MotorWeek TV and Cars.com Feature Fuel Economy Face-Off

Prius, Insight, Fusion, Jetta TDI, Audi A3 TDI and Smart ForTwo Put to the Test


OWINGS MILLS, Md., Sept. 8  /PRNewswire/ -- MotorWeek, television's longest running automotive series, and Cars.com, a leading online automotive shopping destination, have teamed up for the Power & Economy Drive to determine which shade of green makes the most sense for consumers.  The Power & Economy Drive is featured on MotorWeek episode 2902 which begins airing on PBS Saturday, September 12 (check local listings).

"We hear a lot about fuel economy these days, but we wanted to know which cars deliver fuel efficiency without compromising power and performance" said John Davis, MotorWeek host and executive producer. "MotorWeek, and members of Cars.com's editorial staff, got behind the wheel of three hybrids, two clean turbocharged diesels and a compact car to find out what's behind the fuel economy numbers."

MotorWeek and Cars.com took six cars with the highest government fuel economy ratings to the mountains of Western Maryland for a typical weekend family outing. The gas sippers tested were the 2010 Toyota Prius, 2010 Honda Insight, 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 2010 Audi A3 TDI, and the 2009 Smart ForTwo.

Each car was equipped with a data recorder for monitoring driving and engine performance. The cars were put through the paces, covering 500 miles of extremely challenging terrain over three days,  with one car reigning supreme in terms of overall comfort, performance, handling and of course, fuel economy.

"We found the Prius, in the end, offered a really top-notch interior, a peppy ride and great mileage," said Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief of Cars.com.  "There were several close competitors, but the Prius's new look and frugal ways won us over."

The full report airs on MotorWeek episode 2902. Here are the results of the MotorWeek and Cars.com Power & Economy Drive by the numbers:

         Car                       Type             Drive mpg      EPA mpg
         ---                       ----             ---------      -------
  1. 2010 Toyota Prius            hybrid               49.2         50.0
  2. 2010 Honda Insight           hybrid               40.5         41.0
  3. 2010 Audi A3 TDI             diesel               38.2         34.0
  4. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI    diesel               36.2         34.0
  5. 2009 Smart ForTwo            gasoline powered     35.3         36.0
  6. 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid      hybrid               32.9         39.0


  About MotorWeek


Hosted by nationally recognized car expert John Davis, MotorWeek is television's leading source of auto industry news, new vehicle reviews and driving entertainment. MotorWeek is produced by Maryland Public Television, is nationally sponsored by Cars.com and airs on PBS, SPEED, and V-me. MotorWeek Road Tests can be viewed on Cars.com, YouTube and Facebook.

About Cars.com

Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com   is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE:BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO). 

DATASOURCE: Cars.com; MotorWeek



CONTACT:  Michelle Parker of MotorWeek, [phone], ,

or Steve Nolan of Cars.com, [phone], 



Web Site:  http://www.cars.com/ 

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