Buy your 2006 cars now

The US DOE and EPA have released the 2006 automotive fuel economy guide. It's their annual listing of the rated fuel economy of most 2006 models. (Some models, like apparently the Honda Civic Hybrid, weren't available for testing. Also, vehicles weighing over 8,500 lbs, like your average Hummer, aren't tested. I guess for these vehicles, the answer is pretty obvious.) Tops on the list, no surprise, are the Hybrids along with a host of diesel-powered VW's. Bottom of the list - well, I'm not going to bother, because you, the kind readers of this Blog, aren't in that market.

I know that there has been some controversy about the EPA fuel economy ratings (that they are set under unrealistic driving conditions and are, therefore, inflated), but this seems to be a pretty good guide. It discusses tax incentives available for buying hybrids and other altenatively-powered vehicles, improved emissions from fuel-efficient cars, and how you can increase national security by reducing the country's dependence upon foreign oil. (Hey, if it gets somebody to buy a more efficient vehicle, I'm all for it!) There is also a guide telling us how to get the best performance out of our cars. For a document prepared by the US government, it's actually quite useful.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ has a lot more useful information on the subject.