Fuel efficiency is at the forefront of every new car-buyer’s mind. No one wants to spend $30,000 and find themselves throwing money away at the gas pump, so we’ve compiled a list of the cheapest vehicles that get 40 miles per gallon (combined) in order from most expensive to least expensive.

While great advancements have been made in internal combustion engine technology over the past few years it still comes as little surprise that every car on this list is a hybrid. For those looking for cars that get 40 mpg on the highway alone, keep an eye open for our top-10 next week! And before the comments start rolling in, the $32,000 Prius PHEV Plug-in seen above, did not make our list, due to its limited availability. For fans of the plug-in Prius, check out our latest review.

Lexus’ new IS sport sedan will be available as a coupe variant and is planned for 2014 according to a recent report. 

The three-door coupe will follow styling cues seen in the LF-CC concept (above) and predictably will follow the new IS. British outlet WhatCar? published the report without citing any sources and also suggested that the brand is considering a new version of the IS-F range topping sports car.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Lexus IS 250 review

Just like the current version, it would use a V8 rather than the 2.5- and 3.5-liter V6 engines found in the IS 250 and IS 350 respectively.

A Lexus spokesperson was unavailable to comment on the report.

[Source: WhatCar?]

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The F Sport variant for the Lexus IS is the Japanese automaker’s way of making the luxury sedan even sportier. So what happens when Toyota Racing Development (TRD) gets its hands on the already amped up car?

The TRD Lexus IS F Sport is probably what the F Sport model should be from the factory. Accenting the already more aggressive body lines, TRD outfits the IS F Sport with subtle front bumper accents, new side skirts, and a rear diffuser to house a dual exhaust in the bumper. 19-inch wheels sporting 15 spokes might not be for everyone, but some would argue they’re more attractive than the factory F Sport offerings.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Lexus IS 250 Review

Engine performance is unchanged, but suspension can be enhanced with a set of sport springs and dampers that not only lowers the sedan but improves handling thanks to stiffer spring rates. The TRD parts are currently only available in Japan and they’re not cheap with the entire list of TRD’s offerings for the IS F-Sport tallying over $12,000, though everything is available a la carte.

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Even after concerns about the Toyota FJ Cruisers blinding headlights, Toyota is pushing NHTSA to relax its stance about its high beam headlights.

While the FJ Cruiser’s blinding lights issues is being worked out, the Japanese automaker is referring to its  new automatic high beam headlight technology, which is currently banned for use in the US. The system allows automatic control of the high beam headlights, and even uses a shade to prevent blinding pedestrians and on-coming traffic. This is possible thanks to a camera and sensor which can detect traffic and pedestrians.

Currently Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus have sold 16,000 vehicles in Japan and Europe with this technology, and is unable to bring the potentially life-saving feature to the US market.

SEE ALSO: Toyota FJ Cruiser Recalled for Blinding Lights

Other automakers including Audi and Mercedes-Benz are also looking into automatic high-beam technology, but still face similar hurdles.

NHTSA issued a statement in response to the petition, claiming, that it will assess the regulations.

“The agency continues to look at ways in which the federal lighting standard can provide even better illumination for drivers,” NHTSA’s statement said. The regulation was last updated in 1999, and automakers claim that it is preventing change which can help improve driver and pedestrian safety.

According to Automotive News about 2,334 people die in the US due to dark road conditions. Toyota estimates that with its new technology it can help save at least 9 of those killed. A low percentage yes, but better than nothing.

Source: Automotive News

Lexus has finalized the decision to build a new model in Japan starting late next year, but hasn’t confirmed what the nameplate will be.

A production shift will be made to make the new model possible, which will see 50,000 Lexus ES 350s being built in the automaker’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant in 2015. The factory in Kyushu, Japan that currently handles ES production will continue to build the ES 350, ES 250, and ES 300h hybrid in order to satisfy U.S. and global demand. But to make up for the 50,000 volume being shifted over to the Kentucky plant, the new nameplate will be built at the Kyushu plant.

