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.

Here’s an interesting blog I thought I’d share with you about “The World of Cars and Automobiles” called CarPlanetOnline.com.  They certainly have some valuable info about cars and autos in general, but I also noticed they had some good car reviews.  What caught my eye in particular, since I’m interested in hybrid cars, alternative fuel and increasing gas mileage, was a review on the 2009 Toyota Prius.  I emailed the owner of the site a few questions to find out a little more about the blog:

Please tell us a little about what your site is all about:
It is a blog on automotive news, cars and tips.

When did you start carplanetonline.com, and why?
I love cars and started it about a year ago.

What kinds of service/news/info does your site offer?
News on the latest cars, auto tips and more.

How often do you update the site, and where do you get new content and ideas from?
I update it once every 10 days and so.  I get my ideas from recent and relevant news stories.

Are you planning any new additions or features to the site? What’s next for carplanetonline.com?
Just keep blogging …

I recently noticed a 2009 Chevy Impala which had a “FlexFuel” designation on its trunk.  Underneath, in small letters, it said “E85 Ethanol.”  I asked the driver if he knew what that meant, and he said “No.”  I couldn’t believe it - he didn’t know the what the flex fuel designation meant on his own car!?!  It turns out there’s a whole new breed of FFV, or Flex Fuel Vehicles, out there on the market and many consumers don’t even know what they are.

First, let me explain what ethanol is.  Ethanol is known by several other names: ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol.  That’s right - it’s the heavy stuff we drink to get drunk.  But it can be used as a fuel or fuel additive.  The ironic truth is Henry Ford designed his first car, the Model T, to run completely on 100% ethyl alcohol way back in the early 1900s.  But today the U.S. gov’t doesn’t allow 100% pure ethanol as a fuel.

E85 Ethanol is a type of biofuel. In the U.S. it is mainly produced by distilling corn.  Not surprisingly, it’s more popular in the midwest where we have a lot of corn being grown.  According to Wiki, E85 is an “alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbon (HC) by volume.”  There’s a lot of controversy around using E85 as a biofuel, since it may have an even bigger carbon footprint than traditional fuel.

E85 is a bit cheaper than gas; currently it’s about .20 to .30 cents less per gallon; of course, you’ve got to find a station which is selling it.  But there are plenty of cars on the market which will run on E85, and according to Chevy, they’ve been making FlexFuel cars which will run on biofuel for the past 8 years.