Tag: score

Score a 2011 Nissan Leaf for just $12,280? It’s possible

2011 Nissan Leaf

2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery

How sweet can incentives make the 2011 Nissan Leaf? If you’re really lucky and bunch together several rebates and credits, you can drive home this battery powered machine for a mere $12,280. Yep, you read that right. For less than $13,000 you could own one of the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicles – provided you meet some very select criteria. Interested in finding out how? Read on.

Disclaimer: there are a bunch of “ifs” and “buts” included in the quest to receive this bargain price, but the important thing is that it’s actually possible (as Green Car Reports discovered). Here’s how it could go down: Starting with the $32,780 list price of a Leaf base model, slash $7,500 off courtesy of the federal tax credit and get down to $25,280. Now, provided that you live in California, you can also lop another $5,000 off the top under the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project. Simply submit your paperwork to the Center for Sustainable Energy and the Leaf’s cost almost magically drops to $20,280. But how do we get from here to $12,280?

From here on out, the incentives get much more specific and will begin to seriously reduce the number of people who can get the EV deal of a lifetime. If you reside in one of the eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and portions of Kern), then you are eligible to apply for a $3,000 rebate (PDF warning) for purchasing a zero-emissions ride. Okay, so that’s $17,280. Here comes the kicker. For this final incentive, you need to work for Sony Pictures Entertainment, which has apparently agreed to offer a $5,000 allowance for purchasing a battery-powered vehicle if you meet certain eligibility requirements.

And there it is – the $12,280 Nissan Leaf, as rare as hen’s teeth. Now… who wants to be the first to give it a try?

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Leaf: First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2010 Damon Lavrinc / AOL

[Source: Green Car Reports]

Score a 2011 Nissan Leaf for just $12,280? It’s possible originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Sienna score in Consumer Reports plunges, no longer top-rated

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Crossover, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Toyota


2011 Toyota Sienna – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s generally accepted that every new iteration of any vehicle is somehow better than its predecessor. And that’s true of the 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan, which is festooned with more goodies (like a 16.4-inch widescreen monitor for rear-seat passengers) and a sportier flair (complete with a sporty SE trim) than the previous generation Sienna. The only question that remains, then, is this: Do those improvements automatically equal a better vehicle?

According to Consumer Reports, the answer is no. And surprisingly, it’s not even close, with the new Sienna’s overall test score of 80 paling in comparison to the 2010’s overall score of 94. The main culprits cited by CR for the plummeting score are poor fit and finish and excessive interior noise – bad enough that CR claims it’s not possible to have a proper conversation between front and rear passengers.

So, if not the Toyota Sienna – which held the honor for three straight years – what is CR’s top-rated minivan? The six-year-old Honda Odyssey. For what it’s worth, there’s a new Odyssey coming out next year, but as we’ve seen from the Sienna, a new model doesn’t necessarily equal one that tests better at the influential magazine. It’s also worth noting that the new Sienna’s overall score is roughly on par with that of the Kia Sedona, which has been available in its current configuration since 2006.

Consumer Reports also tested other people movers, such as the micro-minivan Mazda5 and the large box-on-wheels crossover Ford Flex. Both vehicles got rather positive reviews, and testers found that they may be looked at as realistic replacements for the tried-and-true minivan paradigm of the Toyota Sienna. Check out the official press release after the break.

Gallery: 2011 Toyota Sienna

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Continue reading Toyota Sienna score in Consumer Reports plunges, no longer top-rated

Toyota Sienna score in Consumer Reports plunges, no longer top-rated originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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