Top Five Wagons for 2009

Forget the minivan. Forget the SUV. The newest great drive is the old-fashioned family wagon, updated with modern styling, plenty of power under the hood, plenty of room for the kids and the dog, plus excellent handling and state-of-the-art safety features.

The 2009 models are arriving in showrooms now. Here are the five top wagons, as chosen by the editors at NADAguides.com, the vehicle pricing and information website.

1. 2009 Mazda MAZDASPEED3 GT
The top wagon pick is for its fun and sporty styling, spacious interior -- enough to haul friends, family, groceries and golf clubs in one shot -- and a racy turbocharged inline 4-cyl that generates 263 hp under the hood. The MAZDASPEED3 GT -- pictured here -- easily jumps off the line as hip and practical. And, it's a best buy at under $25K competition.

2. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 2.0L TDI
If you're looking for a new station wagon that will run forever and gets great gas mileage, this is the model for you. The TDI in the name indicates it's a diesel. This one gets impressive EPA estimates in the 29 City/40 Highway range). And the SportWagen name tells you this model will give you traditional German performance and handling. NADAguides.com also was impressed with its top-notch interior, and its sub-$25K price tag, which only seals the deal.

3. 2009 Saab 9-3 Aero AWD Wagon
When they say engineered from jets, they mean it. The 2009 Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi Wagon has a 280 hp 2.0L turbocharged V6 and optional AWD. In this category, people might opt for a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes badge, but they'd be missing out on something special, according to NADAguides.com, which calls this a great looking wagon with a laundry list of standard equipment.

4. 2009 BMW 5-Series Sport Wagon 535xi
Handling and performance make it hard to believe this eager Beemer is a wagon, but it is and, according to the editors at NADAguides.com, "every bit what a BMW should be." The AWD-equipped, 300 hp-enabled, twin turbo-charged inline 6-cylinder-powered luxury car offers more than 58 cubic feet of space when the back seats are folded -- larger than some mid-sized SUVs.

5. 2009 Mercedes-Benz E Class 6.3L AMG Wagon
Rounding out the top five is this wagon, priced at $86,000 plus, thanks to its AMG heritage. Steep, for sure, but what you get is thrill-a-minute driving performance with beautiful styling thrown in. A sports wagon, for sure, with a 507 hp 6.3L V8 that generates 465 lb-ft of torque, as well as a 7 paddle-shifted automatic transmission, a sport suspension for improved handling and optional seating for seven. Make sure they are all buckled in, and then floor it.

Ford Ka Stars in Latest James Bond Movie

007 is more famous for driving -- and wrecking -- luxury cars like the Aston-Martin than he is for squeezing his hunky frame into a sub-compact. We'll have to wait for the latest James Bond adventure epic, "Quantum of Solace" to see his relationship with the tiny Ford Ka, a model popular in Europe and Latin America, but not sold in the United States.

Ford's cheeky little Ka makes its screen debut alongside the film's beautiful but feisty leading lady, Olga Kurylenko, who plays Camille, a woman with her own personal mission and who quickly becomes an unlikely ally for Bond.

The movie star Ka is unique with metallic gold paint and an exclusive exterior graphics and interior trim combination. Ford of Europe's Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Odell describes it as the "perfect match for the character of Camille - adventurous, individual and thoroughly modern." A proper gentleman, he does not describe any of Camille's features as sub-compact.

This is not the first Ford to star in a James Bond movie. The Ford Mondeo appeared in the 2006 blockbuster, 'Casino Royale', which introduced blue-eyed Daniel Craig as the latest in a long line of actors portraying Mr. Stirred-Not-Shaken.

'Quantum of Solace' opens in the UK and France on October 31st, then elsewhere November 7th.

Hydrogen Cars Drive Across USA

It's called Hydrogen Road Tour '08. A fleet of these alternative fuel vehicles, a combination of concept cars and production models from several manufacturers, are driving from Portland, Maine to Los Angeles to prove that hydrogen powered cars are an important part of the future.

