Last time on Hated Rivals we had a rivalry as old and storied as any rivalry the world has seen in the Camaro vs. the Mustang. Just because a rivalry lacks the history of one that old, it doesn’t make the hate any less real. The Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are brand new electric cars that are already starting up a fierce rivalry. These cars aren’t even sold in every state yet and already the hatred is building up towards epic proportions. Once again, the Carlocate.com Crew is split on this issue and is weighing in with their opinions for your reading enjoyment.

Nissan Leaf:

The Nissan Leaf is obviously the best electric car. In fact right now it’s one of the few real electric cars. I mean can you even call a car electric when it possesses a combustion engine? That’s like saying Tom Cruise isn’t crazy, at least compared to the residents of Shady Acres Institute for the Insane.

The Leaf gets pure electric range of 100 miles compared to the Volt’s paltry 35 miles. The engineers at Nissan could build a remote control car that could get better electric range than the Volt, but of course its “range extender” makes that around 365 miles. Have fun filling that sucker up as its combustion engine gets a pedestrian 36 mpg, which is terrible for a car claiming to be electric. You know what I like in terms of mpgs from my electric car? I want my calculator to say error does not compute as you can’t divide by zero. Also, having the hassle of charging your car every night so later you can still pay for gas? Yeah sounds like a blast.

Not to mention the Leaf costs $25,280, with a federal rebate, vs. $32,780 Volt, with a federal rebate, for what amounts to an okay hybrid. You know what you could do with that $7,500? You could buy a Kawasaki STX-15 Jet Ski, which would be more fun than you’d ever have driving a Volt. All in all there is a reason why the Nissan Leaf is the 2011 World Car of the Year, beating real competition like the Audi A8 and BMW 5-Series, and not the Chevrolet Volt.

Chevrolet Volt:

The Leaf is the 2011 World Car of the Year? I’m sure you never heard of that award because well, it’s not a relevant American Award. Unlike the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year award the Volt received which is an award recognized by many. The equivalent of this for football fans is like the Leaf winning the Maxwell Award for Best Player while the Volt won the Heisman Trophy. Sure the Leaf is the “best player”, but we all really know who the best is.

Also the reason the Chevrolet Volt is $7,500 more than the Leaf is because it is actually a car, not some crackerjack toy you got with three proofs of purchase and $19.95. This car can actually take you on a trip with a range of 365 miles unlike Leaf which will at best take you about 100 miles. The Leaf fans hated on the Volt saying that its 36 mpg were pedestrian but correct me if I’m wrong with the fact that 36 mpg is better than any car Nissan makes…no I’m not wrong. Not to mention that even at a 35 mile pure electric range most drivers still take over 1,000miles of driving between fill-ups, which isn’t too shabby. In the end, the Nissan Leaf is a great idea for the future but for now the Chevrolet Volt is pinnacle of modern vehicles.

Now that you’ve heard the CarLocate Crew debate we want to know what you think.  Leave us a comment below or join the forum and debate with fellow electric car enthusiasts.

What makes a car beautiful?  A lot of people will say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in some cases that is true.  But there are some people, buildings, places, and even cars that are just beautiful…no matter whom you ask.

In the case of cars this beauty is universal based on its speed, performance, and all-around looks.  According to experts the physical beauty of a car is based on its proportions (much the same in people), its width, height, and length must all be in the correct balance. “There is a fundamental value in good proportion…that is something we all share in terms of what is beautiful – we start by using those references,” according to Jae Min, chief designer for Volkswagen Group.

The real challenge to making a beautiful car is to create a design that has relevance without cliché and then balance it with timelessness and functionality. Some vehicles are better examples of these than others.

Forbes.com recently put together a list of the most beautiful cars of 2011, in order to make the cut these cars must be 2012 models or have been available for the first time in 2011. Though some vehicles on list may not be as flashy as some others, they all share one thing, timelessness and universal beauty.

• Ferrari 599 GTO
• Jaguar XKR-S
• Audi R8 GT Spyder
• Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid
• Audi A7
• Porsche Cayman R
• Aston Martin V12 Zagato
• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster
• Aston Martin Virage Volante

To see pictures of all these cars check them out on Forbes.com.  Which do you think is the most beautiful? Do you think there were any models left off this list?

Since its introduction the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has received 30 awards from an array of leading publications, prominent automotive journalists, and television and on-line media outlets. 

These 30 awards make the 2011 Grand Cherokee the most awarded SUV ever - and to celebrate this feat Jeep is kicking off an all-new advertising campaign that will evaluate for the first time, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit model.

Below is the first commercial Jeep has released as part of its “Most Awarded SUV Ever” campaign.

“Tee Time”