Test Drives | ecoXplorer

New iPhone App for Car Shopping

2010 Lexus HS250h hybrid luxury sedan

More of us car shoppers are researching 2010 and 2011 models from our mobile phones. The website Cars.com, which launched a mobile site in 2007, reports a surge in mobile shopping activity since the launch of its iPhone car shopping app in February.

As much as 10 percent of Cars.com’s traffic now [...]

Borrow a BMW From Ritz-Carlton

2010 BMW 3 Series sedan

Guests at either of the two Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples, Florida, can borrow one of eight BMWs and one Mini convertible for personal use for up to three hours a day. Depending on availibility, of course. since you won’t be the only one who wants to get behind [...]

Top Ten Green 2010 Cars

2010 Honda Civic GX tops green car list

The top-rated green vehicle of 2010 is not the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid, which tops most such lists. The greenest vehicle title goes the Honda Civic GX, powered by natural gas. Okay, the Toyota Prius is number two, and Honda Civic Hybrid claims spot three.

The top three green [...]

Nissan LEAF plug-in electric car coming soon to a city near you

2010 Nissan LEAF plug-in electric car

The zero-emission plug-in electric Nissan LEAF has started its 22-city North America to eleven U. S. states and one Canadian province. The five-passenger Nissan LEAF goes on sale late in 2010 as a 2011 model, and Nissan won’t even begin taking orders until spring 2010, so this multi-city preview is a great way to introduce the car — and all its advantages — to the public.

Biggest advantage? The LEAF gets the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon. Although Nissan hasn’t released the price, they are promising that this will be an affordable electric car.

Test drives will be available on the national tour, but you need to sign up at the special Nissan website. Since the LEAF is not yet in production, my always reliable source at Nissan tells me test drives will be on a prototype Nissan Versa retrofitted with the plug-in all-electric lithium ion batteries.

According to CNET, the Nissan LEAF will be manufactured in Japan for the first few years, after which production will be moved to the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Here’s where to see and drive the Nissan LEAF:

Test Drive: Mitsubishi MiEV plug-in electric car

Mitsubishi MiEV plug-in electric car

The Mitsubishi MiEV plug-in electric car is not on sale yet in the U.S. yet, but I got the chance to test drive a prototype recently, and loved every minute.

I wish you could have seen the smile on my face or heard me giggle as I steered the Mitsubishi MiEV in tight circles around and around one of the huge pillars that dot the garage underneath the Staples Center in Los Angeles. And more smiles and giggles when when I used those pillars as slalom poles, weaving back and forth. It is just plain fun to drive.

MiEV stands for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle. It is a four-seater a bit smaller than a Volkswagen Beetle, about the same size as the Smartfortwo, both of which are gas-powered, not electric. The MiEV handled well in traffic, steers easily, with great acceleration, plus that amazing turning radius. When I floored it after a red light, it practically bolted to 45mph. Certainly not a Ferrari, but a whole lot more ‘car’ than an upgraded golf cart, like the GEM.