A five minute test drive isn’t going to tell you much about a car. Likewise, a quick spin through a snow-covered slalom course isn’t going to reveal all the advantages (or disadvantages) of a winter tire.

Who is to say that luxury car buyers aren’t affected by high gas prices? If you want to drive in comfort, style, and have the latest high tech goodies in a car, you shouldn’t have to pay more at the pump for it. Here are our picks for the top 10 most fuel friendly luxury cars, ranked in order of their combined city/highway mpg numbers.

Updated November 2018

After the purchase of any new car, an opportunity to rust proof arises. Should you do it, or is it just a waste of money?

Nitto Tires makes its presence known in the enthusiast community, interacting with motorsport fans and weekend warriors. However, the company now feels it’s time to break ground with consumers by offering more mainstream products. Working closely with its enthusiast base, Nitto has managed to deliver a pair of new tires, the first designed to be a solid replacement for your OEM all-seasons and the second to be your savior in the snow.

Despite government mandated fuel economy improvements, overall fuel consumption is on the rise across America according to a new report.

In the market and shopping for a used car? Consumer Reports has released a list of 20 used vehicles to stay away from as they have a reputation for causing trouble. Listed is a top 20 list of used cars from 2003 to 2012 model year to avoid in alphabetical order. These vehicles had multiple years of much-worse-than-average overall reliability, according to Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Survey.

Enough is good so even more must be better, right? That may be true when it comes to dessert and lottery winnings, but it’s not the case with tires. Extra air pressure can be both dangerous and damaging.

The average motorist doesn’t give them a second thought, but tires are mission-critical components. They’re as important to cars and trucks as spacesuits are to astronauts. Without them you literally couldn’t drive anywhere.

If you see different colored exhaust fumes it’s time to pay attention to your car. Even if your vehicle isn’t flashing any warning lights, the smoke coming from your exhaust is a signal that something might not be working properly.

Last week we explained the basics of motor oil, from viscosity to additives and everything in between. Now it’s time to tackle a much more contentious issue: synthetic versus conventional. Which lubricant should you use in your vehicle? Is the extra protection afforded by man-made oil worth the added expense?

More and more automakers are offering all-wheel-drive than in the past. This extra choice is great news for consumers but it can lead to confusion; the number of technologies on the market is practically vertigo-inducing. Each manufacturer’s system is unique, and a lot of times the underlying hardware is different. Not every all-wheel-drive setup was created equally. Which one is best for you? Here’s an overview of what some major manufacturers offer.

This winter season, are you worried about the driving habits of other drivers, or the weather affecting your car’s driving characteristics?

Despite advancements in hybrid power-trains and electrification technology, gasoline engines remain the predominant choice in passenger cars because of continued efficiency improvements, most recently through the increased use of direct injection technology. But are you gambling when buying a car with DI, which still has its fair share of concerns and problems? 

Anyone that’s ever topped off their tank or filled up a jerry can knows gasoline comes in different grades, from regular unleaded to pricey premium. Each “flavor” has a number that corresponds to its octane level, but what does this mean? What is octane and what role does it play? AutoGuide reached out to experts in the fuels field for answers.

Snow and ice on the road can make for a slippery drive home, and the snowflakes falling from the sky can limit your visibility, so it’s no wonder that there’s a definite increase in insurance claims once winter starts.

When it’s time to top-off the tank, drivers are confronted with a dizzying variety of choices at the pump. There’s premium gasoline, mid-grade, regular and – depending on where you live – some even offer ultra-high octane, with a rating of 94 or above.

Winter is almost here and there’s plenty to do in order to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable drive in the snow and ice. The drop in temperatures can affect a number of characteristics in your vehicle, from handling, visibility and durability. Here are a few steps you can take to ‘winterize’ your ride.

With the world’s largest aftermarket parts expo, the SEMA Show, kicking off tomorrow, it’s going to be easy to catch the modification addiction. But don’t just slap a bunch of stickers and neons to your car and call it a day. Why not give your ride an extra boost of adrenaline? Consider these performance modifications and browse to eBay Motors to see what’s available for your car.

With the temperatures dropping and snow falling, winter tires can’t be ignored as an important part of staying safe in slippery conditions.

Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly series: TGIF[R-S], where Features Editor Sami Haj-Assaad details the ownership experience of the  Scion FR-S. If you haven’t seen the latest articles, be sure to  check out the whole archive of them. 

When was the last time a car’s braking performance made headlines? Or when a vehicle’s defining feature was listed as its ability to come to a stop in a hurry?

With an almost never ending list of myths and rumors, few vehicles are as misunderstood as the hybrid.

Bigger isn’t always better, although domestic automakers are pretending not to hear you when it comes to compact pickups. Why?

It’s every driver’s nightmare to lose grip in slippery conditions, but is that a good enough reason to buy a new car with all-wheel drive?