SEE ALSO: Lexus LF-LC Concept Heading for Production

As for what the vehicle will be, no confirmation was given by the Japanese automaker, but Lexus International Executive Vice President Mark Templin did hint at what we will be seeing in the near future. Templin had comments on both a sports coupe and a crossover, saying that both vehicles are in a market that Lexus is lacking right now. Toyota Motor President Akio Toyoda echoed that, saying Lexus needs something “more exciting,” and “more exhilarating.”

Given the recent success of the Scion FR-S, and all the recent reports that the LF-LC concept was heading to production, it’s likely that the new nameplate will be a sports coupe. Even Templin agrees that the current RX “covers its own segment, it covers a smaller segment, and it covers a larger segment.”

That means Lexus risks cannibalizing sales if it builds a new crossover. A sports coupe on the other hand, would reach out to a younger market for the brand, and right now the most exciting coupe offering Lexus has is the IS coupe.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Each week, we recap the most popular videos from AutoGuide‘s YouTube channel just in case all seven days passed you by and you missed out.

2013 Porsche Cayenne Review

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2013 Mazda2 vs Mazda2 B-Spec Race Car

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2014 Lexus IS Review

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Hybrid technology is improving at an impressive rate and is continuing to find its way into more and more vehicles.

A significant number of new and exciting hybrids are coming to market this year and early next. No, these aren’t all Prius wannabes. There are some interesting cars on the way, like the ultra efficient VW XL1 seen above. Check out some of these hybrid luxury sedans, rugged crossovers and even a pair of supercars.

If you’re not yet convinced to hop on the hybrid bandwagon, this should help. And if you already are, but haven’t found the right gas-electric vehicle for you, perhaps it’s coming soon to a dealership near you.

Lexus just announced the price for its third-generation IS sport sedan, which will start at $36,845 including delivery.

That price applies to the base rear-wheel drive IS 250 equipped with the 2.5-liter V6. As you might remember from AutoGuide’s review, Lexus left the same engines under the hood as its previous generation. That, of course, means a 2.5- and 3.5-liter V6 making 204 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque for the smaller and 306 hp and 277 lb-ft for the more potent version.

Opting for that car will cost $40,360, which is actually 2.1 percent cheaper than the previous IS 350 model. Once again, that price applies to the base rear-wheel drive version, although customers will likely want to upgrade to the F-Sport package with that car.

Doing so will cost $3,620, but of the available option packages – four in total – this is likely the most valuable. That’s because it does more than offer special cabin materials, wheels and a meaner front fascia. Customers also get the same eight-speed automatic transmission used in the much heartier IS-F — although the 350 F-Sport rear-wheel drive is the only version offered with that equipment.

2014 Lexus IS Review

Lexus didn’t announce pricing earlier this year when it invited members of the media out to drive the car during an even that involved both street and track testing.

If the fancier transmission isn’t a meaningful option to you, there’s always the more weather-capable IS 350 with all-wheel drive. It starts at $42,595, but equipping it with the “luxury” package will bring that number to $45,820.

Lexus said it added $1,400 worth of equipment to the car this year that cost extra last year. Standard features for this year include HID headlights, dual-zone climate control, a color 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display and more. Also of note, Lexus is offering subscription-free traffic updates with the 2014 IS through HD radio.

It’s also worth noting that upgrading to the F-Sport package (available on every version of the car, starting at $2,675) gives you the LFA-inspired gauge cluster that slides over, revealing a larger TFT display.

Available extra cost options include navigation for just over $2,000, or $3,225 for navigation with and upgraded sound system. Surprisingly, a backup monitor isn’t standard and costs $350.

Aside from navigation and an improved stereo, there aren’t many options listed. But there is one item worth checking off: the variable gear ratio steering (VGRS), which only costs $400 and will make the car feel more luxurious and sporty by being able to stiffen how the wheel feels in your hands.

Lexus hasn’t announced a specific date for the new IS to reach dealers, but reaffirmed today that it will begin delivery this summer.

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Lexus began production of its third-generation IS sport sedan today at its Tahara, Japan, plant.

