2014 Honda Odyssey Ex-l Mini Passenger Van 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Average new-car fuel economy figures continue record pace

Manufacturers are making more efficient cars and trucks; we've known that to be true for some time. Nearly every new car has some sort of trick to eke a few extra miles out of every gallon of fuel. Whether that be turbocharging, active aerodynamics or hybrid technology/electrified powertrains, the fact is that our vehicles are more efficient than ever before.
Thanks to a recent study by TrueCar, we've got fresh quantitative data to support the above statements. For the fourth month in a row, we've seen an improvement in national fleet fuel economy. We Americans are 0.7 miles per gallon more efficient than we were last month, and our cars are 1.6-mpg better than at this time last year. That said, we're still down on 2013's high, which was set back in January at 24.5 mpg.
Not only does this reflect the improved technologies in our vehicles, but it demonstrates a changing mindset among consumers, who are purchasing more efficient vehicles despite the relative stabilization of fuel prices. Every fuel-efficient model sold drives its manufacturers fleet average up.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe spied inside and out

Honda may be prepared to unveil the 2016 Civic Coupe on Sept. 16, but that doesn't mean work is done on the eagerly anticipated new fastback. Honda is continuing testing, as evidenced by this latest round of photos, which even gives us a glimpse of the cabin. As we can see, the exterior's shape has been toned down compared to the concept shown earlier this year in New York City, although the overall fastback rear end, high beltline, and generally aggressive styling is still present. Closer details, particularly around the front fascia, are harder to discern owing to the camouflage. The last-generation Civic did things very wrong. It went budget at a time when compact consumers demanded more premium features, options, and materials. Things were so bad that Honda had to rush a lackluster refresh to market. But with the new Civic, it finally looks like the Japanese brand is on its A-game. While plastic appears to still be the dominant material, the quality on display looks like it's been elevated substantially. The steering wheel is small, relatively sporting, and wrapped in black leather, while the beige leather seats look to have a modest dose of bolstering. The switch gear looks good, almost like it's been plucked from a higher-end model, like the Pilot, while our spies report that there will be a better array of optional extras, including stuff that's shown up as part of the Honda sensing suite of technology. Check out the spy images at the top of the page, and be sure to head back here on Sept. 16 for the Civic's official unveiling. Related Video:

Automakers drop support for Trump effort against California emissions

WASHINGTON — Toyota, Fiat Chrysler (now known as Stellantis following its merger with Peugeot) and other major automakers said on Tuesday they were joining General Motors in abandoning support for former President Donald Trump's effort to bar California from setting its own zero emission vehicle rules. The automakers, which also included Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Mazda and Subaru, said in a joint statement they were withdrawing from an ongoing legal challenge to California's emission-setting powers, "in a gesture of good faith and to find a constructive path forward" with President Joe Biden. The automakers, along with the National Automobile Dealers Association, said they were aligned "with the Biden administrationÂ’s goals to achieve year-over-year improvements in fuel economy standards." Nissan in December withdrew from the challenge after GM's decision in November shocked the industry and won praise from Biden. On Monday, the Justice Department asked the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia to put the California emissions litigation on hold to "ensure due respect for the prerogative of the executive branch to reconsider the policy decisions of a prior administration." Biden has directed agencies to quickly reconsider TrumpÂ’s 2019 decision to revoke CaliforniaÂ’s authority to set its own auto tailpipe emissions standards and require rising numbers of zero-emission vehicles, as well as Trump's national fuel economy rollback. Asked to respond to the automakers' action, White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy said in a statement that "after four years of putting us in reverse, it is time to restart and build a sustainable future, grow domestic manufacturing, and deliver clean cars for America." California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the automakers on Twitter for "dropping your climate-denying, air-polluting, Trump-era lawsuit against CA" and urged them to join the voluntary framework. TALKS WITH BIDEN Separately, an industry trade group on Tuesday proposed to start talks with Biden on revised fuel economy standards that would be higher than Trump-era standards but lower than ones set during the prior Democratic administration. The Trump administration in March finalized a rollback of U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to require 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026, well below the 5% yearly boosts under the Obama administration rules it discarded.