Click on the image above for more shots of the 2008 Ford Focus

There sure are lots of automobile choices out there vying for your hard earned dollars. Cars come in all shapes and sizes, and finding the perfect one can be a daunting task for those who are not very well versed in the market. Today, as gas prices continue to climb, choosing the right-sized car for your needs is increasingly important to the pocketbook. A recently-widowed woman who needs to downsize from her current Ford F-150 truck sent a letter to Tom and Ray Magliozzi, better known as Click and Clack, wondering what new vehicle would best suit her needs. The real question: How much power is enough?

Simply put: drive all your options before making a decision. Be sure to consider how many miles will be driven on the highway as opposed to the city and how many people you will regularly be taking with you. For those who drive predominately in the city and alone, the smallest available engine is most likely going to work out just fine, which, incidently, is true for the majority of the population of the United States. Now, need and want are two completely different questions...


[Source: The Detroit News]

Whereas we're normally used to see how European models end up in other places, in the case of Nissan, the story goes the other way around. For a long time, Nissan dealers were seeing how they didn't have a car for the so-called C segment (compact). The aging Almera was no longer attractive to customers, despite the low prices and the breath of air some Renault-sourced engines brought to the model.

So Europeans are getting the Nissan Tiida, sold as the Versa in America. Tiida means "everchanging tide" in a Japanese dialect. The euro-specs model, although built in México, will be introduced at the Frankfurt International Motor Show next month. Less aggressive than other recent entries from Nissan, such as the Note or the Qashqai, it was first introduced in the Russian market. Let's just hope they set in the newest technologies (such as the cleanest diesels) in this model.

Expect the usual array of engines from the Renault-Nissan alliance, although those engines, nor pricing have been yet announced. As an orientation, the Renault Mégane is being sold with the following ranges (Mixed Euro cycle and CO2 grams per km):

• Gasoline: 1.4 (6.9 l/100, 34 mpg, 165 g/km), 1.6 (this one available with flex-fuel option, 6,9 l/100, 34 mpg, 164 g/km, 2.0 (8 l/100, 30 mpg, 191 g/km), 2.0 Turbo (7.7 l/100, 31 mpg, 184 g/km) and 2.0 T Sport.
• Diesel: 1.5 ECO2 (with 85 or 105 HP, 5.2 l/100, 45 mpg, 117 g/km and 5.6 l/100, 42 mpg and 120 g/km), 1.9 (130 HP, 7 l/100, 34 mpg and 145 g/km).

Note that Nissan sold the Almera and is selling other models with own engines as well.
Related:

• Nissan develops their own new clean diesel technology
• Nissan halves precious metal content in catalytic converter
• Nissan releases pricing on 2008 Versa, from $12,550

[Source: Nissan]

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.