Click above image for a gallery of the 5-door Yaris

With the soaring cost of fuel and an increased awareness of global warming, more and more people are looking at hybrids as a way of saving a buck and the environment at the same time. The king of all hybrids is the Toyota Prius, which comprises the lion's share of all hybrid sales. It'll net you 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway, and when you're done with your hybrid hatch, you can sell it with minimal depreciation. The Prius has a lot going for it, but does it have the lowest cost of ownership? It would, if not for another member of the Toyota lineup.

IntelliChoice figures total cost of ownership over a five-year period by balancing depreciation, insurance, financing, maintenance and repairs, and fuel costs. While the Prius delivers $2,000 in fuel savings over that period of time and very high residual value, the Yaris beat out the Prius in cost of ownership by a rather large $1,300. The reason? There are a few, really, including the Yaris' bargain basement starting price of $13,945, which is much lower than the $22,220 it takes to get you into a Prius. Then there is the fact that the Yaris also gets solid fuel economy, with city/highway numbers of 29/35. Financing $22k is also a lot tougher on the wallet then a meager $14k.

The Yaris may have won the cost of ownership battle, the Prius is still winning the war. Prius sales are killing Yaris sales, and while the Prius is no beauty queen, the Yaris is just as homely while also having far less interior room.

[Source: Automobile Mag]

Click above image for a gallery of the 5-door Yaris

How do you know gas prices are high? Well, for one thing, your wallet feels a whole lot lighter after you fill up your car. Another indicator is that Toyota is adding a second Yaris liftback to its U.S. lineup. So much for the red-white-and-blue being averse to hatches. For the '09 model year, we're finally getting the 5-door Yaris hatch, which has been available in other markets, including Canada, since the current car arrived in 2005. The 5-door is basically the same size as the three-door, but the added points of entry make for a more usable overall package, especially if you're going to be using the back seats often. Parents, for one, should be pleased with the new offering. Other changes made to the Yaris range for '09 include the addition of standard front side and rear curtain airbags and the addition of optional cruise control for the Liftback. Toyota hasn't announced pricing yet, but it should be in line with what it already asks for the 3- and 4-door cars. Photos of the U.S. market car haven't been released yet, but the enclosed gallery of the UK-market version show you just about all you need to know. Just mentally flip that steering wheel over to the other side.


[Source: Toyota]

Click the Fiesta for a high-res gallery

Last week, Ford announced that their new B-class car that's coming to the U.S. for 2010 would retain the name Fiesta that's currently used for that car in the rest of the world. When the Verve concept made it's North American debut at the Detroit Auto Show last month most of the attention was paid to the new four-door sedan version. This was no surprise given American consumers seeming preference to that form factor. However, visitors to the show might have also noticed that the original three-door hatchback concept that debuted last fall at Frankfurt was also sitting nearby. It turns out that the hatchback had been touring European shows and was not originally planned to be shown here. However, new marketing chief Jim Farley, who recently moved to Dearborn from Toyota, had other ideas. According to a Ford source, Farley insisted that the hatchback be shown in North America alongside the sedan. Farley apparently supports the idea of selling the hatch here. Based on the comments to the posts on the production Fiesta photos here and on Autoblog, it seems that the majority of readers feel the same way. No decision has been made at this point, but chances look good for America getting a hatchback Fiesta as well as the sedan.


[Source: Ford]

Coming from the same direction as the inflatable roof rack is the automobile backpack. Not, not a backpack for humans that looks like a car, but a backpack that attaches the the hatch of your small car. Think about a VW Golf or a Honda Fit for a minute. Over the rear window, imagine an oversize backpack and you've got the general idea. Of course, not being able to see out the back window is a downer, but for the occasional times where a person might find their small car lacking in storage space, this roll around, waterproof pack might be just the ticket. If you're interested, check out their website here.

The benefit to this system is that when not in use, it adds next to no weight when you are carrying it around in your vehicle. Even when it is in use, the aerodynamic drag is less harmful than a roof rack. Maybe automakers should just start bundling something like this with small hatchback's the same as they bundle fitted luggage with their luxury cars.

[Source: Gizmag]

The launch of the new i30 heralds the next market blitz from Hyundai. With each generation of their models, they make such leaps in value and quality, that it's no longer surprising. So, yes, the i30 is a dandylicious C-segment car, and no, they won't sell it to us here in the States. Same story, different company - though it speaks volumes about Hyundai that anyone would have a twinge of jealousy that one of their cars is not part of the selection in their country.

The styling is crisp and clean, with a dash of youth thrown in; but otherwise a safe design route. The production car is almost the same as the car previewed at the Geneva Motor Show. There is a whole slew of options available, and at least six airbags are standard. Efficient diesels net you 51-60 miles per (imperial) gallon. Trim levels are Comfort, Style and Premium. Prices start at £10,995.

Probably the biggest piece of news is the fact that Hyundai is completely changing their naming system. They, like everyone else, are going alphanumeric. It really doesn't matter either way, but it looks a lot like a giant leap for Hyundai-kind onto the band-wagon. Model numbers will range from i10 to i50, each multiple of ten corresponding to the next vehicle segment, so the i10 will be a micromobile, and the Genesis concept will likely be the i50 (at least we'll get that one).

But what does it really matter, anyway. Here, we still have to deal with the Accent. Oh, lord.

[Source: Hyundai]

I have been having an ongoing email conversation with a man who lives in California about the state of the green automotive choices for someone who fits into the middle-class kind of vehicle, but who wants a sense of style in their car and some driving pleasure. Past vehicles owned by this potential buyer include a hand-me-down Volvo 850 and a Mazda Miata. He is in the market for a new car, and as a reader of AutoblogGreen, would like something environmentally friendly, and possibly a bit "up-market" in appearance. He would also prefer a hatchback for practicality. His claim is that there are no stylish, mid-priced vehicles that fit his needs on American roads today. Is he right? The only logical thing to do is to look at each option, weigh the pros and cons of each and make the best decision possible. Maybe our readership can help pick out a non-economy car that offers style, driving pleasure and is reasonably green.

Please, continue after the break, and help out a fellow reader make a wise decision.