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4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kia & Hyundai Won't Like The 2026 Toyota Camry's Fuel Economy
Kia & Hyundai Won't Like The 2026 Toyota Camry's Fuel Economy originally appeared on Autoblog. The 2025 Toyota Camry continues to dominate Redesigned for the 2025 model year, the Toyota Camry arrives with an updated look inside and out. Perhaps more importantly, every version of the ever-popular midsize sedan now comes equipped with a hybrid powertrain. That puts it in contention with, or perhaps a step ahead of, midsize competitors, some of whom lack a hybrid offering altogether. South Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai, both of which fall under the Hyundai Motor Group umbrella, tend to share powertrains across brands, but neither can match the efficiency of the 2025 Toyota Camry. Kia and Hyundai fall short of the Camry Starting at $28,700, the 2025 Camry rolls out with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to either two or three electric motors, depending on your drivetrain of choice. The FWD model includes two electric motors that work with the engine to generate 225 horsepower. Adding a third electric motor to the rear axle upgrades the Camry to all-wheel drive and 232 horsepower. Interestingly, Toyota still doesn't include combined torque figures for its hybrid vehicles. Naturally, the FWD Camry is the most efficient, specifically in the base LE model. It's rated for an EPA-estimated 53 mpg in the city and 50 mpg on the highway, putting combined fuel economy at 51 mpg. The AWD Camry is slightly less efficient, earning up to an EPA-estimated 51 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway for a combined 50 mpg. The 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, priced from $31,250, is available in two trim levels, neither of which can match the Camry's performance or efficiency. Both models come powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, producing 192 horsepower. Regardless of trim level, the Sonata Hybrid earns up to 44 mpg in the city, 51 mpg on the highway, combining for 47 mpg. Despite sharing powertrains across brand lines, the 2025 Kia K5, from $27,390, doesn't have a hybrid model on its roster. At its most efficient, the Korean sedan comes powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. It earns up to 26 mpg in the city, 37 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined. The midsize sedan segment is shrinking As crossovers have risen in popularity, the midsize sedan segment has suffered dramatically. What used to be a thriving segment has seen its offerings shrink with each passing year. As we roll into the 2026 model year, at least two more midsize family sedans will be leaving the market, for the time being, anyway. The Chevrolet Malibu and Subaru Legacy, the former of which has seen more than six decades of production, are driving off into the sunset. With two more midsize casualties, the once-revered segment falls to just five mass market offerings. The Kia K5, Hyundai Sonata, and Toyota Camry are joined by two more Japanese models, the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima. Notably, however, the Altima's fate seems uncertain. With the Japanese automaker struggling to right the ship, the 2026 model year could very well be the Altima's last, at least in its current gas-powered form. The current model has been on the market since 2019 with few notable updates, so a full redesign could be in the works. Nissan is also focused on filling out its EV lineup, so it's within reason that the Altima could return as an electrified sedan. The Honda Accord presents the best challenge to the Toyota Camry, but even its hybrid variant can't match its rival's fuel economy. It comes powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, producing 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. In its most efficient EX-L model, priced from $34,940, the 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid is rated for 51 mpg in the city, 44 mpg on the highway, and 40 mpg combined. Honda's hybrid midsize sedan isn't available with AWD, putting it a step behind the Toyota Camry. Final thoughts The 2025 Toyota Camry isn't to be trifled with. Its impressive performance, available all-wheel drivetrain, and incredible fuel economy make it a dominant force. That's not to mention its sleek styling updates, comfortable yet practical interior, and affordable price. While there are other hybrid midsize sedans on the market, they can't match the sheer versatility of the Toyota Camry. Kia & Hyundai Won't Like The 2026 Toyota Camry's Fuel Economy first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Car and Driver
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
1981 Ford Escort GLX Test: World-Class Shrinky Dink
