The good news this Thanksgiving for commuters is gas prices are down.  But even though gas prices are down, cut in half since the summer, fewer Americans will be on the roads driving to Thanksgiving Dinner this year.

CBS News reports: Nationally, the AAA says 41 million Americans were expected to travel more than 50 miles for the holiday, down about 1.5 percent, or 600,000 people, from Thanksgiving last year. Of those, about 4.5 million are expected to fly, down about 7 percent from last year, while around 33.2 million will drive, a decrease of about 1 percent.

It is the first decrease in holiday travel nationally since 2002, and the largest since the Thanksgiving that followed the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The real bad news is a 7% drop isn’t really enough to notice when you’re actually on the road, especially if you’re stuck in traffic this year.  That’s about a half a car every 5 not on the road from last year; and if you’re stuck in between 5 cars going 10 mph are you going to notice that half a car missing?  I guess it will be worth it, since you’ll know you’re spending about $1 less per gallon on gas than you were last year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

CNN reported yesterday that the end of the gas price drop is probably near, citing the Lundberg Survey as the source.  The average price of gas dropped over 30 cents in the past 2 weeks, dropping below $2 for the first time in almost 3 years.

“The average price of self-serve, unleaded gasoline on Friday in the United States was $1.97,” said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the Lundberg Survey. “The last time the price was below $2 was on March 4, 2005,” she said.

This is attributed mostly to the drop in crude oil prices.  Last summer, when gas prices were over $4 for most areas of the country, crude oil had risen to over $100 per barrel.  Friday oil futures dropped to just under $50, marking the lowest point in the dramatic drop in the past 4 months.  Of course, the decreased demand for gas, in part due to joblessness and the poor economy, also contribute to the falling prices.

This is all good news, except for the fact that the price drop is probably coming to an end, as the oil market is settling down.  Don’t get too excited about seeing gas drop below $1 gallon next month, it probably won’t happen.

Video review of Electric cars, Hybrids and other Green car technologies seen in this video from the LA Auto Show. Source: Ventura County Star

The Los Angeles Auto Show still knows how to trot out the eye candy: banks of multicolored rock concert lighting, attractive models in seductive poses in front of machinery and, of course, sleek new cars people come to see.

Hybrid cars are increasing in popularity as consumers are wishing to cut the costs of fuel. With the economy and fuel prices in a state of upheaval, many customers are willing to spend the extra two to four thousand dollars and get a better bang for their buck, especially at the pump! Here are the top three Hybrid vehicle choices for 2009 – these stylish and affordable models are a great reason to go green, while saving on green. 
 
Honda has won the award for the best Hybrid car in the terms of fuel consumption. The Honda Insight combines a sleek and lightweight design offers the highest fuel capacity, and although it may not be as roomy as its family designs, it is well worth its price in the money that will be saved on fueling costs.
 
The Ford Escape hybrid is a vehicle that confirms that we do not have to sacrifice capacity, or the SUV styles we have come to know and love for fuel efficiency. It has all of the power of a small SUV and all the style, and room required for the size. If you are looking for a hybrid that doesn’t sacrifice the spacious and luxurious features of an SUV, this vehicle is for you. 
 
The next model is created by Honda with their hybrid rendition of the Accord, which is available in a family friendly four-door model. The 253 horsepower engine is one of the best Hybrid vehicles that come with the V6 engine. The electric motor combined with battery power allows for the best fuel efficiency on the market for a family vehicle.
 
Hybrid models are a stylish choice for those wanting to save the environment while increasing fuel efficiency. Keep these choices in mind for your next trip to the car dealership!

If you’re into any kind of Subaru, especially the STi, then STiblog.com is the site for you.  They’ve got pictures and videos on some of the latest and sportiest Subaru models, with some feature articles on the more popular models such as the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi “Spec. R” and the 2007 Pure White EDM STi.  Keep in mind these are sport cars; they’re not known for better gas mileage and you wouldn’t want to worry about gas prices while you’re driving one, but they sure fun to drive!

Please tell us a little about what STiBlog.com is all about:
The site is all about Subarus. Everything from industry news, to new Subaru models, and racing/WRC coverage. (Rally Racing as an example)

When did you start your blog, and why?
I started the site in September 2008. I’m a long time car and Subaru enthusiast, and figured why not blog about something I have passion for?

What kinds of service/news/info does STiBlog.com offer?
A Subaru Blog! Read about current Subaru news, road tests, comparisons, articles, and tuning. We also feature a wide variety of Subaru photos, videos, and wallpapers.

How often do you update the site, and where do you get new content and ideas from?
I try to and pretty much do update it daily. I got content from various sources across the web, but primarily Subaru-related forums, such as NASIOC (www.nasioc.com) and IWSTI (www.iwsti.com)

Are you planning any new additions or features to the site? What’s next for STiBlog.com?
No new “features” per-se as of yet, but I’m planning to hopefully recruit a few more writers to write content.

It’s Saturday, so why not review another website?  This unique blog, www.mazda3zone.info, is dedicated to only one car - the Mazda 3.  Pretty specific - it must be a popular car if it’s got a blog dedicated to it.  The site promises to have everything you ever wanted to know about the Mazda 3, with videos, pictures and consumer comparisons to comparable cars.  Besides the videos on the site, I also liked the preview of the upcoming 2010 Mazda 3 - it includes plenty of specs on the engine (no gas mileage rating though).  So I emailed the site owner with a few interview questions:

Please tell us a little about what your site is all about:
It is a blog i made about the Mazda 3 car. It has articles about the car, reviews, video reviews, videos of the car, and pictures of the car.

When did you start The Mazda 3 Zone, and why?
I started the website about a week ago. I started it because I wanted to make a blog someone could visit for Mazda 3 information.

What kinds of service/news/info does The Mazda 3 Zone offer?
It offers news and reviews about the Mazda 3. It has videos and pictures as well.

How often do you update the site, and where do you get new content and ideas from?
I plan to post new articles every day. I get new content from other car blogs, and car forums.

Are you planning any new additions or features to the site? What’s next for The Mazda 3 Zone?
I am planning to keep updating the content and try to get more traffic to the site. I dont plan on adding any more features, I like it the way it is.