An official on-sale date for the U.S. is still unannounced and Lexus spokesman Bill Kwong said the earliest to expect the announcement will be next week. Delivery for Europe is expected between June and July, and North American delivery is likely to happen around the same time.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Lexus IS Review

Despite moving into a new generation, Lexus did not update the IS engine options, instead keeping the same 2.5- and 3.5-liter V6 powerplants.

Despite that, the IS350 F-Sport with rear-wheel drive comes mated to the same eight-speed transmission as the IS-F. Lexus did not have pricing details for the car during its press preview.

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At the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show, Lexus expanded its GS lineup with the addition of a 300h model.

The GS 300h will target fleet and business customers, powered by a 2.5-liter gasoline engine paired with an electric motor. It’s the same hybrid setup found in the IS 300h which has a total system output of 220 hp.

SEE ALSO: Lexus IS 300h Unveiled with 220 HP, Not For Sale in US

Like the IS 300h, the GS 300h won’t be making its way to American anytime soon, but will be sold in all other global markets including China, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

New full-LED foglights will be offered with the GS 300h along with a redesigned, full-color heads-up display.

A similar engine is equipped in the ES300h (which is sold in North America) where it makes 200 hp and a combined 40 mpg.

There’s likely more to Lexus’ plan to shift production of the ES sedan to Kentucky than saving money — a major new model is likely on the way from Japan.

Lexus’ officially confirmed its plan today to move production to Georgetown, Ky. — likely due to the $146.5 million in tax breaks the state offered. But there could be something much bigger moving beneath the water. According to The Detroit Bureau, the brand’s choice to send the ES to U.S. production is also to make room at the Kyushu plant for a major new model likely to be a compact crossover slotted below the RX.

That would especially make sense given the luxury segments shifting trend toward smaller, car-based products. Mercedes just unveiled a concept version of its compact GLA crossover yesterday that will compete with the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

SEE ALSO: Toyota Unveils New Framework for Vehicle Development

 “We’re always looking at the luxury business which will change over time,” Toyota North American CEO Jim Lentz told The Detroit Bureau.  “The consumption of luxury and what it means to Boomers may be very different for Gen-Y.  We need to prepare ourselves for what younger luxury buyers will want.”

German brands with products already pushing in that direction have the brand portfolio to support offering those models. Mercedes, BMW and Audi are also taking advantage of modular platforms with flexibility that, in theory, should reduce production costs. Those platforms are new to the market and could come with their own set of problems, but for now it can pose a problem for Toyota.

“We have to rationalize our line-up.  We can’t just add more and more and more,” Lentz said.

Last year the maker unveiled its Toyota New Global Architecture modular platform, but where German brands are already bringing products to market based similarly-minded platforms, Lexus vehicles are still based on a network of underpinnings.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

A sign of just how mainstream hybrid vehicles have become, Toyota today announced it has sold five million of the gasoline-electric machines, with 40 percent of those sales in the US.

Since the first Prius went on sale in July of 2000, Toyota has sold 1,951,243 hybrid models in America. Establishing itself as a leader in hybrid tech, consumers have responded, with 70 percent of all U.S. auto industry hybrid sales being Toyota and Lexus products.

In total, Toyota and Lexus hybrid models account for 16 percent of brand sales with 19 different hybrid and plug-in hybrid models sold in 80 countries around the world. Twelve of those are available in the US, including the Prius, Prius v, Prius c, Prius Plug-in, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, Lexus CT 200h, ES 300h, GS 450h, LS 600h and RX 450h.

Toyota claims its hybrid technology has resulted in 34 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions, while saving 3 billion gallons of gasoline.

“With more than 50 hybrid vehicle models from various manufacturers available in the U.S. today, hybrids on the road are saving nearly 500 million gallons of petroleum annually in this country,” said Tony Markel, senior engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Toyota’s commitment to hybrid technology will continue with plans to introduce a total of 18 new hybrid models by 2015, targeting global sales of 1 million hybrids annually at that time. Roughly one third of those sales are expected to be in the US.

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