From the January 1981 issue of Car and Driver. The editorial we have been feeling the hot breath of America on the backs of our necks while working on this road test. Everybody right down to the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker has been looking over our shoulders, trying to get a rating on the new Ford Escort. No Ford in memory has produced such widespread interest ("concern" may be a better word). Some of the concerned are potential customers looking for the latest development in fuel-efficient cars: they wonder if the Escort is it. Others have a more academic question: is the Escort the long-awaited import fighter from Detroit? All that heavy breathing ruffling our collars tells us you really want to know. So let's get down to business. Conclusion No. 1: The Escort is indeed a world-class small car with a combination of interior space and fuel economy that should make it one of the top choices in its class. It may not have the most interior space, or the best economy, or the lowest trunk liftover height, or the highest marks in any other category of small-car virtue you might name, but it's competitive on every front. View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver Conclusion No. 2: The Escort is the first small car from anywhere to offer Mr. and Mrs. America big-car comfort and luxury in a small package. Moreover, the long options list will make them feel right at home. This is a cushy car that just happens to be small. Conclusion No. 3: We don't want to sound elitist or anything like that, but we think Mr. and Mrs. America will probably be happier in Escorts than will car enthusiasts. This is no fling-about Fiesta, no rompin' Rabbit. There are no come-on-and-flog-me urgings coursing up the shift lever and the steering column. The Escort is just trying to be another nice car in the Ford family of nice cars—a mini LTD. View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver Naturally, we would have preferred an Escort with verve, but the mini-LTD personality has a charm of its own. You find it strongest in the interior. The test car is a GLX in a range of models that starts with a plain Escort and moves up in steps called L, GL, GLX, and SS. So it's not the grandest, but it's right up there. And the first thing you see when you open the door is American Plush. The carpets are deep. The door panels are soft. The seats are foamy. The instrument panel is a big, bluff-faced molding just like those of the larger Fords, and it contains only a speedometer and a gas gauge, a layout also just like those of the larger Fords. And the luxo, poly-spoke steering wheel is outfitted with thumb buttons for the optional cruise control, just as the larger Fords are. Can Toyota and Volkswagen match this? No way. It's easy to be cynical about such frills, to say that if Ford had spent more time working on the basics like engine performance (which we'll get to later) instead of diddling around with the money-grubbing options, it might have produced a car we'd all be foaming over. But never mind. You can't get mad at the GLX when it's such a nice (well, it is) package. The seats are foam-filled, have adjustable recliners, and are as good as the best Detroit has ever made. The dash has four big, swiveling vents to move air in a hurry. The top of the dash has been molded into a huge travel tray for cigarettes, sunglasses, or in case you need some place to melt your Hershey bars. This is American-car comfort and convenience all the way. View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver You also get gadgets to play with. The blue-glowing electronic digital clock has buttons for date, elapsed time, and time of day. A map light on a stalk swings down out of the ceiling and swivels around in case you want to check somebody's tonsils. The AM/FM-stereo has a little button hidden down by your knee marked "Amplifier On-Off," and when you give it a pull, a pilot light comes on and the music gets really wonderful. None of this stuff has anything to do with economy or efficiency or engineering for the Eighties. It's just that Ford always made LTDs this way, so it's making mini LTDs this way too. What could be more natural? Sure, you can have a hair-shirt Escort if you want one, but that sort of low-calorie aspiration is not what made Detroit great. The Escort is an American small car. View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver Not that there hasn't been inspiration from elsewhere. You can tell that Ford designers have been combing over the Honda Accord, trying to steal the essence of that car, to transplant its considerable appeal into the Escort. But typical of Detroit, they saw only the gimmicks. Honda's most notable innovation in instrument-panel design is the "pictograph," a green-glowing outline drawing of the car styled along the theme of a directional gyro in an airplane. All it does is tell you when a door is open, the tailgate ajar, or the like. But it looks very space-age and makes first-timers say, "Oh, lookit that!" So Ford swiped the idea. If you go GLX or better, you get a little pictograph down by your ankle on the console with warning lights that glow red for low fluids or malfunctioning head, tail, or brake lights, and yellow in the case of low fuel. Honda also dazzled the industry with its coin trays for parking-meter money. Ditto the Escort. But getting back to the point, Ford wants you to open the Escort door and see American-style luxury and Japanese-style gimmicks (called "product content" in the industry): the best of both worlds, as they say. Thus overwhelmed, you then sign the check. The assumption is that Americans will buy comfort, they'll buy features, they'll buy flash, and they'll buy economy as defined by EPA mpg numbers. So those areas are where the design effort was concentrated. And in those areas the Escort does very well. But driving fun? What's that? View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver Just the way the clutch works says a lot about the direction of Escort engineering. The pedal has a rather long travel, but the machinery all hooks up in the space of about an eighth-inch: clunk. And pedal effort does not diminish in a predictable way as you let out the