How To Almost Double Your Gas Mileage In a Toyota Camry XLE (Hint: Buy The Hybrid)

The 2013 (and 2014) Toyota Camry Hybrid.

All right, so the headline is a bit of a giveaway.  But here's the simple truth about the Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE we drove recently:

You can take most of what we wrote about the Toyota Camry XLE V6 in early October, change the V6 to a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, change the six-speed automatic transmission to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), adjust the 0-60 time from 5.8 seconds to 7.3 ( a mere second and a half), change the trunk space spec from 15.3 cubic feet to 13.1 (the batteries of the hybrid live underneath), and cut the base price by $2,800.

And then just about double the EPA city mileage estimate from 21 to 40 (highway goes from 31 to 38).

Why You Should Buy One Version Of The 2014 Lexus LS 460 But Not The Other

The 2014 Lexus LS 460.

You may have noticed new signs of aggression from Lexus, for nearly 25 years the maker of whipped cream on wheels.

The signs are in the styling now for most of the lineup and in the engines and suspensions for machines like the IS, GS and most F-Sport models.

Even the flagship LS 460 has been given the new edgy treatment.  The lines are taut, purposeful....the spindle grille fits in with the rest of the family design language...and this year, the LS offers an F-Sport model.

This is good news, because the LS, for all its charms as a smooth all-day cruiser, has never had moves that would inspire confidence on a winding road.