Chevy Silverado was third overall in US vehicle sales for July, 2009.

Here’s the top 20 vehicles in Sales for July:

RANK VEHICLE                     2009     2008  '08 RANK % Chng
  1 Ford F-Series P/U           215,959  319,542       1  -32.4
  2 Toyota Camry                184,216  282,012       3  -34.7
  3 Chevy Silverado-C/K P/U     177,566  264,309       2  -32.8
  4 Honda Accord                160,817  247,244       6  -35.0
  5 Toyota Corolla              151,236  228,926       4  -33.9
  6 Honda Civic                 148,496  234,086       8  -36.6
  7 Nissan Altima               115,680  182,435       9  -36.6
  8 Dodge Ram P/U               112,239  150,272       5  -25.3
  9 Ford Fusion                 102,756   98,530      20   +4.3
 10 Honda CR-V                   98,068  122,230      11  -19.8
 11 Ford Escape                  96,643  102,486      17   -5.7
 12 Chevrolet Impala             93,336  152,320       7  -38.7
 13 Ford Focus                   91,184  138,649      15  -34.2
 14 Chevrolet Malibu             91,168  105,512      26  -13.6
 15 Toyota RAV4                  78,153   83,522      18   -6.4
 16 Toyota Prius                 74,924  106,225      16  -29.5
 17 Hyundai Sonata               73,862   77,336           -4.5
 18 Honda Odyssey                63,339   85,712      21  -26.1
 19 Chevrolet Cobalt             61,111  130,660      14  -53.2
 20 GMC Sierra P/U               60,532   94,770      12  -36.1

Check back next month and we'll see if Chevy Silverado is at the top of this list!

Buy a new Chevy Silverado Hybrid with the Cash For Clunkers Program

Thanks to the Obama Administation Cash For Clunkers program, now is the time to buy a new Chevy Silverado Hybrid! If you’ve been considering selling your gas guzzling SUV or other older vehicle, take advantage of up to $4500 trade in to buy a more fuel efficient Chevy Silverado Hybrid.

It’s a win-win-win-win-win situation! Why you ask?

For starters, you dump that gas guzzling SUV. That saves you a ton of money on gas every week, and helps reduce gas consumption overall, which reduces oil consumption, which reduces America’s reliance on foreign oil! I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea!

Second, you get up to $4,500 rebate on the purchase of your new fuel efficient Chevy Silverado Hybrid. That’s over and above any other rebates or incentives currently offered on the Chevy Silverado Hybrid. Add that to the fact that dealers are already slashing prices in an effort to reduce their sky high inventories, and you can just imagine how much you are going to save on that shiny new Chevy Silverado Hybrid.

Third, you save lots of money on fuel, and maintenance on that shiny new Chevy Silverado Hybrid. That’s extra money in your pocket every week/month to help pay your car or house down faster!

Fourth, imagine thousand or tens of thousands of others also taking advantage of the Cash For Clunkers program to buy a new Chevy Silverado Hybrid. This could have the potential to have a significant impact on your oil consumption, which ultimately will reduce our reliance on foreign oil, which should reduce the cost of gasoline going forward!

Fifth, and lastly (I promise), all these new car purchases will help improve sales at all the major car manufacturers, hopefully, shoring up the financial woes of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford!

So, if you take advantage of the Cash For Clunkers Program, you are improving not only your own financial situation, but also improving the American economy, reducing oil dependency, and bailing out the auto makers. So get out to your local dealer and buy that new Chevy Silverado Hybrid you’ve been dreaming about.

2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid 1500 AWD Crew Cab

BASE PRICE: $38,020 for 2WD model; $41,170 for AWD model.

TYPE: All Silverado’s are Front-engine, all-wheel drive, five-passenger, full-size pickup truck.

ENGINE: The Chevy Silverado Hybrid comes with a 6-liter, overhead valve V-8 with Atkinson cycle, Active Fuel Management and two 80-horsepower electric motors.

MILEAGE: 20 mpg (city or highway)

LENGTH: 230 inches.

WHEELBASE: 143.5 inches.

CURBWEIGHT: 5,882 pounds.

Factory producing the Chevy Silverado Hybrid: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

OPTIONS: too many great options to list here, see your Chevy Silverado Dealer!