clutch either. You just have to feel it out, feel it out, feel it out: clunk. Mr. and Mrs. America probably won't notice, but you will. And you'll conclude that the Escort is transportation rather than fun. The numb-clutch syndrome is also apparent in the suspension. It acts as though it has very little free travel. A brisk boogie on an expressway ramp has it rocking laterally, feeling very much as though it was bouncing off the bump stops. Put a couple people in the car, encounter a modest chuckhole, and again it recoils off the bump stops. Even straight down the freeway it's a little bouncy ("vertically active" in engineer talk). The Escort's suspension just wasn't endowed with the resilience and precision an enthusiast hopes for. However, ultimate cornering forces are not bad at all for a front-drive car, particularly a new-generation Detroiter with tires optimized for low rolling resistance. The Escort circulated the skidpad at 0.71 g, which is a laudable accomplishment. Some of the credit must be given to the optional alloy wheels, which are 5.5 inches wide, up a half-inch from the optional steel wheels and up a full inch from the standard equipment. View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver The Escort's 1600 cc hemi engine is another component that falls short of the enthusiast's hopes. Ford went to a lot of trouble with the hardware parts of this engine—an aluminum head, an electron-beam-welded intake manifold, a crossflow port arrangement with angled valves and fully machined combustion chambers—but then tried to get by without the sophisticated on-board computers that all GM and many Chrysler models are using to optimize fuel flow, spark advance, EGR, and the like. The results have been nearly disastrous. The Escort does reasonably well in economy—30 mpg EPA with a four-speed manual transmission and a short options list—but the sacrifices necessary to get economy and meet emissions without the aid of a computer have killed performance dead as a hammer. The car is very slow—zero to sixty in 14.6 seconds, standing quarter-mile in 19.4 seconds at 69 mph. This is more leisurely performance than even the Honda Accord's, which typically brings up the rear in small-car acceleration. Moreover, the Escort labors mightily to attain whatever speed it can. Under hard acceleration, the engine climbs through several stages of roar—like a Weed Eater progressing from quack grass through the petunia patch and into a stand of maple saplings. This mastication is accompanied by vigorous buzzings transmitted up through your leg by the accelerator. The sound-level meter reports 89 dBA at the driver's ear during such a forced march, and that is louder than almost any other small car in the class. View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver Yet here's the contradiction. We think Mr. and Mrs. America will find the Escort a quiet car. For one thing, they won't run it to 50 mph in second gear in fits of enthusiastic driving. And that sort of flat-out operation is the only circumstance in which it is really noisy. Everyday driving for everyday citizens consists mostly of idling at traffic lights and constant-speed cruising at speeds below 65 mph. Here the Escort is quieter than most of the competition. And this, in turn, means that one of the main annoyances associated with travel in small cars—the auditory assault factor—just isn't a problem in an Escort. The other problem with small cars on long trips—lack of interior space—is also handled nicely in the Escort. The hatchback lifts to expose an uncommonly deep trunk, the sort of compartment that allows you to stow suitcases vertically; and if this isn't enough, the rear seat folds flat in typical hatchback style to open up just over 30 cubic feet of luggage space. View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver If your cargo is just people, they fare well too. The universal standard for people packaging is the VW Rabbit. We find the back-seat room of the Escort to be even better. Headroom is slightly less, but still good enough for six-footers, and the Escort has better knee clearance. The VW achieves much of its comfort with "chair-height" seats and a high roofline for head clearance; the Escort provides a similar feeling in a lower car by depressing the floorpan in the area a back-seat passenger uses for footroom. This is an old Detroit trick, done for years in low-roof coupes, and usually the depressions were about the size and shape of dishpans and just reinforced the feeling of cramped quarters. But for a small tunnel, the Escort has a low floor from sill to sill. Your feet are treated to as much room as the rest of you, which is to say, a very generous amount for such a small car. So much for the coach-class passengers. Those up front have royal treatment, at least in a GLX-trim car loaded with options. On the surface, however, this complement of extras seems contradictory to the concept of a small car. How are we going to know if the Escort is successful as an import fighter when we're looking at an example loaded like the typical domestic? View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver Let us answer this way. First, the Escort isn't really intended to be a bottom-of-the-market economy car. The Honda Civic, Toyota Tercel, Toyota Starlet, and Datsun 210 come in under it. And second, we suspect the real role of the Escort is less to fight imports and more to provide a next step for Americans who wish to downsize. These motorists are accustomed to a certain level of comfort