An article on LATimes.com claims that commute times in Los Angeles seemed to get shorter during the month of April, and speculates that the cause could be higher gas prices. Backing this up is data showing that the state's fuel consumption is dropping -- Californians bought 4.5% less fuel in January 2008 than they did in January '07.

There are a lot of people who say that higher gas prices are a good thing, because they will force Americans to buy smaller, more fuel-efficient cars and seek out public transportation. For purely selfish reasons, I have never been a vocal proponent of this idea: My job requires me to buy gasoline, and quite a bit of it. I drive 500 miles per week on average, often in some rather thirsty cars. But I can't argue with the logic. I think that most Americans buy vehicles that are way larger than what they need. And lest you think I'm just pointing fingers, I too am part of the problem: Our family car is an older mid-size station wagon, even though I know from experience that there are plenty of compact cars that would provide all the space we need -- plus better crash protection -- while comsuming 10 to 20% less fuel.

So what do you think? Could higher gas prices be a good thing? If $6/gallon is what it would take to get people to give up their SUVs, pickups and full-size cars and start taking the bus or the train, would that be better for America? Or are high gas prices simply inflicting unnecessary pain on the citizens of this country in order to enrich oil company shareholders? Click the "comments" link below and have your say. -- Aaron Gold

Related: Top ten fuel-saving tips

Photo: David McNew/Getty Images

Happy mother's day! In keeping with tradition, I've updated our Top Ten Cars for Moms.

You'll see right away that the emphasis in this year's list is on cars that are fuel efficient. I just got back from a trip to Europe, where cars that we consider compacts are seen as roomy family cars, and that definitely influenced my picks. One of this year's more memorable tests was that of the 2008 Honda Civic. Up until now, I've always regarded a mid-size sedan as the best sized car for my family of four -- but after a week with the Civic I wasn't missing the extra space, and I was liking the extra money in my pocket thanks to the Civic's superior fuel economy.

And what about SUVs? Well, besides the fact that this is a site about cars -- SUVs and CUVs have their own About.com site -- I'm still not convinced that they are the best way to haul a family. Although the latest crop of CUVs are much, much better -- the Hyundai Santa Fe is a great example -- traditional SUVs still don't offer enough interior room for their bulk, they aren't much fun to drive, and they use too much fuel for today's nuts-o gas prices. Give me a sporty station wagon any day.

But I digress, as I so often do. Check out the updated list, then go call your mother! -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Aaron Gold

About.com has just re-opened our Used Cars site, headed up by fellow journalist Keith Griffin. Although new cars are my stock-in-trade, I'm a big believer in buying used -- it's a great way to get good value for your money. Keith's site has lots of good information on buying used, including information on spotting good deals, how certified pre-owned programs work, and how to inspect and test drive a used car. Check out Keith's site at http://usedcars.about.com.

Quick quiz: Can anyone name the used car in the photo? Hint: It's a rather special version of a common car. Click the "comments" link below to post your answer.-- Aaron Gold

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I thought it was time to update my list of the best new cars for moms, especially as some of the cars, like the Honda Accord, have been redesigned, while others, such as the Subaru Legacy wagon, have been discontinued for 2008. Not to mention the fact that gas prices are about double what they were the last time I updated the list, and I know that many moms are more concerned than ever with a fuel-efficient ride.

So what do you think would make a great mom's car? And if you're a mom, what do you look for in a car? Click the "comments" link below to have your say. -- Aaron Gold

Check out the current list: Ten Best Cars for Moms

Photo © Aaron Gold

So while I was busy sampling Nissans sold in Europe and Japan, SUVs guide Jason Fogelson was doing the whole Mom-and-apple-pie thing by test driving the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. Chevy's really serious about making the SS badge worthy of respect, and I think their most recent efforts have been quite good -- I was quite fond of the old Cobalt SS's track manners, plus I recently tested the 2008 HHR SS, and while I can't say I was totally blown away by it, I was very, very impressed by how well it went down the road and around the track. So is Chevy continuing to move in the right direction with the new Cobalt SS? Check out Jason's 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS test drive for the answer. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © General Motors