The 4,000 mile, coast-to-coast tour is taking twelve days, and includes more than 30 stops, finishing in Santa Monica on Saturday, August 23. Perhaps the most important of these stops is in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, the Senators and Congressmen who should see and be impressed with these vehicles that use no gasoline whatsoever -- those legislators won't be there. They are all on vacation with their families, or busy raising money for their re-election campaigns.

The hydrogen road rally is a partnership of the U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation, the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the National Hydrogen Association and a group of seven automobile manufacturers and hydrogen fuel providers.

Vehicles included models running on hydrogen fuel cells only, hydrogen-electric hybrids, and BMW's liquid hydrogen and gas bi-fuel model, a combo of sedans and SUVs. The collection also includes a combo of gas-powered production models retro-fitted to hydrogen, and prototypes designed from the ground up to be non-gasoline powered. BTW -- the initials FCEV mean it's a fuel cell/ elecrtic. From these manufacturers --

• BMW 7 Series Hydrogen
• Mercedes-Benz F-Cell
• Chevrolet Equinox
• Honda FCX Clarity
• Hyundai Tucson FCEV
• Kia Sportage EX FCEV
• Volkswagen Hy-Motion Tiguan FCEV
• Nissan X-Trail FCV

BMW is the only manufacturer with a hydrogen-powered luxury sedan that is already in production and available to consumers. It's the spectacular 7 Series Hydrogen, which switches seamlessly between hydrogen power and regular gasoline at the flip of a switch. I test drove it recently, and it performs equally well either way. Some 100 of these vehicles are being tested in Europe and the US by regular consumers and what the marketing industry calls 'opinion leaders'.

Honda's FCX Clarity sedan also is being road-tested by a combination of ordinary consumers and opinion leaders including celebrity and environmentalist Jamie Lee Curtis.

Volkswagen is participating with its concept HyMotion Tiguan, and will be providing daily updates and photos from the historic trip on a dedicated VW Hydrogen Tour website. Take a look. You can be sure I will be checking in periodically.

Hydrogen is not the entire answer to reducing dependency on foreign oil, but it certainly is part of the answer, along with hybrids, plug-in hybrids and compressed natural gas, or CNG.

Hybrid Cars at Beijing Olympics

We've been hearing a lot about the air pollution in Beijing -- bad enough that some Olympic athletes are worried it will affect their performances. So, it is great news that Olympic officials will drive green, hybrid cars during the two-week event.

If you think these hybrid vehicles are from China's next door neighbor, Japan -- the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, or Nissan Altima Hybrid -- you would be wrong. The hybrid technology for these green cars is from Ricardo, an engineering company based in Detroit. The actual powertrain and other technology for these hybrids are being manufactured at Ricardo's factory in England.

The hybrid motors and drive trains are being installed in 50 A5 sedans made by China's own Chery Automotibile Company Ltd. They are being called "Olympics Green Messengers," and are some of China's very first hybrid vehicles. The hybrids will go into full production in China in the months following the Olympic games, all the hope is that the fuel-efficient, eco-friendly Chery A5 Hybrid will become widely and wildly popular in China, just as the Prius has become in the USA.

The first Chinese hybrids are linked to a 1.6 liter gasoline engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. The next model will be a more comprehensive mild hybrid, with a smaller gas engine matched with a larger 151-volt electric motor.

This is just one more example of how necessity is the mother of invention. Here's hoping Ricardo will help auto manufacturers in other countries to speed development of great hybrid drives. Let's consider some possibilities --

India's Tata. Korea's Hyundai. France's Peugeot and Citroen. Italy's Fiat. Spain's Seat. Czech Republic's Skoda.

Top Ten Green Cars of 2008

Who is the greenest of them all? Toyota Prius? Honda Civic Hybrid? Smart for Two? Those are the top three great green drives for 2008 according to Kelley Blue Book, also known as KBB.

The ratings are based on lots more than just fuel efficiency, though. Also comfort, and an important thing called performance, which includes how much oomph they have to keep up with traffic on a steep incline, or corner without feeling like you'll tilt over. And price -- the Honda Fit, pictured here, is just $15,000.