Charlie Daher has seen an awful lot of trade-ins. But none ever grabbed him like the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that a customer returned to his dealership early in June.

“I have never seen a trade come in with mileage this high,” said Daher, who has run Commonwealth Motors for the past 18 years. Located in Lawrence, Commonwealth sells Chevrolet, Honda, Kia and, since last year, Volkswagen vehicles.

The 12-year-old Chevy belonged to Windham resident Fred Nader. He had driven the pickup for nearly 558,000 miles.

“I told him he was one of the reasons GM had to file bankruptcy,” Daher joked.

What’s especially remarkable is that Nader did not pamper the truck. It was his everyday work animal, driven to make the rounds for his business, Modern Amusement. Nader owns and is the sole employee of the company. He operates vending machines, including the kiddie rides and gum ball machines you see at the entrances to supermarkets.

“I have machines down on the Cape and as far south as Meriden, Conn. I go to the western end of the Mass Pike, and basically every place in the middle,” he told me. “And I used to have machines all the way up in St. Johnsbury, Vt.”

Nader has worked the business for 30 years, inheriting it from his father, Fred Nader Jr., who still lives in Methuen. This Fred Nader, who is Fred Nader III, grew up in Methuen before settling in Windham with his family: wife Karin, and 14-year-old Fred IV, John, 11, and Tommy, 5

Nader likes Chevy Silverado pickups with a long, 8-foot bed because he can fit two of his coin-operated merry-go-rounds in back. The trucks have also served him very well. He drove a 1988 Silverado for 307,000 miles. He traded that at Commonwealth for a 1994 model. But he ran the ’94 for a mere 120,000 miles before replacing it because he didn’t like the seats. That’s when Commonwealth sold him the ’97 Silverado that traveled more than half a million miles.

“It’s not like I committed myself to keeping the ’97 forever. But nothing ever happened to make me say, it’s time to get another,” Nader explained.

Most of the thousand or so miles Nader drove each week were on freeways. That helped a lot, because steady-state highway miles produce less wear-and-tear than stuttering, jouncing, in-town travel. Still, Nader took some very practical steps to coax so much longevity from a work vehicle. He credits seven primary measures. They’re fresh and unique – not the usual bromides you hear from for-hire car-care experts.

1. He always warmed up the engine. Rather than starting the pickup and rolling away immediately, Nader let the engine idle long enough to warm up all its internal components. “I let it run a couple of minutes before I take off,” he said.

2. He topped off engine oil between oil changes. As with all engines, the Silverado’s dip-stick showed an upper level and a lower level, with any reading inside that band considered OK. But Nader never let his oil level fall below the upper reading. He added oil to keep the dip-stick at the top level, or a half-quart above.

3. When driving, he accelerated very moderately. That doesn’t mean he drove slowly, Nader noted. Especially, say, when running up to St. Johnsbury on deserted stretches of open freeway, he would push the pickup to speeds we won’t mention here. But he didn’t rush to attain high velocities. “I would take my time to get up to speed. Then it was just the left-hand lane and cruise,” Nader said.

4. When stopping, he applied the brakes moderately. That reduces wear and tear on the brakes themselves, while it eliminates overall stress on the vehicle.

As an added bonus, Nader noted that both moderate braking and acceleration saved him dollars at the fuel pumps.

“When you accelerate fast and you brake hard, you’re just throwing away gas mileage,” he said.

5. He repaired problems right away. For example, even if a leak in the truck’s power steering looked small and insignificant, Nader didn’t wait until it grew critical. He brought it immediately to his mechanic, Joey Nicolisi, who runs Quality Auto Service in Methuen.

Prompt repair eliminated problems before others occurred, Nader explained. Therefore he never faced a discouraging, costly hold-up in the repair shop to fix multiple failures.

“You hear a lot of people say that they have to get a new truck because this is going wrong that that’s going wrong and this part is ripped. You end up with too much stuff going on at the same time and it looks like too much to fix,” said Nader. His approach “keeps them all small and it doesn’t turn into this big huge problem.”

6. When repairs were necessary, he used only top-quality parts, rather than trying to economize by using inferior replacement gear.

7. He treated the engine with the Slick 50 oil additive at the first oil change. Like other oil enhancers, Slick 50 claims to coat engine parts with substances that reduce friction.