and luxury; the Escort offers it in a smaller package with better fuel economy. In this regard, the test GLX is enormously successful. And for that reason, we're going to keep it around for another year as a long-term test car. We'll report back to you from time to time on its durability and on how well it adapts to life in a changing America. Watch this space. Counterpoints Do we have an irreversible inferiority complex over here? The home team has again failed to grasp the importance of building good small cars. Ford, oblivious to better examples, has fallen into the trap of building merely small cars, thinking that would be good enough. This Escort should have been called the Squirrel. Its handling and braking are thoroughly unpredictable, having been rubbered to death by the ride brigade. Performance is anemic, and mileage is nowhere near the best. The steering is wishy-washy on the highway, the clutch snaps over center with a clunk, and the shifter plings like a fingernail on a tin can. And Ford should get some sort of perpetual prize for coarse engine harmonics. High marks (these are compliments, now) for seating comfort, driving position, roominess, and outward visibility. Too bad you have to go inside the cheap-looking interior to find a few high points. Fortunately for Ford, the low points will probably creep right under the noses of a multitude of Escort buyers, who will go home thinking they're safe for the winter, nuts gathered by Ford's Squirrel. —Larry Griffin Somewhere in the management ranks of Ford Motor Company North America there must be a man who gets paid a lot of money to insist that Americans will be most comfortable with little cars designed to be just as out of touch as the big cars they replace. If there is such a man, the introduction of the new American Escort is his finest hour. Our test car is well appointed, quiet, and comfortable at rest, but a sore trial in motion. It suffers from a nasty pitching moment, a fore-and-aft hobby-horsing that is guaranteed to bring back carsickness as an adult affliction. The little devil's engine and drivetrain would be delighted to cruise all day at 75 or 80, but the ride quality makes that almost unendurable. Europeans are now getting their first look at Escorts that go faster, ride more smoothly, handle better, and are infinitely more handsome than the one done up by the troubled technoids in Dearborn. My advice to the reader would be to go buy a Fiesta. My advice to Ford North America would be to call Ford Germany and ask Bob Lutz to come over and make our Escort as nice as theirs. —David E. Davis. Jr. View Photos Aaron Kiley | Car and Driver This is one unhappy little lump of a car. The fit and finish of the interior are below par. The engine drones. The steering is rubbery. The ride is undisciplined. The tall gearing works against the engine. In general, the Escort reminds me of an adolescent, all awkward and self-conscious. All of this tells me that Ford's American design team cut too many corners, thinking the masses wouldn't notice, or that the product planners misjudged what America expects of an econobox, or that the engineers simply lacked the know-how to create a world-class world car. This is not to say that the Escort is without merit. The overall packaging is excellent. Rear-seat comfort is exceptional. And its gas mileage is good as well. So the Escort should do well enough in the workaday world, serving people who think of cars as nothing more than travel appliances. All of the ingredients for a sparkling small sedan are here—on paper at least. Let's hope Ford management has a change of heart and sees fit to finish what it started. —Rich Ceppos Specifications Specifications 1981 Ford Escort GLX Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door hatchback PRICE Base/As Tested: $6476/$7789 Options: air conditioning, $524; aluminum wheels, $183; cruise control, $128; AM/FM·stereo radio, $100; rear wiper·washer, $94; premium sound system, $91; power brakes, $76; tinted glass, $70; cloth and vinyl upholstery, $27; heavy-duty battery, $20. ENGINE SOHC 8-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head Displacement: 97 in3, 1600 cm3 Power: 69 bhp @ 5000 rpm Torque: 86 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm TRANSMISSION 4-speed manual CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/struts Brakes, F/R: 9.3-in vented disc/7.1-in drum Tires: Goodyear Arriva P165/80R-13 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 94.2 in Length: 163.9 in Width: 65.9 in Height: 53.3 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 47/39 ft3 Trunk Volume: 16 ft3 Curb Weight: 2140 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 14.6 sec 1/4-Mile: 19.4 sec @ 69 mph 80 mph: 31.8 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 15.2 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 20.4 sec Top Speed: 87 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 217 ft Roadholding, 282-ft Skidpad: 0.71 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 24 mpg EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 33/28/44 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
The Sun
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
The little-known AC button that will help slash your fuel bill & keep cars perfectly cool as temps soar this weekend