But there are lots more eco-friendly, fuel efficient cars in the great green drives garage. And while the list is dominated by hybrids, there's also a couple of small gas-powered cars, and even one diesel, the new super-clean Mercedes-Benz BLUETEC. Drum roll please --

• Nissan Altima Hybrid - 34 mpg (35 city, 33 highway)


• Mini Cooper - 32 mpg (28 city, 37 highway)


• Ford Escape Hybrid - 32 mpg (34 city, 30 highway)


• Honda Fit - 31 mpg (28 city, 34 highway)


• Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC - 26 mpg (23 city/32 hwy)


• Toyota Highlander Hybrid - 26 mpg (27 city, 25 highway)


• Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid - 21 mpg (21 city, 22 highway)

This list includes a little of everything when it comes to type -- sedans, SUVs and hatchbacks -- certainly something for everybody in this list of great green drives.

Drive Honda's New Fuel Cell FCX Clarity

A Los Angeles couple has become the first to lease a next-generation Honda hydrogen/fuel cell sedan, the FCX Clarity. It is Honda's answer to the Toyota Prius, not to mention that it may be the answer to the question all of us have had lately to alternative -- and green -- fuel-efficient great cars to drive as fuel prices have skyrocketed.

Honda is leasing 200 of these vehicles to customers around the country, although most of them will be in Southern California, plus so-called 'opinion leaders', such as celebrities who can generate headlines and U.S. Congressmen who can generate favorable legislation. It's the same marketing tactic BMW is using for its bi-fuel Series 7 Hydrogen sedan, which switches from gas to hydrogen at the flip of a switch.

I test drove an earlier version of a Honda fuel cell vehicle, a small SUV version. It handled exactly like its conventional gas-powered sibling, except for a thundering silence that takes about one nanosecond to get used to. I also test drove the BMW hydrogen vehicle, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and was impressed at how its acceleration and handling were identical whether it was operating on gasoline mode or hydrogen mode. I have also tested the General Motors Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell prototype. Ditto. Great acceleration, great handling.

The Honda FCX Clarity is propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in the fuel cell. The only emission is water, and its fuel efficiency is three times that of a modern gasoline-powered automobile -- the equivalent of 74 mpg, and has a range of 280 miles before needing a hydrogen fill.

Hydrogen fuel-cell powered cars are not the answer. Neither are hybrids like the popular Prius, or plug-in electrics such as the GM Volt that's in the pipeline. But, most definitely, each and every type is a part of the answer.

Volkswagen Announces New Factory in USA

Poor sales are driving General Motors to slow down production and park many of its employees on the unemployment line. GM has some great drives, including the award-winning Cadillac CTS and the icon Chevy Corvette, plus fuel efficient green drives such as the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid. But, apparently, that's not enough.

The bad news from GM is at the same time that Volkswagen sales are booming enough that the company announced this week it will spend $1 Billion to build its first U.S. production facility, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The new assembly line is part of VW's plan to triple sales in North America in the next ten years.

Prof. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen AG, said the company hopes to sell 800,000 Volkswagens in the U.S. by 2018. Many of those will be the iconic Beetle, and the Beetle convertible, pictured here. The new factory will be able to produce 150,000 vehicles a year, including a brand new midsize sedan designed specifically for the North American market. Production is scheduled to begin early in 2011.

The new assembly line will add 2,000 jobs to the Chattanooga area -- perhaps some of them will be workers who move to VW from General Motors. And, maybe some of those about-to-be unemployed GM workers will head for the assembly line Toyota just announced it is building in the US -- its third US factory. See my article about that just below this one.

Toyota Will Build Prius in USA

The most popular cars right now are great drives that are also the most fuel efficient, such as the top-rated Prius, which is so popular that Toyota cannot keep up with demand.

So the company will start building the Prius in the U.S. beginning in 2010, at a brand new factory now under construction in Blue Springs, Mississippi.

A Prius with a Southern accent! Fabulous.