That last tip will raise some objections, because vehicle manufacturers typically recommend that you avoid additives. But Nader considers it one of his keys, and it’s tough to argue with a guy who goes 558,000 real-world miles.

He plans to add Slick 50 to the engine of the new 2009 Silverado he just purchased from Commonwealth, as soon as the first oil change is due. In fact, Nader plans to follow the same regime with the new truck.

“I’ll treat it exactly the same. I’d be silly to do anything different,” he said.

That’s not to say this high-miler isn’t open to experimentation and new ideas. With the new truck, he is considering using Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil rather than petroleum-based oil.

Will that produce even better results? We’ll have to check back with Nader in a dozen years to find out.

We liked this because it told us all about the On-Star feature they offer on some models that can help you if you’re in an accident, run out of gas, or just breakdown. The On-Star is a smart system and every automaker should be looking close at Chevrolet.

They offer the best of the Big Three when it comes to hybrids, a car, the Malibu, a truck, the Silverado, and the Tahoe, an SUV-what a choice! Again, however, this Big Three Company mentioned nothing on their website about how this manufacturing company is being environmentally responsible-what’s with the Big Three anyway on this subject?

We looked at two Chevrolet trucks.

2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab – The Best

Male Country singers croon about owning a Chevy truck and after looking at the Silverado, we know why. It comes in two basic models, the Work Truck and the LT model.

They range from 4.3 liter, 8 cylinder engines to 5.3 liter 8 cylinder engines and have a fuel efficiency of 17 miles per gallon. Depending on model, the Silverado comes in rear-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive and range in price from $19,000 to $29,765.

The good news is that you can get this in a hybrid, but it will cost you more, but really not that much more-only $38,000. If Chevy can offer a hybrid truck at that price, they need to call up Ford and Dodge and explain it to them.

This truck is powerful, a great hauler, and has all the amenities, including On-Star and controls in all the right places. Yep keep singing country folk-this is an awesome truck.

2009 Chevrolet Colorado Regular Cab – The Worst

Chevrolet must have called Dodge and thought this truck would compete with the Dakota.

Both sold as “ladies” trucks, the Colorado comes in 12 styles. The two basic models are the Work Truck and the LT and depending on style, have a 2.9 liter, 4 cylinder engine to a 3.7 liter, 5 cylinder engine. They have a fuel efficiency of 20 miles per gallon and are priced from $16,700 to $21,300.

Customers thought this truck had a weak engine and lack of interior features. They felt the 5-cylinder option was barely adequate and the ride felt bouncy. Overall, even the experts felt this truck was “fair.”

Summing Up Chevrolet

Chevrolet should be proud of their three hybrids, especially when it comes to the price of them.

The Malibu is only $23,000 and the Silverado is $38,000, and their top of the line hybrid the Tahoe is only $50,000! What does Chevy know that the other American automakers don’t know?

They offer top-performance in the Silverado trucks that those farmers love and when you buy your next Chevy truck, don’t forget to purchase a Chevrolet extended warranty to ensure once the manufacturer’s warranty is expired, you’ll still have repair coverage.

And when you buy your next Chevy, don’t forget to buy the Chevrolet extended warranty to extend the manufacturer’s warranty and help with your resale value. An extended car warranty company, Warranty Direct has been helping consumers for 28 years and can help you save hundreds of dollars on an extended auto warranty.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Boris_Badinoff

The winner of the Chevy truck will be announced the first week of July. All current active members of USA are eligible, along with anyone who joins by 12:00 am, June 30, 2009. To join, go to www.UnionSportsmen.org or call 877-872-2211. Membership is $25 a year.

In addition to connecting union sportsmen and women across North America, the alliance, a one-of-a-kind, hunting and fishing association of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), provides hunting and fishing information as well as discounts on outdoor gear, and chances to win prizes.

“We’re going to see substantial improvements in towing capability in our next hybrids,” said Gary White, GM North America vice president and vehicle line executive for GM Full-Size Trucks. “We think we can raise towing by up to 50 percent more than today’s (hybrid) trucks. For us, it just makes sense that we want to improve the trailering capability. It’s one of the top reasons people buy a truck.”

We expect GM’s next-generation hybrid full-size pickups to arrive by 2013.

