2009 Hyundai Accent Gls Sedan 4-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports criticizes small turbo engines for misleading performance, fuel economy claims [w/video]

Consumer Reports has taken aim at at small-displacement, forced-induction engines, saying the powerplants don't manage to deliver on automaker fuel economy claims. Manufacturers have long held that smaller, turbocharged engines pack all power of their larger displacement cousins with significantly better fuel economy, but the research organization says that despite scoring high EPA economy numbers, the engines are no better than conventional drivetrains in both categories. Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, says the forced induction options "are often slower and less fuel efficient than larger four and six-cylinder engines."
Specifically, CR calls out the new Ford Fusion equipped with the automaker's Ecoboost 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The institute's researchers found the engine, which is a $795 option over the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, fails to match competitors in acceleration and served up 25 miles per gallon in testing, putting the sedan dead last among other midsize options.
The Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Sonata Turbo and Ford Escape 2.0T all got dinged for the same troubles, though Consumer Reports has found the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the BMW 328i does deliver on its promises. You can check out the full press release below. You can also read the full study on the Consumer Reports site, or scroll down for a short video recap.

Hyundai discontinuing Elantra Coupe in US for 2015

Hyundai's entry level two-door, the Elantra Coupe, is getting the axe for model year 2015. That leaves the Kia Forte Koup, Honda Civic and Scion tC to hold up the receding entry-level two-door segment.
The Coupe only arrived at US dealerships in 2012, initially as a 2013 model, and it was recently updated at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, with Hyundai adding a more powerful 2.0-liter engine as standard (it was optional in other Elantra models). Considering its short run, though, we're guessing that even a quick update couldn't cure the slow sales that are likely at the root of the two-door's discontinuation. The Elantra Coupe should remain on sale in the Canadian market, according to Driving.ca.
We've reached out to Hyundai for official confirmation and a cause of death for the Coupe. When we hear back, we'll be sure to update you.

The techie choice | 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Quick Spin

The Prius nameplate has been inexorably tied to the green car scene for a long time now. When Toyota unleashed the Prius Prime upon the world, we said it was the best Prius yet. But this is no longer a world where Toyota's hybrids are automatically crowned king. Our recent time with the Hyundai Ioniq trio was a stark reminder that the economical, eco-conscious competition is getting stiffer. We put some miles on a Prius Prime to see how our recent Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid test colors our view of Toyota's prime contender. Our first impression: the Prius design is very clean and inorganic. As sterile as it feels, the design appears to have a lot of actual thought behind it. Our Advanced trim tester is spiritually in touch with the mobile gadget culture, with a huge touchscreen, digitization of seemingly everything, and white and black glossy plastic aesthetic. It's a tech-heavy design that will likely seem familiar to those of us who have been interfacing with Apple designs for the past 10 or so years. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid, on the other hand, remains truer to the look and feel most drivers expect from their commuters. It's less about user interface, modes, and drive data, and more about just getting behind the wheel and driving. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid hardly even distinguishes itself from its plugless counterparts, opting to go green under cover rather than the in-your-face futurism the Prius projects. It retains the traditional instrument cluster in front of the driver, too, which the Prius Prime lacks. In the Toyota, you'll have to look around the car for the right display with the information you're looking for – there's the huge central touchscreen with all its menus, as well as smaller displays above it on the dash – or you can find your speed on the HUD. The Prius is composed in its handling, but doesn't provide much of the sensory feedback that makes one feel connected to the chassis. The steering feels super artificial, but the car stays fairly flat in the corners without providing too much feedback through the seat of your pants. Hyundai's offering, though, proved to be a surprisingly willing dance partner in the corners. While feeling equally as capable as the Prius, the Ioniq's sense of connection through steering and suspension made the act of stitching one turn after another together enough to get our blood pumping. Sport mode makes the Prius Prime slightly livelier, though.