Toyota, by the way, was the first foreign automaker to build a factory in the United States. That was more than 20 years ago. Now, the company has multiple factories and parts plants in the US and more in Canada. It's an investment worth more than $21 Billion, and employs more than 43,000 workers on the assembly line, as well as research and development, design, sales and financial services.

The Camry Hybrid already is built in the US, in Kentucky. Toyota also is switching its plant in Princeton, Indiana, from producing the full-size Tundra pick-up to produce the Highlander mid-size SUV instead. The Tudra will continue to be built at the Toyota factory in San Antonio. The engines for the Tundra and the super-size Sequoia SUV are made in Huntsville, Alabama, and although Toyota is stopping production on those large, gas guzzler models -- until sales pick up again -- the company says those workers will "continue to be provided work", whatever that means.

It's sad and ironic that as Detroit automakers GM, Ford and Chrysler scale back production of vehicles, more Toyota is increasing the number of its vehicles Made in America.

Top Tips to Save Gas

The relentless rise of gas prices has us all a bit crazy right now, especially at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, when we would rather be taking a holiday from panic at the pump.

Here are some ways you can increase the fuel efficiency of Old Breakdown and squeeze more miles out of every high-priced gallon --

Check your tires -- Experts estimate that U.S. drivers waste nearly 3 Billion gallons of gas each year by driving on tires that are not inflated properly. If yours are under-inflated by 5-8 PSI, you are losing a couple of miles per gallon. Depending on how much you drive, that can add up to wasting enough gas this year to pay for a week's worth of groceries to feed your family. Always check your tires when they are cold, since driving even a short distance to the gas station can change the reading.

Slow down -- According to the Department of Energy, for every 5 mph over 55 mph you drive, is costing you 20 cents a gallon. Driving at 55 instead of 65 or 75 mph also reduces emissions. Not to mention reducing traffic deaths. At 55mph, a vehicle travels the length of a football field in just four seconds. It's less than 2 seconds at 75 mph. Wouldn't you rather have an extra couple of seconds to react to an emergency?

Step on the brake and gas gently -- Jack-rabbit starts and slam-dunk stops waste gas, so be more gentle with that gas pedal. div>

Lighten the load -- Get the junk out of the trunk. Every extra pound you carry around reduces how many miles you can squeeze out of that lemon you used to love.

Bargain Buys on Gas Guzzlers

Gas prices hitting new records every day. Filling up the tank of a great big, gas guzzler SUV or pick-up truck feels like it is costing your entire week's paycheck to drive to the supermarket, where simillarly rising prices eat up another week's paycheck.

It's even a problem for Toyota, which is offering bargain interest rates on certified used Tundra trucks and Sequoia SUVs.

Certified pre-owned anything is a great deal. I'm a great believer in CPO vehicles. These are leased cars and trucks, and the conditions of the lease mean they are in better condition, and with lower mileage after two or three years. They come with new-car manufacturer and dealer warranties, even some brands even include 24/7 roadside assistance. Much more reliable than a 'plain vanilla' WYSIWYG used car.

Toyota is offering a low 2.9% interest rate for up to 66 months. That can save you $50-$60 a month in interest payments -- or the price of filling up the thirsty tank one time. "We're excited to offer this special program for our customers and dealers alike," said Norm Olson, sales operations manager of Toyota Certified Used Vehicles.

He's probably excited that maybe -- just maybe -- there's a sucker out there who thinks $4 gasoline is a good time to buy a 6500 pound hulk that gets 14/17 mpg according to the EPA, even less by the automotive website Edmunds.com. Let's do the math.

$60 a month interest saved, monster Sequoia that gets around 15 MPG, gas $4-plus. Wow, thank you Toyota, for giving me the gift of around 200 miles a month for this great drive. That makes all the difference.

Give me 2.9APR on one of your fuel efficient CPO models, like the Camry or even the RAV4 small SUV, and I'll run, not walk, to the nearest Toyota showroom. Or, maybe I would even drive.

