If put to a real-world test, which of these cars would get the best fuel mileage? That's the question we intended to answer with our test of a 2008 Ford Focus, 2005 (certified used) Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 2008 Toyota Prius and 2008 Smart Fourtwo.

So we ran each of them through an identical test loop of close to 1,000 miles. The loop included everything from highway travel and constant speeds to stop-and-go driving in one of the most congested towns on the planet (not L.A.) to medium speeds on deserted two-lanes. When you put a diesel (Jetta) up against a hybrid (Prius) up against a traditional economy car (Focus) up against a...a -- well, whatever the Smart car is -- what do you get in terms of fuel mileage and fuel costs?

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Everyone from Ford to GM to Toyota is betting on plug-in hybrids, with models like the Ford Escape, Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius promising to offer the technology in the next couple of years. The promise of all-electric operation, and the equivalent of 100 mpg, is hard to ignore. Yet there are many hurdles to overcome, like lithium-ion battery technology, heat management and warranty concerns. But an even bigger quesiton remains: How will utility companies react to this new drain on the power grid?

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With a 35 mpg standard by 2020 staring automakers in the face it seems unlikely SUVs will survive the coming CAFE spike, right?

Maybe not. First, as I noted in my blog post last December, that 35 mpg CAFE rating doesn't really equate to a 35 mpg EPA rating. You can read more about the topic in this article. Bottom line -- because of the different testing procedures between these two agencies a vehicle only needs to average about 26 mpg, by EPA testing standards, to meet the 2020 CAFE requirement.

And if you check our latest Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient SUVs for 2008 list, you'll see that every SUV on this list already has at least one number above 26 mpg, and the top five entries average 26 mpg or better. Yes, five of them are essentially the same car (props to Ford for being so far ahead of the game) but the Escape, and even the Escape Hybrid, have been out for years already.

And remember, these are 2008 vehicles on sale today. In 12 years how many more SUVs will be pulled up to this level? Well, I guess all the ones still on sale at that point...

In the next 48 hours you're going to hear a lot of squawking about electric cars by various "green" groups. That's because the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is meeting on March 27th (Friday) to possibly reinstate the zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate they abandoned back in 2003.

I find this fascinating because the same justifications these groups will use to demand electric cars are the same reasons it should be clear why EVs aren't viable. People associated with Tesla Motors and the movie Who Killed the Electric Car will be on hand in Sacramento today to tow the EV line. Let's look at each group's claim.

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Whether it's Rick Waggoner touting it as GM's solution to our energy problems, or Jay Leno using it to power his latest custom-built toy (a 600 horsepower Corvette), it seems biodiesel and/or E85 will save the planet. Or...maybe wreck it.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, all the previous calculations on biodiesel and its effect on global warming didn't take land use into account. Apparently, when you destroy a swath of rainforest to grow crops for biodiesel or ethanol you really contribute to greenhouse gas production. Don't forget that rainforests are great at absorbing carbon emissions. So if you burn them down to grow crops you release a lot of greenhouse gas, and once they're gone they stop absorbing greenhouse gas. That sounds sort of like a worst-case scenario if you're into saving the planet.

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By now you've probably seen the news regarding Tesla's launch date for its all-electric roadster. The day that will live in infamy (or not) is March 17th.

I'm heartened by this news, as I (along with many others) had been moving from cautiously optimistic to downright skeptical regarding the Tesla's real-world chances. Does this date mean I'm no longer skeptical? Nope. Beyond the slipping launch date the car's technical specifications keep slipping, too. What started as a 250-mile range car with zero-to-60 in 4.0 seconds and an MSRP of $92,000 has shifted to 200 miles, zero-to-60 in 5.7 seconds and $98,000.

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I had an opportunity to drive a Volkswagen Jetta TDI last night. This isn't the first time I've driven a diesel VW. Back in 1998, when I first joined Edmunds.com, the "brand new" long-term car was a bright yellow 1998 New Beetle TDI. I only drove it a couple times, and I distinctly remember a frantic search for a diesel fuel pump in West L.A. as the gas gauge dropped to "E" and below. But I also remember liking the low-end torque and high fuel mileage. I've driven a few other TDI test cars in the years since, but it's been awhile.

Driving this Jetta diesel brought back memories of just how much sense these cars make. I know BMW will be showing a diesel X5 in Detroit in about a week. Mercedes is also preparing their 50-state legal system, and Honda should have diesel-powered models in showrooms in the next year. This Jetta reaffirmed my thinking that it's about time!

Rather than list off my New Year's resolutions let's talk about the resolutions I'd really like to see the automakers and policymakers embrace and keep. Below are my Top Five Automaker/Policy Maker Resolutions for 2008 (note: may not represent any actual resolutions made by any actual automakers or policymakers, real or imagined):

1. We as automakers resolve to put each and every model on a diet. We understand that technology can usually overcome increasing vehicle poundage by improving power, thus maintaining straightline acceleration (often with a minimal hit to fuel mileage as well). But we also know that a heavier car is harder to turn or stop, to say nothing of the impact (literally) in an accident situation. Thus, we vow to put our vehicles on a diet, which improves acceleration, handling and fuel mileage.

2. We as policy makers vow to acknowledge that we can never completely end automobile-related injuries. We understand that no matter how many safety devices we mandate in an automobile we can never fully address the loose nut behind the wheel. Furthermore, for every additional device we mandate we add complexity, cost and weight (see resolution #1 above) and we realize these devices are in and of themselves something of a safety hazard. After all, really safe cars that nobody can afford don't save lives; neither do really heavy cars that are difficult to slow down and/or tend to plow through other cars/people/buildings when they crash.

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All hail Nancy Pelosi and "the energy bill" -- as it means we'll finally be driving 35 mpg cars in just 12 years, right?

WRONG! I'm not sure if any of you caught this recent Newsweek article, but it points out an interesting disconnect between CAFE and EPA mileage testing. Our own technical wizard, Dan Edmunds, is quoted in the article, and he notes that even today a car rated for 21 mpg by the EPA gets 27.5 mpg according to CAFE standards. This is because CAFE still uses the same testing standards it established in 1975, while the EPA has updated its procedures twice. First it lowerd its results by 10 percent city and 22 percent highway across the board in 1984 to address widespread complaints of inaccurate mileage numbers. And then the EPA altered its testing procudures for 2008 to further improve accuracy.

How would you describe the Toyota Prius? Do you consider it a mainstream vehicle, or a niche product with a fanatical (and hardly mainstream) following? What if I told you that the Toyota Prius -- by itself -- outsold entire automotive brands (that's all models added together) in the month of November. You'd probably say, "I'm sure the Prius did outsell some entire brands in November, brands like Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche and maybe even Jaguar, Land Rover and Hummer too."

Actually, it outsold all those brands...added together. But the Prius outsold some other brands last month, too. Brands you've probably heard of...

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