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Toyota lowering Prius sticker prices in California

For the citizens of the state that has the biggest impact on Prius sales, it's understandable that Toyota might be offering its biggest perks there. With the next-generation version of the world's most popular hybrid not likely to see the light of day until the 2016 model year, the Japanese automaker is looking to spur sales as a stopgap measure. And that's especially true for the Prius C compact and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid. Toyota has bumped incentives for potential Southern California buyers of the Prius C to about $2,000 off the MSRP, which is up from $750 and about the same size of the perk given to prospective Prius Plug-in buyers, according to numbers from CarsDirect. For the standard Prius Liftback and the Prius V wagon, Toyota increased its discounts by about $500. The perks went into effect April 1 and will last until May 4. Toyota spokeswoman Amanda Rice confirmed to AutoblogGreen that the $2,000 incentive for the Prius C is specifically for the 2014 model year, and that the 2015 model year spurs a $750 incentive. She also confirmed that Toyota this month increased standard Prius lift back cash-back offer to $1,750 from $1,250, though amount offered can change by region. "While we will do what is necessary to remain competitive, Toyota's practice is to always lead with the product, not the deal," Rice wrote in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. "The use of our incentives is tactical, reinforcing our value and focus on keeping our products competitive in the market." The Prius family was California's most popular passenger vehicle in 2012 and 2013, but sales since then have fallen off. Through the first quarter, US Prius sales were down 14 percent from a year earlier after falling 11 percent last year to about 207,000 units. A Toyota representative didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from AutoblogGreen on the increased incentives in the face of reduced sales. Related Videos:

2020 Hyundai Palisade vs. Ascent, Pilot, Highlander and CX-9: How they compare on paper

We've finally had our first drive of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade and found it to be well-equipped for sales success. It nails the formula that some of the most successful three-row crossovers have, the aforementioned seating capacity, high driving position, all-wheel-drive availability and a V6 engine. Of course, it also offers a unique and menacing-looking exterior that ought to stand out in the parking lot. To dig deeper into how it compares to other three-row family crossovers, we've fired up the old Autoblog Comparo Generator 3000 (™) and lined the all-new 2020 Palisade up against the 2019 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Honda Pilot, 2019 Toyota Highlander and 2019 Mazda CX-9. Besides being two of last year's best-selling three-row SUVs, the Pilot and Highlander are also the closest in general concept to the new Palisade, while the Ascent and CX-9 also offer a comparable turbocharged four-cylinder powertrain. The CX-9 is also one of our favorites in the segment, and the Ascent is one of the newest entrants on the scene. There are of course numerous other worthy contenders, including the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Volkswagen Atlas, Nissan Pathfinder, Hyundai Santa Fe and the best-selling Ford Explorer, so if you want to see their specs, check out the Autoblog compare tool. Performance and fuel economy The Subaru, as is so often the case, is the oddball. It has a 2.4-liter turbocharged horizontally opposed four-cylinder (aka a flat-four or a boxer-four) that produces a comparatively modest horsepower rating, but a greater amount of torque. That's typical for turbocharged engines such as Mazda CX-9's turbo inline-four that produces 250 horsepower on premium fuel (227 hp on 87 octane) and 310 lb-ft of torque (the VW Atlas also offers a base turbo-four). The Hyundai, Honda and Toyota, meanwhile, go about it the old-fashioned way, with naturally aspirated V6 engines displacing 3.8 liters in the Hyundai, and 3.5 liters with the two Japanese crossovers. The Toyota and Hyundai lead the pack in horsepower, with the Toyota taking top honors by just 4 horses. The Honda weighs less, though, so their acceleration should be comparable. The Subaru actually accelerates on par with its V6-powered competitors, probably due in part to its continuously variable transmission. The fuel economy trophy goes to the Ascent.

These are the 'Greenest' and 'Meanest' cars in 2015

As has become tradition, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has come up with a ranking of what it refers to as the "greenest" cars of 2015, and, by way of contrast, a list of the so-called "meanest" cars, so those who value eco-friendliness over all else can choose which vehicles they should or should not consider buying. As you may expect, electric cars make up the majority of the greenest cars on the list, but, perhaps surprisingly to many, the Tesla Model S didn't make the cut. It's worth noting, too, that where the electricity an owner uses to charge their electric vehicle has a big impact on its overall environmental impact. "A car that is charged using electricity generated from natural gas or renewables is going to have significantly less impact on the environment than one charged on a coal-heavy grid," says ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan. The ACEEE's list for 2015 looks very different than it did in 2014. It's an interesting collection, though – and we're sure this goes without saying, really – we'd recommend doing a bit more research into each vehicle and how it might fit into your daily life before making any purchase decisions. Click here to see the ACEEE's list of the Greenest and Meanest vehicles sold in the United States in 2015. Green Bugatti Chevrolet Fiat GM GMC Mercedes-Benz Nissan RAM smart Toyota greenest greenest cars