Honda and NBC's Last Comic Standing

Honda is introducing its 2009 Pilot in TV commercials that have comics doing 30-second stand-up routines while sitting down, in the passenger seat.

The commercials appear on segments of "Last Comic Standing" for the last few shows of the season, through the end of May. the NBC show allows viewers to vote for their favorite comic.

Comedians who are not in the show do their shticks while one of the show's hosts drives and cameras roll.

Will viewers think the funny commercials are enough to overlook gas prices that can make you cry, not laugh, and buy the 2009 Honda Pilot?

The current 2008 Honda Pilot is rated at 15-16 MPG city and 20-22 MPH highway. That is not a great drive -- that is a great gas guzzler.

Save Gas and Money With Your Tires

The wrong pressure in your tires could be costing you as much as $800 a year in wasted gas. For great drives and fuel efficiency, adjust your tires properly.

There are some 250 million vehicles on the road in the United States. How much money and gas do you think we could save if everybody's tires were inflated properly?

$23 billion and 3.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions could be saved -- not to mention millions of gallons of high-priced gas -- if all our tires were properly inflated.

So forgive the really bad pun -- but -- the only good inflation is proper tire inflation.

Tire pressure changes one pound for every 10 degree change in outside temperature, so warmer spring temperatures mean it is an ideal time to check tire pressure.

Always check pressure when the tires are cold, since driving even a couple of miles to the gas station can provide a false reading.

• Under-inflation generally provides a smoother ride, but it also causes tires to wear out at the sides, and it wastes gas because tires need more power to push the vehicle.


• Higher pressure generally results in improved steering response and fuel economy, but a stiffer ride, and it wears out the tread in the center.

Even the experts get it wrong. Top automotive website Edmunds.com tested vehicles driven by 212 of their employees and found a bunch substiantially under-inflated and wasting gas.

Edmunds.com (full disclosure here -- I write for them occasionally) discovered they would save nearly 6,000 gallons of gas a year and about $20,000 of their boss' money, by keeping tires properly inflated.

So go check your tires. It could make your great drive more fuel efficient.

10th Anniversary of VW New Beetle

The VW Beetle is one of the world's most famous, most regognizable vehicles, truly one of the great drives of all time. In 2008, it is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its return.

Cute as a bug, fuel efficient, fun to drive. No wonder the Beetle is a hit with buyers in all age, income, and other demographic groups.

Since being re-launched in 1998, the VW Beetle has sold more than 1,000,000 models -- about half of them in the United States. And many of those are the Beetle convertible, ditto cute and fuel efficient and fun to drive.

Many of those buyers customize The Bug -- as it's also known -- with fancy paint jobs and other modifications. Spoiler, anybody?

Although it uses design cues from its classic predecessor, the Beetle is new, inside and out, with a water-cooled engine, modern safety features, and creature comforts including an iPod jack for the audio system. And, of course, the famous flower power vase.

The American division of Volkswagen is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. The parent company is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, about one hour from Berlin.

Volkswagen also sells Rabbit, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat sedan and wagon, Eos, Touareg SUV and the new Routan in North America. But not its super luxury sedan, the Phaeton (think Audi A8), which is sold in Europe and the Middle East.

Renting a Car in Europe

There are some great drives in Europe -- both scenic destinations and wonderful country roads, and some models not available in North America, like the Peugeot.

Renting a car in Europe is expensive -- rates are lowest in Ireland, where it is possible to get a vehicle for under $20 a day. Rental rates for Florence and Rome are double that -- around $40 per day. And car rental rates in Munich and Frankfurt are in between, around $30 a day.

And for that you get a small car with a manual transmission, which can be dangerous for those of us who have been spoiled by automatic transmissions and clutchless sport shifts with names like TipTronic.

That includes me -- yes, even me, who writes about cars and test drives them, too. The thought of a driving a manual transmission in the crazy traffic of Rome or Paris or London fills me with visions of medical evacuation helicopter flights.