MOTORISTS might have missed this air conditioning setting that is essential for keeping costs down as the weather heats up. With a warm weekend ahead and temperatures hitting 29C today as Brits head into the summer months, drivers maybe unknowingly wasting money in the fight to keep their cars cool. 1 Many motorists might simply set their AC to full blast when trying to handle the heat, and while this will get temperatures down, it might be over-kill if you are travelling alone. Instead, setting your vehicle's air con to 'driver only' will make sure that all the energy will be used on cooling just you down, rather than refrigerating those empty seats. A vehicle's air conditioning can have a very negative impact on its fuel economy by putting a greater strain on its engine, according to The AA. 'Driver only' setting The car insurance company has urged drivers to check if their motor has the 'driver only' AC option, and to make sure it is always in use when appropriate. Air conditioning can increase fuel consumption by between 8 and 10 per cent, amounting to an extra 0.2 and 0.4 litres per hours, according to It is also advisable to reduce the increased strain on the engine by turning the flow rate down once the AC has brought your car to a comfortable temperature. Drivers should also avoid travelling at speed with the windows down, if they are trying to be as fuel-conscious as possible. Driving with open windows can increase the drag on the vehicle, making the engine work harder to maintain speed. Getting the instruments in your car regularly serviced is also key to keeping everything working efficiently. Kwik-fit recommends ensuring that your air-con system is regularly regasssed to keep it running as efficiently as possible while using minimal power. Car buyers face $500 added fee when buying new vehicle as angry drivers blast 'it's only benefitting dealers' It also lists ways in which drivers can cut down on having to use the AC at all. Taking measures such as parking in the shade and opening windows when setting off can help keep the car cool without putting more stain on the engine. Air Con not cold enough? Here are four checks you can do at home to save yourself hundreds By Jorge Hinojosa Mena A CAR expert has revealed four checks you can do at home if your air-con isn't cold enough. Air Con expert, Andrew, from specialist firm Accelerate Off-Grid Touring says that these simple checks are essential to ensure your air conditioning is summer-ready - and it could save you a bundle of cash. YouTube user @accelerateoffgridtouring, with more than 12,200 users on social media, explained that you should first check for any unusual noises in your motor. Andrew explained: "On most cars, when you turn the air conditioning on, you should hear a loud click, and that's the noise of the air compressor cutting in. "If you hear a rumbly sound once your compressor cuts in, this means it's on its way out, and you'd need a replacement." Second, the car expert recommends checking for any weird smells. "If there is a musty or unpleasant smell coming out of the vents or your allergy symptoms are being triggered when the air conditioning gets switched on, there may be a bacterial or mildew buildup in the system. "The other thing that can happen is it can be a sign that your evaporator's leaking, so it's leaking as in the car. That's sort of an issue. "The other thing you'll notice if your evaporator's leaking is the air conditioning will be low on gas, so it won't be as cold as it should be and will have that uneven vent temperature." Andrew advises carrying out a performance test to make sure your air-con is in good condition. He explained: "What we've done here is we've put a thermometer in the vent. You can just use any old thermometer. "We've set the fan to first or second speed, and we've also got it on recirculate. That's quite important. "What we should see is a temperature of below eight degrees. The temperature will fluctuate as the compressor cuts in and out. "This is a natural part of the air conditioning system. "What it will do is the compressor gets colder and colder and colder, as it gets down to a freezing point, so out here at the vents, it will say six degrees to five and a half degrees, the compressor will cut out, the temperature will rise to about seven or eight degrees, and then it will cut back in. The cycle will continue. It's called cycling." The expert insisted that if you see the temperature going below five degrees, that's a sign that something is wrong. He continued: "It's either gonna be faulty thermostat or thermistor, or more commonly, a blocked cabin filter." Lastly, Andrew says drivers should be concerned if they see water under their car after driving with the air-con on. The car expert added: "The air conditioning system was designed to drain the condensation to the exterior of the car. If you've driven for a long time, you pull up, and it will make a pool of water. "The amount of water it discharges at the bottom actually depends on the humidity of the day and what setting you've got your air conditioning on, so don't stress too much about having the pool. You just want to see it on the outside of the car. "One thing to look for is if the air con's cold, it's a humid day, and you do not have water on the ground outside of your car, maybe just check the passenger floor of your car 'cause sometimes that drain tube can block up, the water can leak inside the car, and obviously, then you get a mouldy, stinky carpet." This comes after an expert mechanic revealed some of their top tips about air conditioning, including one which can cool down your vehicle very quickly. Plus, an expert mechanic has revealed how to keep your car's air-con blowing ice cold-free.
