Consumer Reports: Best Deals on New Cars for 4th of July

by Gabrielle DeSantis

While the market is still in a bit of a funk, prices are all over the place. If you are looking to buy a new car over the fourth of July weekend, check out some of the best deals compiled by Consumer Reports. Don’t wait – these new car deals won’t last long.

The Nissan Leaf is a top pick for Consumer Reports

The Nissan Leaf is on the Consumer Reports Best Deals list for 4th of July | Nissan

Consumer Reports says the 2021 Nissan Leaf is a great deal for the fourth of July weekend at 22% off. It is a recommended choice and a green choice with an overall score of 72 out of 100. The fuel economy is an impressive 104 MPGe, 114 MPGe in the city, and 94 MPGe on the highway. It tanked fourth on the list of hybrid/electric vehicles, behind the 2021 Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt.

The 2021 Nissan Leaf SL Plus has an MSRP of $43,920. With 22% off, the savings is $9,834, leading to a bottom-line price of $34,086.

4th of July deals on new cars: Toyota Avalon

The 2021 Toyota Avalon is a popular large car. In fact, Consumer Reports ranked the Avalon first out of six other cars. It gets 42 mpg overall, 32 mpg in the city, and 52 mpg on the highway. Overall, CR gave the car a score of 88 out of 100. The Toyota car has a high predicted owner satisfaction rating and a decent rating for the predicted reliability. Toyota cars are always on the lists of deals on new cars, but that’s a good sign.

2021 Toyota Avalon Hybrid XLE has an MSRP of $37,100. It is 15% off, making for a $5,709 potential savings off MSRP, making the price $31,391.

Consumer Reports picked the Kia Sportage

If you are looking for a compact SUV, the 2021 Kia Sportage is on sale on the 4th of July. It ranked fourth on the list of compact SUVs by Consumer Reports. Overall, the Sportage gets 23 mpg, 16 mpg in the city, and 32 mpg on the highway. Not a bad pick for a smaller new SUV.

The 2021 Kia Sportage LX AWD has an MSRP of $25,590. It is on sale 12%, making the potential savings off MSRP around $3,023. The bottom line price is then $22,567.

The sporty Kia Stinger is on sale

Consumer Reports ranked the 2021 Kia Stinger 10th out of 15 on the list of luxury compact cars. It is one of the sportier cars Kia has released lately and seems to appeal to a wide audience. The Stinger gets a pretty good 23 mpg overall, 16 mpg in the city, and 32 mpg on the highway.

The 2021 Kia Stinger GT AWD has an MSRP of $41,790. The potential savings off MSRP are $5,090 with the 12% off, making the price $36,700.

The most reliable Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is a car that has stood the test of time. Consumer Reports ranked the Camry first out of 13 other midsize cars. It gets excellent fuel economy with 47 mpg overall, 39 mpg in the city, and 53 mpg on the highway. The Camry is one of those cars you see on the road every day, no matter how old it is. That’s a good sign, especially if you buy new.

The 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE MSRP is $27,270. At 12% off, the potential savings off MSRP for the Camry come in at $3,182. That leaves the bottom line price at $24,088, which is quite a bargain.

Overall, the cars on this list will get you on your way to the beach in no time, with a little extra cash in your pocket. Consumer Reports notes these deals likely won’t last too long once the 4th of July holiday is over, so get to it!

RELATED: Consumer Reports: Cars To Avoid That Might Need Head Gasket Replacement

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How Does Your Car Cause Air Pollution?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Cars and electric vehicles have long been subject to scrutiny from environmentalists. Air pollution is one of the worst effects of global warming, and cars contribute to it. Like it or not, EVs do too. Analysts often discuss the fact that cars contribute to the issue of global warming. But the “how” is often left out. It’s time to take a look at that, as well as the impact air pollution will have in the coming years.

Air pollution is a serious problem

Exhaust fumes contribute to air pollution | Peter Macdiarmid via Getty Images

It’s no secret that oxygen quality is becoming an issue. Turn to CBS or CNN on any given night and you’ll see images of Angelenos shrouded in smog, or the Hong Kong skyline peeking up from under the layers of pollutants. It’s an established fact that cars are a factor. Moreover, it is also becoming clear that EVs are not as clean as we think. Their battery production at scale is a cause for concern.