If you are staying in Europe for 17 days or longer, you can opt for a long term rental -- in effect, a shor-term lease -- from Auto Europe. You'll get a factory-new Peugeot 308 with fuel-efficient automatic transmission, for as little as $39 a day, based on a 45-day rental.

The deal includes a non-deductible fully comprehensive insurance, the ability to travel into most former Eastern block countries with no additional fees, and 24/7 roadside assistance, most of which cost extra with a 'regular' rental.

Vehicles can be picked up in cities including Amsterdam, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Frankfurt, Munich, Lisbon, London, Paris, Rome and Zurich.

According to the AAA, more of us this year than last year will be visiting Europe this summer. Read more about where we are travelling on my Green Travels website.

Best Cars Under $18,000

There are still great drives to be found for $18,000 or less, without skimping on creature comfort or safety features, sporty looking and fun to drive. And these affordable new cars are fuel efficient, too, saving you more money at the gas pump.

Cars like this are generally called 'entry level', for first-time buyers, or those who simply can't afford to spend more.

But these bargain-priced beauties are a great drive for anybody who wants features such as a navigation system, hard-drive music storage, voice-controlled iPod integration, Bluetooth phone connectivity, push-button start, leather seating.

All for $18,000 -- or less. So here are the top three cars for $18,000 or less -- according to Kelley Blue Book --

2008 Ford Focus
Definitely a cool car, with Ford's industry-leading SYNC music and phone integration system that allows you, for instance, to play any song in your digital library simply by saying its name. The popular Ford Focus is available as a sedan or a coupe.

• MSRP -- $15,280, KBB new car book value -- $14,942

2008 Honda Fit
With gas prices on the rise, small cars like the Honda Fit are gaining in popularity. The Fit sips gasoline and offers the sportiest driving experience available in an econo-car. Plus, the seats can be configured in multiple arrangements, so it can easily hold things like your friends, your gear or a medium-sized alpaca (according to a photo on Honda's Web site, anyway).

• MSRP - $14,585, KBB new car book value -- $14,585

2008 Jeep Patriot
This model has a classic look reminiscent of the departed Jeep Cherokee, plus a functional interior and a price tag under $18,000 price tag even if you upgrade to four-wheel drive. Combined with highway fuel economy up to 28 miles per gallon, the Patriot delivers a cool mix of SUV-like versatility and car-like efficiency for buyers on a budget.

• MSRP --$16,055, KBB new car book value -- $15,894

Great drives for $18,000 or less, and economy at the gas pump too.

Discount Gas for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Buyers

Buy a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge and you get a gas discount card that guarantees you pay just $2.99 a gallon for gas for three years.

A great drives deal? Not so fast.

Downside -- You have to buy your new vehicle by June 2, 2008.

Downside -- To get the $2.99 gas card, you have to give up other dealer incentives, like cash rebates.

Downside -- You have to register for the discount gas program, it takes 4-6 weeks to get the discount gas card, and you can fuel up only at eligible gas stations, and there's an annual limit to how much $2.99 gas you can buy.

What is the fill-up limit? Where are these participating stations? Chrysler isn't saying.

But before you drop everything and fall for the $2.99 deal, sit down and calculate how much money this could save you, and whether you'd be better off negotiating for other new car incentives.

Chrysler is calling its program "Let's Refuel America". These Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models are eligible for the discount gas program:

Small/Compact Car -- Dodge Caliber, Chrysler PT Cruiser

Mid-size Car -- Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring, Chrysler Sebring Convertible

Large Car -- Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum

Crossover --Dodge Journey

Minivan -- Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country

Compact and Mid-Size SUV -- Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass, Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty

Large SUV -- Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen

Pickup Truck -- Dodge Dakota, Dodge Ram, Dodge Ram HD.

These models are not eligible for the Let's Refuel America program:

All SRT models, Dodge Viper, Dodge Challenger (pictured), Dodge Ram Chassis Cab, Chrysler Crossfire, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Sprinter.

Who ever thought $2.99 gas would look like a great drives bargain.

