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Ditching Your SUV? Top Fuel Efficient AWD Cars and CUVs for Winter
By : Sheryll Alexander
Date : 10/10/2009

Lots of Americans are ditching their gas-guzzling SUVs for fuel-efficient all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles. More and more, less expensive and super fuel efficient cars now come with either standard AWD or an AWD option.

For winter driving, AWD vehicles generally give you better safety and handling. Plus, the advancement of electronic stability control (ESC) and traction control has brought even more performance safety technology to entry-level and mid-priced cars.

Unfortunately, you usually sacrifice cargo room and seating space when ditching your SUV. So, you may want to consider a five-door hatchback or a fuel-efficient mid-sized CUV. For example, the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse comes with an AWD option, seats up to eight persons, has versatile cargo capacity with flat folding seats and good fuel efficiency (23 mpg hwy, 16 mpg city).

How does AWD work and do you need it? With AWD technology, all four wheels receive torque from the engine simultaneously, allowing each tire to rotate at different speeds. Independent tire rotation improves a vehicle’s overall handling and stability, making it useful in rain, snow and dry pavement. All of the extra equipment needed for AWD makes the vehicle heavier; therefore, AWD vehicles usually have less fuel efficiency.

Remember, AWD is not 4WD. Four-wheel drive is usually found on trucks and SUVs that are made to go off road. AWD is mostly found on compact cars, sedans, CUVs and SUVs and it is not advised to take AWD vehicles out on unpaved roads, in mud or in deep snow.

Something else to remember is that AWD systems are also not always in full AWD mode. In fact, AWD vehicles drive most of the time just as any front-wheel-drive car. With advanced AWD technology, however, engine power automatically goes to the rear wheels when the front wheels begin to slip.

Thinking about getting electronic stability control (ESC) along with AWD technology? You should seriously consider it!

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates ESC will reduce crashes by as much as 34% (59% for SUVs with a great reduction in rollovers). The NHTSA estimates ESC technology will save between 5,000-9,000 lives and prevent around 200,000 injuries (once all light vehicles on the road are equipped with ESC) each year. (Note: Federal law now mandates ESC on all vehicles by the 2011 model year.)

So, which car company makes the best AWD cars? Subaru is known for putting its advanced AWD system on every single Subaru model. In fact, AWD has been a feature on all American-made Subaru vehicles since 1996. For 2010, Subaru has been garnering much critical acclaim for its lineup of super functional vehicles such as the newly-designed Outback and Legacy models.

The least expensive AWD vehicle in the U.S. car market today is the five-seat hatchback Suzuki SX4 Crossover. Priced at around $16,000, the Suzuki SX4 Crossover comes standard with a three-mode AWD system. I have road tested several Suzuki SX4 models and I’ve fallen love with this versatile hatchback for its overall versatility, excellent performance, standard Garmin navigation system and all-weather AWD technology.

What does this mean? The drive can choose between 2WD, 4WD Lock or 4WD Auto. In 4WD lock mode, the differentials lock together for low gear driving in snow, ice, sand and mud. The 4WD Auto mode is more versatile, allowing the driver to push power to all four wheels for extra safety and performance.

So, are you asking way too much for an AWD hatchback, sport wagon or SUV with GREAT (not just above average) fuel efficiency? Nope. For 2010, more and more of versatile vehicles come with all-weather AWD technology and fuel efficient engines. Plus, hatchbacks, sport wagons and CUVs give you that all-around versatility in a vehicle.

Unfortunately, most hatchbacks and sport wagons -- unless they are from luxury brands -- do not come with an AWD option. Here’s a list of top hatchbacks and sport wagons that come with standard or optional AWD:

These top CUVs get at least 28 mpg highway and come with standard or optional AWD:

Ready to drive your brand-new AWD vehicle this winter and save money at the pump too? Go for it, America!

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif. Follow me! @sheryllalexande

New Wagon-Killing Crossovers On the Horizon From BMW and Honda
By : Benjamin Hunting
Date : 07/08/2009

Fans of station wagons around the world appear to have a new enemy: a brand new class of automobile that blends the traditional definition of a wagon with the sharply-tapered roofline of a hatchback. Two vehicles in particular are set to hit the North American market which feature this unique styling, targeting different buyers but ultimately employing the same type of design and functionality.

On the high end of the scale is the 2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo (pictured). Stylistically, the vehicle is meant to evoke the presence of the standard 5 Series mid-size sedan while offering the same kind of downward-swept rear hatch found on the controversial BMW X6. The company appears to have taken a similar route as that originally mapped out by Volvo and Subaru when creating a crossover vehicle – that is to say, keeping away from any truck-like pretensions while still offering increased cargo space and a unique outward appearance. BMW claims that the Gran Turismo offers rear headroom equivalent to the X5 and leg room matching the 7-Series while still using the 5-Series platform. The rear seats can be folded down to provide a startling 59.5 cubic feet of cargo space, with a maximum of 20.7 cubic feet available with the seats fully upright. Engine choices and drivetrains will mimic those currently found in the 5 Series sedan.

At the other end of the market, Honda has created a very similar – although smaller – vehicle out of its popular Accord sedan. Dubbed the Accord Crosstour, the crossover takes roofline reshaping to a new extreme on its way to creating an unusually sporty-looking version of the four-door sedan it is based on. A rear glass roof section lets extra light in on second row occupants, and high tail lights and a large rear hatch dominate the new sheet metal at the back. The Crosstour is also slated to make its debut as a 2010 model, and it will ostensibly share the same platform and interior options available with its sister sedan.

While Honda has not manufactured a mid-size wagon for many years, having abandoned that area of the Japanese market largely to Subaru, BMW does have a strong tradition of building wagons based on 5-Series architecture. With so many similarities between the demographics associated with wagon and crossover buyers, it is hard to imagine that the current 5-Series wagon would survive should the Gran Turismo achieve sales success. Even more worrisome is the fact that BMW is considering producing a 3 Series Gran Turismo as well, which would seal the fate of the only remaining wagon in the BMW lineup.

It might seem as though BMW is about to drop out of the European wagon wars, leaving sporty family car shoppers to choose between Audi, Volvo or Mercedes-Benz. However, the Bavarian automaker would be best to not count their chickens before they are hatched. The backlash against the X6, which is stylistically very similar to the Gran Turismo indicates that the car company’s customer base is not always willing to swallow radical change – especially if it renders obsolete one of its oldest products.

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