But, that debate is for another time. EVs aside, air pollution is an issue exacerbated by the emissions created by gas and diesel-powered vehicles. These vehicles emit harmful carbon dioxide gas from the exhaust, trapping heat in our atmosphere and raising global average temperatures. Thankfully, measures have been taken to combat this. Every new vehicle must be sold with a catalytic converter, and it’s been that way for some time.

What is a catalytic converter?

Exhaust fumes emitting from a tailpipe, often a contributing factor in air pollution
Catalytic converters can help with oxygen quality | Joe Raedle via Getty Images

A catalytic converter is effectively a muzzle for the harmful pollutants seeping from the back end of your car or truck. So, please don’t de-cat your Challenger. No one wants to hear that, and Captain Planet would be very disappointed. Made from rare earth metals, they trap certain pollutants in a honeycomb-shaped filter.

While the catalytic converter does help, the fact of the matter is, cars pollute a lot from the start of their lives to the end. Increased use of sustainable materials is one step that can be taken to combat this. But, the fact remains that measures must be taken to combat the climate crisis, and cars have fallen into the crossfire.

Do EVs help with the problem?

Heavy smog in Milan, Italy
Smog can be visible from up close | Marco Bertorello via Getty Images

Electric vehicles do help. Of course, their biggest benefit is zero tailpipe emissions. Yes, the harmful effects of battery material mining must be examined; but the pollution of an EV is simply less impactful than a gas car. Transportation is not the only factor that must be examined in fighting the climate crisis, but that discussion is for another time. What matters now is doing what we can to help our planet, EVs or not.

RELATED: President Biden’s EV Plan Makes Battery Recycling a Priority

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Does Google Maps Show EV Charging Stations?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Statista reports that as of February 2021, the U.S. has nearly 100,000 charging outlets designated for electric vehicles (EVs) located across the country. Those numbers are bound to increase, and there’s no surprise as to why. After all, having EV charging stations nearby is the only way to make owning an EV practical. The good news is that finding an EV charging station nearby is pretty simple, especially if you’re using Google Maps.

How to find EV charging stations nearby

EV Charging Station | Citizen of the Planet/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Do you know how to find an EV charging station near you? While Statista reports that there are 100,000 charging outlets located across the country, you may not know how to find the closest charging station to you. The good news is that finding EV charging stations nearby isn’t all that difficult. In fact, it’s pretty easy.

According to Car and Driver, several apps and websites help EV owners locate charging stations nearest to them. Some of the most commonly used EV apps include PlugShare, Open Charge Map, and ChargeHub. PlugShare, for example, is a free app available for iOS, Android, and the web. It allows users to locate EV charging stations nearby, leave reviews, and even pay for charging.

And if you aren’t sold on using an app? The good news is that using an EV app isn’t the only way to find charging stations nearby. If you use Google Maps, finding EV charging stations nearby is a very simple process. But don’t just take our word for it. Let’s talk about how you can use Google Maps to find an EV charging station near you.

Can you use Google Maps to find EV charging stations near you?

A blue EV being charged at a charging station
EV charging. | BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

Yes, you can use Google Maps to find EV charging stations. You can do much more than that too. As a matter of fact, in 2019, Google introduced the ability to not only locate charging stations nearby using Google Maps, but it also introduced the ability to see the real-time availability of charging stations near you. Using Google Maps, you can also see the business where the charging station is located, along with what port types are offered and how fast charging is.

Google’s rating and reviews feature also works with Google Maps. Meaning, every time you use Google Maps to locate an EV charging station nearby, you’ll also be able to see photos of the station itself and read actual user reviews. “Combined with Google Maps existing rating and review features, the functionality should make it a lot easier to find a charger that’s not occupied, that’s in good working order, and that’s compatible with your car,” The Verge reports.