Buy a 1950s Classic Car for Pennies

If you've ever wanted to own a classic 1950s Detroit Dream car, but couldn't afford one, and, besides, there's no room in the garage, you can thank the U.S. Postal Service for helping your great drives dream come true.

This fall, some 50 million Detroit classics will be arriving in the nation's 37,000 Post Office locations. Think of it -- an entire collection of Detroit classics, fins and chrome and memories, for just 42 cents each!

It's a stylish and nostalgic way to pay your bills, perhaps reconnect with friends from those days, when life was simpler and so were cars.

The Detroit classics were all great drives. The collection includes --

• '57 Chrysler 300C
• '57 Lincoln Premiere
• '57 Pontiac Safari,
• '57 Studebaker Golden Hawk
• '59 Cadillac Eldorado

The stamps feature paintings of the Dream Cars by automobile artist Art. M. Fitzpatrick. modeled after cars still on the road today.

It's the second group of America on the Move stamps. The first was issued in 2005 with Sporty Cars of the 50s, including a '52 Nash Healey, '53 Chevrolet Corvette, '53 Studebaker Starliner, '54 Kaiser Darrin and a '55 Ford Thunderbird.

The 1950s was the heyday of American automobile design. Fins, chrome, power, and the freedom of the open road. And gas cost maybe 20 cents a gallon.

Buyers Look for More Fuel Efficient Cars

The steep climb in gas prices is causing more new car buyers to look at fuel efficient cars including hybrids.

Average gas prices in the United States jumped from $2.97 to $3.27 in March 2008, and probably will go higher for the peak summer driving months. Gas prices always go up between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

So, it should be no surprise that the attitudes of new car shoppers are shifting.

And, it should be no surprise that sales of small, fuel efficient cars such as the Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Cobalt and Smart ForTwo (pictured) are up, up, up, at a time when sales of gas guzzlers are down, down down.

According to a recent Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research study, only 25 percent of new car buyers still have no intentions in changing their behaviors. According to my math, that means 75 percent of us are looking hard at the sticker shock at the gas pump.

Kelley Blue Book found that it is cost per gallon, rather than the environmental cost of vehicles that are not fuel efficient, which is driving buyers to consider smaller cars, hybrids and other fuel efficient alternative technologies.

That's too bad. Saving the green environment should rank right up there with saving the green dollars in your wallet.

Hybrid SUV Gets 150 Miles Per Gallon

The world's most fuel efficient car is a hybrid vehicle called the XH-150, for Extreme Hybrid 150 Miles Per Gallon wonder-car.

Does it come from Detroit? Stuttgart? Tokyo? Gothenburg, Sweden? No.

This revolutionary super-hybrid is from AFS Trinity Power Corporation , a company based just outside Seattle, a city better known for making airplanes. These guys are taking the technology learned from developing and testing battery systems for such high-tech groups as NASA, the U.S. Army and Navy, and also for Formula One racing, and adapting it for us.

The XH-150 is on its way to Washington, D.C. for Earth Day, where it will be parked on the Capital Mall in Washington, D.C. April 20. Maybe it will shame some of our Senators and Congressmen into legislating some teeth into getting us more fuel-efficient cars, instead of just blabbering about it.

In January, when it was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, CNN and others said the XH-150 could be the "car of the future".

Makes you wonder why Detroit, Stuttgart, Tokyo and Gothenburg haven't given us a 150MPH car yet.

Top Cities for Hybrid Cars

Which cities are the most popular for green, fuel efficient hybrid cars?

According to Cars.com, the top five are all on the West Coast -- San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Sacramento and San Diego.

Those are the cities in which at least 50% of car shoppers already have purchased -- or are considering buying -- a hybrid as their next car.

Cars.com did a market-by-market survey of fifty cities. So if the West Coast is the most green, which part of the USA is the least green? The South.

Houston, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Birmingham and Miami are the bottom five of green car cities -- numbers 46-50.

Shame on you Miami for being bottom of the green barrel! Surely you would move up a few notches if one of the car-makers introduces a hybrid convertible.

Actually, a Prius convertible would be a hot car!