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If you’re shopping for your next midsize truck at a Chevrolet car dealership, you should stop and give the Chevy Colorado a look. Brand new for this fall, the 2016 Chevy Colorado Diesel just happens to be the most fuel efficient in its class. That’s not all that makes the Colorado unique—the Colorado is also the o nly diesel midsize truck to be offered in its class! Quick Specs: 181 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque 7,700 lbs. Towing Capacity 8L four-cylinder turbo diesel engine Up to 31 mpg The Engine This 2.8L four-cylinder turbo diesel engine comes in six speed automatic without the option for manual. It does come with an option for a four-wheel drive and a rear-wheel drive. With 181 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque, this is one of the most powerful midsize trucks available. The towing capacity for this vehicle has been bumped up by 700 pounds to a total of 7,700 pounds for the Chevy Colorado Diesel. Diesel has been a popular option among truck drivers and non-truck drivers alike. The potential for great fuel mileage has got buyers looking at other options besides the standard gas. The 2016 Chevy Colorado has a cast iron engine that’s surprisingly fuel-efficient in order to deliver on the power as well as the fuel economy this truck has to offer buyers. A new balance shaft has been incorporated into the engine as well as an incorporated oil pump. Damped steel helps to block out the noise of this ride and is featured on the timing belt cover as well. This engine is the only diesel engine to be featured among midsize trucks. The Fuel Mileage Let’s talk fuel mileage numbers. The Chevy Colorado Diesel Duramax gets up to 31 MPG. That’s better than a luxury car and it definitely beats out its gas competitors in the midsize truck department—namely the Toyota Tacoma, which gets up to 24 MPG, and the Nissan Frontier, which caps off at 23 MPG on the highway. Neither of these midsize trucks made it into the 30s! The 2.8L Duramax is the diesel that’s the cleanest Chevy has to offer. Their emissions output is regulated by a diesel exhaust fluid canister, which is affixed to the truck beneath the bed and out of view. This will need to be changed about every 7,000 miles or so along with the oil. The clean diesel option combined with the high fuel economy makes this truck an impressive option for those who’d like to tow a little more. The Chevy Colorado impresses for 2016. It has a more truck-like feel with all its torque, an impressive fuel mileage number, and a max towing capacity that surpasses the gas Chevy Colorado as well as Nissan and Toyota. You won’t find another vehicle that matches the Colorado! For buyers who want a truck but don’t want the big trucks Chevy has to offer or the limited towing capacity that the other midsize brands have to offer, consider the 2016 Chevy Colorado Diesel Duramax for your next ride. It’s the most fuel-efficient truck in its class!

Having already stopped production of the 2015 Volt to prepare itself for the upcoming 2016 model, Chevy is also preparing for the rumors that are already in existence. Haven’t you heard, Chevy Lexington KY? The 2016 Chevy Volt is rumored to get 53 miles of electric vehicle range. This means that the Volt will be able to travel for 53 miles on electric battery alone before it needs to go to its fuel tank for reserves.  53 miles! more How many trips to and from your work is that?  How much less will you be stopping at the gas station? How much money will you save?  And oh!  What could you spend that money on? The possibilities are endless. The Charge A fully charged battery will get 106 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent). Once the electric power is used up, the gas engine works together with the electric drive system to team up and produces still a more efficient fuel economy. The Fuel The range on the gasoline fueled engine is an EPA combined rating of 42 miles. On average, the Chevy Volt user won’t see a gas station except for around every 1,000 miles or so. Currently, GM predicts about 80% of the Volt is run on battery, which makes sense if you consider that the Volt driver does most of their driving within a certain city limits. With this percentage it is estimated the driver saves an average of $700 annually on gas. All this adds up to a 40% improvement over last years model. The 2nd Generation With all EV sales suffering due to lower gas prices, sales in truck and SUV markets have been soaring. Chevy is going to pull out all the stops when releasing the 2nd generation of the Volt.  The 2016 Volt is lighter in weight which only adds to the fuel efficiency.  Chevy’s made improvements to the passenger room as well as overall feel of the interior. The 2016 Chevy Volt will start at $33,170 which is lower than its current MSRP of $34,170. Of course, once you take out the state and federal tax credits for the support of lower emissions, the price can be lowered as much as $9,000 making it a very affordable $24,170. What Will You Do With the Savings? The 53 miles on electric power will cover 90% of the trips that the average Chevy Volt driver takes every day. With that amount of savings, it’s inevitable you’ll see a change in savings.  Once you have that savings, what will you do with it? Save for school?  Plan a vacation somewhere?  Go to Graceland? (yes, that's what you should do!)

Electric cars will certainly be the vehicle of the future, and their increasing popularity is making them relevant in the present. Unfortunately, the car isn't a realistic choice for many potential buyers. The cheapest 2015 electric cars, the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, are priced around $23,000 to $25,000, but the two are among the smallest vehicles on the market. The more adequately-sized Chevrolet Spark EV, the third-cheapest 2015 electric car, comes in around $27,645. Purchasing a new electric car provides an additional risk, as we don't have much precedence to suggest a reasonable re-sell value. Luckily, electric cars are beginning to hit used car lots, and the National Automobile Dealers Association (via their Used Car Guide Perspective) has taken a look at how these cars have retained their value. The next time you visit your local Lexington used car dealer, maybe you'll be convinced to take a look at the car of the future… more NADA ultimately listed all the electric cars from the past three years, ranking them based on their value retention. Among one-year-old cars, the Tesla Model S topped the list, with an 83.1% retention (from $93,890 MSRP to $$77,983 average trade-in value). A pair of Chevy's made the list: the Volt (with a 56.1% retention value) and the Spark EV (with a 47.2% retention value). The lowest on the list? That honor belongs to the i-MiEV, which retains less than 35% of it's value. When it comes to two-year-old electric vehicles, it's the Model S topping the list again (71.1% retention value). The Chevy Volt, the lone member of the brand on the list, resells for about 36% of it's original value. The Ford Focus Electric retains just under 35% of it's value, the lowest on the list. Finally, for three-year-old electric vehicles, it's (surprise, surprise) the Model S again leading the way (57.2%). The Chevy Volt is listed fourth, retaining over 31% of it's value. The i-MiEV trails the rest of the pack, finishing with a 20.6% retention value. As you can see, electric cars seem to have relatively solid resell value, and Chevrolet can usually be found in the middle of the pack. While your local Chevy dealership, including Dan Cummins Chevrolet in in Paris, Kentucky, may not have a large variety of electric cars, that will certainly change in the near future. Head down there to get your hands on a used electric car today!