GM’s 2009 two-wheel-drive hybrids are rated to tow up to 6,100 pounds, and four-wheel-drive models can tow up to 5,900 pounds. That means a tow rating of up to 9,000 pounds is possible in GM’s next-generation hybrids. A conventional GM 6.0-liter gas V-8 crew cab half-ton is rated to tow up to 10,600 pounds with an optional enhanced trailering package.

The two-mode hybrids combine an electrically variable transmission that houses two 60kW electric motors with a multi-displacement 6.0-liter V-8 gas engine. Depending on engine load, the electric motors alone can drive the truck up to 25 mph. As the V-8 kicks in, the electric motors seamlessly support it, individually or in tandem, at low and high speeds, helping the engine enter fuel-saving four-cylinder mode sooner and stay in it longer to achieve better fuel economy. Two-wheel-drive versions are EPA rated at 21/22 mpg city/highway, and four-wheel-drive versions are rated at 20/20 mpg city/highway.

White said today’s GM hybrid half-tons are limited in towing capacity by two factors: cooling requirements for the trucks’ sophisticated electronics, and torque limitations in some of the transmission’s gear-set changes.

How will GM realize its improvements in capability, along with another expected jump in fuel economy? Could GM’s future hybrid pickups evolve from today’s two-mode parallel hybrid architecture to a plug-in, series-hybrid powertrain, similar to the Chevrolet Volt’s so-called E-Flex system?

“E-Flex is an option that’s on the table,” White said. “I don’t know if the current system, the one that’s in (today’s) trucks, could evolve enough. One of the things you might consider is E-Flex.”

The DuraMax 4.5-liter engine makes 310 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque and is expected to serve up fuel economy numbers 25 percent higher than comparable gasoline engines. GM says the narrow V-angle block allows the diesel to fit in any hole that currently accommodates a small-block V8 gas engine. That leaves GM with plenty of options for offering the diesel in other models such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. Conceivably, the new DuraMax could even be shoehorned into a Corvette — but don’t bank on seeing that anytime soon.

The engine uses dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. Exhaust manifolds are integrated into the cylinder heads, while the intake manifolds are formed as part of the cam cover. A variable-vane turbocharger compresses intake air before it reaches the cylinder, and a 29,000-psi fuel system delivers the diesel.

“By using integral cylinder head exhaust manifolds, integral cam cover intake manifolds and a narrow cylinder block, designers saved space and reduced the engine’s weight. And because the engine makes more efficient use of heat, fuel economy and performance are enhanced, and noise and emissions are reduced,” said Gary Arvan, chief engineer for the 4.5-liter V8 diesel.

To tackle the tough new Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards, the DuraMax uses a particulate filter and selective catalytic converter that captures nitrogen-based emissions to burn them off later during an engine cycle.

What this means to you: Whether you want low-end torque or higher fuel economy, diesels definitely make sense in this application. — Eric Tingwall, Correspondent

Truck sets the bar for other pickups trying to be environmentally friendly

I am a conservationist, not an environmentalist. I enjoy the outdoors, detest politics and like to fire guns. The few things I know about environmentalists are from their press releases.

Until now, no hybrid fit into my life. They are, for all intents and purposes, neat little suburban vehicles that collectively fail to express my inner ruggedness. Hybrids signify an emasculated version of our kinder, gentler and greener transportation future. They are what people drive to book club or take on weekend treks searching for antiques. Some call them chic machines, when, really, they’re just chick mobiles.

The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado hybrid cuts a new trail for pickups. It’s the real deal, man about town, call us producing, planet cooling, pickup truck. The control switches can handle a firm grip and big hands. They can be turned while wearing work gloves. Its imposing dual port grille and giant gold bow tie on a highway will scare a Toyota Prius into a ditch.

Save the Earth? Yeah, that’s just the way I roll; now let’s go shoot something.

Version runs quieter, cleaner

The first production gas-electric pickup by any carmaker, the hybrid Silverado rolls just as well as its gasoline brothers, just quieter, cheaper and cleaner.

The electric only mode at low speeds is silent, allowing you to cruise through Cabela’s parking lot on 18-inch low rolling resistance tires as if you’re stalking Bambi’s mom on Doe Day. You can get it up to 30 mph without burning a drop of gas.

No one would guess there’s a 332-horsepower 6-liter V-8 under the hood — and that power number doesn’t reflect the instant torque from the 300-volt motor inside the transmission.