I'm back home from the Nissan 360 event, where Nissan allowed me and my fellow hacks to sample about 60 different vehicles that they sell in various markets around the world. It was interesting to see what people wanted to drive -- I attended the event with other American journalists and we were all over the microcars and diesel-powered SUVs, while the US models sat almost untouched. The European journalists are attending the event right now, and I bet they're lining up for the Altima, Titan and Armada... Anyway, I put together a photo gallery of what I think were some of the most significant vehicles of the event. Some of the cars clearly wouldn't sell here -- I doubt Americans would go for the tiny three-cylinder kei cars (like the Otti pictured here), which are designed specifically for the Japanese market -- but I did drive several vehicles I would love to see come to the States, among them the Note, the Qashqai, and the X-Trail. And who wouldn't want to take a spin in the Micra C+C? Check out the complete photo gallery to get the low down on all the cars. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Aaron Gold

I've been talking about the fact that I'm in Europe -- Portugal, to be specific. So what am I doing here? Well, I'm at an event put on by Nissan called Nissan 360. They've gathered together virtually every car they build for every major market, including North America, Europe and Japan, all in one place. I've spent the last two days driving the most amazing variety of cars you can imagine -- everything from Japanese-market microcars to European-market cargo trucks. I've driven vehicles I've only read about, like the Micra C+C convertible (pictured above) and the Patrol 4x4, plus a few I've never even heard of, like the Otti and the car with my absolute favorite name, the Lafesta. (Every time I think of that car, I break into a sort of pseudo-Mexican hat dance. Viva LaFesta!) And yes, my trip included a wee bit of track time in the new GT-R (accompanied by a rather nice but overly-cautious Portuguese racing instructor imploring me to drive too fast on the straightaways and too slow in the curves.) It's been a fantastic couple of days, and it's taught me a lot, not only about Nissan products but about what different people in different parts of the world look for in their cars. I'll be flying home as you read this, which is going to take quite a while, so once I'm back I'll put together a photo gallery and show you some of what I drove. -- Aaron Gold

Photos of the Nissan Micra C+C and the Nissan Alteon © Aaron Gold

My laptop is humming along happily at 240 volts, so as promised, here it is: my test drive of the 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman. How was my week with the long-wheelbase MINI? If I had to sum it up in a single word, that word would be... inconclusive. Get the full story. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Aaron Gold

Hi all -- I was hoping to bring you my test drive of the 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman today. Unfortunately, I'm in Europe right now, and it turns out that the unbelievably cheap voltage converter I bought seems to be worth every penny I paid for it. I'm typing as fast as I can, but it looks like my laptop is going to run out of juice before I can get the story and the pictures posted. Hopefully I'll be able to pull my volts out of my amps and get the review online tomorrow.

Meanwhile, if you'd like to read up on the last chapter of my MINI experience, check out my test drive of the short-wheelbase 2007 MINI Cooper S. I will give you a hint of what's to come: Things went much, much better with the longer-wheelbase Clubman. Keep your fingers crossed, and with any luck I should be able to bring you the full story tomorrow. -- Aaron Gold

Photo © Aaron Gold

When I test drove the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, I mentioned that I got a chance to sample the 2.4 liter four cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission that Chevy planned to make the base powertrain in the top-of-the-line LTZ model. (The LTZ was introduced with a 3.6 liter V6; LS and LT models get the four-cylinder engine with a four-speed automatic.) Chevy's PR folks cautioned me that the 6-speed car I drove was a development vehicle and the transmission calibration hadn't been finalized, but I could tell that this was going to be the best powertrain in the Malibu lineup -- the four-cylinder engine is significantly quieter than the V6, and the 6-speed automatic maximizes its flexibility. Chevrolet will start shipping the 2.4 liter/6-speed powertrain this week, so the cars should start showing up in dealerships very soon. The 4-cylinder LTZ will be priced $900 lower than the V6-powered car. -- Aaron Gold

Related:
2008 Chevrolet Malibu test drive
2008 Chevrolet Malibu photo gallery

Photo © Aaron Gold