Vehicle subscription services offer a compelling alternative to traditional ownership, leasing, and rental. They are useful in situations that prevent long-term commitment. Think of it as an in-betweener for those times when a traditional rental is too expensive and a lease is too burdensome. Need a car for a month or two (maybe six)? A subscription might be right for you. The primary differentiators between car subscription plans include service areas, monthly costs, upfront fees, mileage limits, flexibility, and vehicles offered. A slew of companies have launched in recent years and the marketplace is evolving rapidly.
Lexus
2013 Lexus GS450h Hybrid Review
MPG-o-Matic 2013 Lexus GS450h Review Summary: With a starting price of $58,950, the 2013 Lexus GS450h is targeted at the more affluent among the eco-conscious crowd. This elegant hybrid sedan makes a design statement unlike anything else on the road, with a positively scrumptious bamboo-trimmed interior. The GS450h’s stirring performance and a combined EPA gas mileage rating of 31 miles per gallon (MPG) is clearly intended to make those who might be shopping the Mercedes-Benz E350 Bluetec and new Audi A6 TDI clean diesel sedans stop to consider the alternatives.
2011 Lexus CT 200h: First Drive
DELRAY BEACH, Fla.—I have to admit, I felt the need to redeem myself. I am a notorious lead foot, and I habitually get low mileage numbers in every car I drive. Even when I try to do well. Hybrid. TDI. Gasoline. It’s all the same. And it’s all bad.
So, when the folks at Lexus announced during the press preview for the all-new 2011 CT 200h that the worst gas mileage they’d seen thus far was around 37 mpg, I considered the gauntlet thrown. I absolutely could not get below that number.
Lexus ES Gas Mileage
The Lexus ES range proves that a luxurious ride and good gas mileage need not be mutually exclusive. Over the years, Lexus ES gas mileage ratings have hovered in the mid-to-high twenty mile per gallon highway (MPG) range, with a high of 30 MPG in the 2007 ES 360.
All Lexus ES models are equipped with six-cylinder engines in a front-wheel-drive configuration. The displacement has grown over the years, from 2.5 liters in the 1990-1991 ES 250, to 3.0 liters in the 1992-2003 ES 300, 3.3 liters in the 2004-2006 ES 330, and 3.5 liters in the 2007-2009 ES 350. While regular-grade fuel was acceptable in the ES 250, ES 300, and ES 330, premium-grade is recquired in the ES 350.
A manual transmission was offered from 1990 through 1993. The current model is equipped with a six-speed automatic.
SUV Mileage
Although the gleam is long off the apple, America hasn’t given up on the sport utility vehicle (SUV) just yet. While sales of conventional SUVs have dropped dramatically, hybrid SUV models are selling quite well … and for good reason. Hybrid SUV mileage ratings are substantially higher than their conventional counterparts. With that in mind, we spent a good part of this past year testing SUV mileage, with a big focus on the most fuel-efficient hybrid SUVs.
Although some of the choices can be quite pricey, there’s little question that the best SUV mileage results are found in the hybrid models. This has lead to remarkable bursts of popularity within more affluent and progressive segments of the car-buying public.
Here’s a case in point …