While the exterior looks just like any other Chevy pickup, Chevrolet dots the shell with small green hybrid tags.

There are the optional big bold “HYBRID” signs scrawled across the bottom of the doors in case you missed the other badges. They are as subtle as a hunting vest.

Of course, a little recognition is nice. If you’re plugging ducks with a finely crafted Benelli 12 gauge, you don’t want people to think it’s just a Remington 870. How embarrassing. (No offense meant to the ever reliable Remington.)

Trucks are no different. If you’re going to spend $40,000 for a hybrid pickup — then people should know it’s special. My test vehicle topped $48,000, though Chevy points out a hybrid version of its most popular truck — a 1LT Crew Cab — starts at $38,995. Additionally, the hybrid premium is roughly $3,000 and there’s a $2,200 available federal tax credit.

So recouping the hybrid premium is feasible, especially if gas prices go up. I’m not an economist, but I’m guessing they will.

Engine shows green sophistication

The engine may sound big and burly when you hit the gas, but it’s no brute. It’s as sophisticated as a wetlands ecosystem. General Motors Corp.’s Active Fuel Management system can turn off four cylinders when cruising or the auto stop system can turn off the engine when stopped and restart when needed. The transition is not noticeable.

The electric motor also helps keep the AFM on longer, which provides better fuel economy.

By the numbers, the Silverado hybrid brings home the wild boar — and everything tastes better with boar.

There’s a 40 percent jump in fuel economy. This pickup gets 21 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway for the two-wheel-drive version. The 4×4 hits 20/20. During my testing, I averaged 17.5 mpg in combination highway and city driving.

It can still tow up to 6,100 pounds and the bed can handle just more than 1,400 pounds.

My test vehicle included a removable tonneau cover, which easily pops off for serious work.

The Silverado hybrid includes an electrically variable transmission, which is perhaps the masterpiece to this vehicle’s powertrain. While there are four fixed gears inside, it electronically manipulates it and makes it feel like a six-speed tranny. It also has the ability to shut out the electric motors when its little computer brain determines the stress is too much — such as towing a boat up a steep hill. The electric launch is smooth and you can top 20 mph in electric only mode when towing if the batteries are fully charged. While the Silverado uses the same system as other hybrid GM vehicles, this system has been updated with new programming.

Chevy also smoothed out the Silverado’s ride with the addition of new hydraulic body mount. The improvement was so noticeable, GM put the mount on all of its pickups so no matter what you drive to the lodge, the road will feel smoother.

The only quibble I had with the truck’s performance was the brakes seemed too sensitive. However, after a few days of driving it, I quickly retrained myself to use the appropriate pressure. Like most hybrids, the Silverado uses regenerative braking to capture energy normally lost to heat to recharge the battery pack located under the second row of seats.

Losing a little space under the back seat is the only noticeable difference inside the Silverado hybrid.

The interior is clean and well laid out with lots of room for a hunting party. All of the features you’d expect remain, including the dual glove box, XM satellite radio (with XM traffic updates to the optional navigation system) and OnStar.

In upper left corner of the instrument panel, is an eco gauge, which is a little needle that moves to the right (bad) or to the left (good) depending on how friendly your boot is to the accelerator.

Really, I wanted more inside the cabin to remind me I was in a hybrid — other than the extremely quiet ride. But I certainly don’t need it and taking what you need is often better than what you want.

If people didn’t know better, they’d just assume it’s a luxury truck, which is about as good of a compliment as they can give it.

Pickups, much like their owners, place more importance on function than form. If they didn’t, pickups would look like sports cars.

Pickup drivers need a truck that can do the job at hand, whether towing a boat, hauling tools to a job site or carrying gear to the cabin up north.

Saving some gas is nice. It can put a few dollars for your pocket. But people don’t buy hybrids to just save a few bucks. They do it to help the environment; they do it for a greater social good that goes beyond their own windshield.

Helping Mother Earth today seems obvious to any conservationist like myself: The healthier our planet today, the more things to shoot tomorrow.

Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217 or sburgess@detnews.com.

GM introduces hybrid pickups: Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra

By Pete Szilagyi
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Saturday, March 07, 2009

With all the buzz about gas-electric hybrid cars, I’ve heard plenty of exasperated people ask, “Why don’t they make hybrid pickups?”

