $1,300 income-tax credit.”
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Google: A monopoly past its prime?Feature Google’s antitrust case ends with a slap on the wrist as courts struggle to keep up with the tech industry’s rapid changes
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacyFeature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