How to use Google Maps to find EV charging stations

A mobile phone with the Google Maps app open.
Google Maps | Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto)

Using Google Maps to locate charging stations isn’t all that difficult. If you’ve ever used Google Maps before, chances are you’ll have no trouble using it to find a charging station near you. But if you’re unfamiliar with it? Let’s get into how to use Google Maps to find EV charging stations.

First, if you have Google Maps built into your car, simply open the app and enter your destination. Once you have entered your destination into the app, tap ‘Add charging stop.’ Google Maps will then pull up EV charging stations along your route. Simply choose a charging station and let Google Maps do the rest.

And if you’re using the app? Simply enter ‘EV charging stations’ into the search bar, and the app will automatically list EV charging stations nearby. You can use Google Maps within your browser to do the same. Once you have selected a charging station, Google Maps will provide you with turn-by-turn directions to it.

Do you know where you’ll be charging your EV next?

If you own an EV, it’s a good idea to understand how to find EV charging stations in your area. After all, if your EV is low on power, you’re going to need to plug it in. Fortunately, Google Maps makes finding charging stations a pretty manageable task.

RELATED: Lincoln Joins the List of Car Brands Pledging to Go All-Electric

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Consumer Reports: Does Volkswagen Own Lamborghini and Bugatti?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Volkswagen Group owns a lot more than just the Volkswagen brand you might see on the road these days. This isn’t an uncommon practice, but Volkswagen is one of the larger umbrella brands to own a few smaller brands under it. Those brands include Lamborghini and Porsche. Stellantis owns quite a number of brands, both in the U.S. and in Europe.

Volkswagen does own Lamborghini, among other brands

Does Volkswagen Own Lamborghini and Bugatti? | Lamborghini

The Volkswagen Group does own Lamborghini and has since 1998. According to Consumer Reports, Automobili Lamborghini was founded in 1963 in Northern Italy and currently has around 1,800 employees. It has 167 dealerships worldwide and has vehicles in the lineup, such as the Huracán, Aventador, and Urus Super SUV.

In a press release from June of 1998, it was announced that Volkswagen Audi Auto Group offered around $100 million for the brand. It was not confirmed what the brand actually sold for at the time. At the same time, Volkswagen also purchased Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Chrysler Corporation owned Lamborghini from 1988 until 1993, which made Volkswagen the seventh owner in Lamborghini’s 35-year history (at the time of sale).

How many brands does Volkswagen own?

Volkswagen group actually owns a lot of different brands. Currently, it owns Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, and Volkswagen. It isn’t unusual for a large group like Volkswagen to own a lot of smaller brands.

In fact, Stellantis owns quite a few brands after the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot S.A. The brands included are Ram, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Maserati, Fiat. Overseas, Stellantis owns and operates Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, DS Automobiles, and Vauxhall.

General Motors (GM) owns a few brands as well. In the U.S., GM owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC. Hummer is owned under GMC. The brand has some new electric vehicles on the way, like the GMC Hummer EV.

Daimler AG owns the Mercedes brand. The BMW group owns BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce. Hyundai owns Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia, and Honda Motor Co. owns Honda and Acura.

The supercar brand also makes tractors

Lamborghini actually started as Lamborghini Trattori in 1948 by Ferruccio Lamborghini. The headquarters is in Pieve di Cento, Italy. Lamborghini used American-made used military surplus materials to make these first tractors. “With time, research, and passion, the brand became synonymous with innovation in the production of agricultural machinery.” To this day, the company still produces around 2,000 tractors each year.

Car and Driver took a Lamborghini Nitro tractor on an adventure Stelvio Pass in Italy in 2014. At that time, the tractors started around $94,600 for the Nitro tractor. The fully-loaded version was more like $146,000. If you plan on buying new, you can plan on spending upwards of $150,000.

The brand has been switching things up lately with the introduction of the Urus SUV and keeping production up on the tractors. While the luxury sports car brand might not make a large volume of vehicles each year, it is still one of the more popular vehicles on the luxury market.

RELATED: That Looks Expensive: Lamborghini Gallardo-Based Batmobile Crash

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