With the oil crisis of the ‘70s many predicted the death of the V8 engine, but it has continued to solider on. With Chrysler and Infiniti execs recently commenting that there’s no place for eight-cylinder cars in the future of their respective brands, this time, are the V8 engine’s days finally numbered?

As the seasons begin to change and the temperatures drop, many motorists will be on the hunt for winter tires, or even just a set of new all-seasons. Well in advance of the snow, Consumer Reports has released a list of the best new all-season and winter tires to meet different traction needs with both Michelin and Continental scoring highly.

Your car is at a standstill, your heart is racing, if you’ve just been in an accident, chances are you’re a little shook up. Take a deep breath. There are a few things to go over when you get into an accident, especially if another driver is involved.

Despite all of the measures currently in place to prevent vehicle theft, the FBI says that a vehicle is stolen in the United States every 43 seconds.

Car theft season is here, as we learned earlier this month. Looking for a quick laugh this morning? Take a look at this infographic describing the best ways to get your car stolen. 

Currently available on three models, GM’s eAssist technology is a product and packaging gamble the automaker has made that does not appear to be paying off. While the first two Buick models to receive the mild-hybrid system received modest praise, the new Chevy Malibu Eco has drawn so much criticism it was recently named “the most disliked vehicle of 2012” according to Fortune magazine.

The impact of that title, not to mention all the bad press that’s led up to it, can’t be understated. The reputation, and sales, of an entire lifecycle of Malibu models (the Malibu being one of GM’s largest volume products) is hanging in the balance.

Modern traction control and braking systems have their roots in motorsports, but now make even the most mundane commuter car an easier and safer driving experience.

In an effort to squeeze as much power from every car, while making them more fuel-friendly, automakers are increasingly switching their engines to use a technology that’s not exactly new and which isn’t typically associated with fuel economy – turbocharging.

Even though they’ve been around for well over a decade now, hybrids still have that ‘new technology’ feel. Consumers continue to be apprehensive to hybrid technology and there’s plenty of misinformation surrounding it.

Buying a used car is a lot more complicated than buying a new one. You can quickly judge a car’s life by looking at its odometer, however, there are numerous other things to look out for when buying a second-hand vehicle; especially one with high mileage.

This month has been deemed National Youth Traffic Safety Month, and in an effort to teach young drivers more about traffic safety, AutoMD.com is providing some handy tips about how to deal with breakdowns.

Maybe you’ve been in this situation: stuck on the side of a road, a punctured tire needing to be changed out for the spare one in the trunk. You have a pair of options, do you choose to change the tire yourself, or do you call for roadside assistance. Both options can take a while to get you back on the road, especially if you’ve never changed a tire yourself before. And even if you have, sometimes it can take some serious elbow grease.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All Season is a mouthful. Mind you, when it comes to high performance tires, this one’s key rivals, the Bridgestone Potenza RE960/970 and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus, don’t exactly roll off the tongue either.

Names aside, Goodyear’s latest addition to the Eagle F1 range is designed to maintain high performance while adding all-season attributes. And when it comes to finding a place to give such a tire a good workout, the Pacific Northwest is probably as good a place as any.

Every car, whether it has a big V8 engine or an electric motor powering the wheels, is being equipped with fuel saving technologies.

Recall variable-valve timing. Introduced on the Acura NSX, and at one time a revolutionary technology, now practically all cars have some form of VVT. Now more technologies are being introduced as innovations for saving fuel. Let’s take a look at some of the more important and popular features being introduced on new models; many of which will soon be as prevalent as variable valve timing.

There are a lot of car stereotypes out there, like that Toyota builds dull appliances. While true on many fronts, the Japanese automaker does also make exciting sporty cars like the Scion FR-S, and Lexus LFA, both praised for their exhilarating rides, edgy styling and pulse-raising performance. But there’s another stereotype that needs to be dealt with.

Likely you’ve heard the phrase “German engineering” more than a few times in your life and there’s a popular misconception that it equals good reliability. German cars are well engineered, sometimes to be amazing performance machines and sometimes to be incredibly high-tech (and often both) but, Porsche aside, German cars don’t have the best track record for reliability.

Think your car isn’t living up to the official MPG numbers? You’re not the only one, which is why a project is looking at creating a standard global mileage test.

With sky-high gas prices on the horizon and increasingly strict emissions standards for car manufacturers to live up to, consumers are constantly looking for more options when it comes to fuel economy, and automakers are equally eager to deliver. For those reasons manufacturers are continuing to downsize engines. It was a tough sell for car buyers to accept four-cylinder engines instead of six-cylinders, but will they have an easier time accepting three-cylinder engines?

Being a technology leader in the auto industry requires a thick skin. BMW had its reputation smeared when it first introduced iDrive back in 2001 and Ford is now suffering similar technology growing pains since the release of its MyFord Touch system in the 2011 Ford Edge.

Electric cars may have arrived, but the search for the perfect alternative fuel is still in progress. There are still a few major issues that keep battery powered vehicles from replacing the internal combustion engine.