The questioners might assume a hybrid pickup would get 30 or 40 miles per gallon, like a hybrid automobile. Numbers like those are unachievable with current technology, but a hybrid pickup capable of about 20 miles per gallon in urban commuting has just arrived.

Last week, I drove General Motors’ new two-mode hybrid half-ton pickups, sold as the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid in both two- and four-wheel drive. The Chevy and GMC are identical except for trim and styling differences and a $370 price premium for the GMC.

The EPA rates two-wheel drive versions at 21 city, 22 highway; four-wheel drive at 20 and 20. My test drives suggest those mileage numbers are achievable only when the trucks are driven very conservatively.

On a 75-mile loop through San Antonio, which included lots of turns and traffic lights, the GMC Sierra 4×4 that I tested delivered 18.9 mpg. I accelerated leisurely but kept up with traffic.

The truck, with three adults aboard, had no cargo, and a tonneau cover that comes standard on the hybrids protected the bed. A typical four-wheel drive crew-cab pickup with a conventional V-8 power train probably would yield mileage of 14 to 17 mpg in the same driving scenario.

Even driven normally, the hybrids should wring a couple of extra miles from a gallon, and certainly do so with far fewer tailpipe emissions. As I’ve written before, hybrid fuel mileage and emissions levels depend on driving style as much as they do the advanced technology power train.

Drivers intent on getting the best gas mileage are aided by a simple gauge with a needle that points right during efficient driving and to the left when the driver’s right foot gets heavy.

GM’s new pickups share the two-mode power trains with GM’s large hybrid SUVs. The system combines a six-liter V-8 engine, two electric motors, three planetary gear clusters and a 300-volt battery pack.

Developed by GM in concert with BMW and the former DaimlerChrysler, this impressive system is controlled by an onboard computer almost powerful enough to calculate additions to the national debt.

These hybrids are available only in Crew Cab configuration in two trim levels. The least expensive, which is actually quite well-equipped, is $38,995. An upper-trim hybrid with leather and navigation system is $45,130. Unfortunately, most potential buyers are shut out at these prices.

GM’s complex pricing strategy makes calculating the hybrid price premium over conventional trucks difficult, but the new hybrids seem to cost about $1,000 more than similarly equipped Silverados and Sierras. Dealers probably won’t discount the new hybrids as heavily as the regular trucks, if at all.

The hybrids are capable pickups, with 1,400-pound payloads, 6,100-pound towing capacities, room for four or five passengers, and no shortage of power. Aided by two 60-kilowatt motors when needed, the 332-horsepower V-8 engine accelerates and pulls as well or better than most conventionally powered trucks. It’s very torquey.

Fuel is saved because the electric assist can keep the V-8 from bearing the entire load. With gentle acceleration from a stop, the electric motor alone got my test truck rolling up to 15 to 20 mph. GM says 30 mph on electric is possible, but I couldn’t make it happen.

Like all hybrids, the gas engine shuts off when the truck stops, then restarts when needed. This alone saves gas, as does the hybrids’ electrically powered air-conditioning compressor and power steering pump, components typically driven by a vehicle’s gas engine.

Based on the trucks I drove, GM seems to have done an exceptional job insulating the occupants from the coarseness and noise of the big V-8 starting and stopping while the vehicle is under way, and from general road noise as well.

Power to charge the bank of nickel-metal hydride batteries, tucked under the rear seat, comes from the same electric motors that help motivate the truck. When the truck coasts and brakes, the motors reverse polarity and act as generators to reclaim the energy typically lost during deceleration.

Other strategies save fuel: Some truck components are made of especially light materials, the tires have a low rolling resistance (something to consider when replacing them), and four of the eight cylinders in the gas engine are shut down when the main computer senses easy, low-load cruising.

In his 27 years of writing a column for the Austin American-Statesman, Pete Szilagyi has driven more than 1,400 new cars and trucks.

According to Pet…

Target audience: Small-business owners, individuals and families hoping to save money on fuel and go green.

Highs: Power, smooth operation, fuel savings, cleaner emissions, comfort, cabin quietness.

Lows: No less-expensive models to entice fleet buyers and those unable to pay $40,000.

Bottom line: Probably the greenest full-size pickup on the planet.

EPA rating for greenhouse gas emissions (10 is best): 5