By John RockholdÂ
April/May 2010Â
For our 2010 Best Green Cars list, we shine the spotlight on six reliable vehicles capable of 40 mpg or better. The winners are the Ford Fusion Hybrid, The Honda Civic Hybrid, the Honda Insight, the Toyota Prius, the Volkswagen Golf TDI and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. To learn more about the criteria for the 2010 Best Green Cars list, read the companion article The New Era of High-MPG Cars.
Price Range: range of manufacturer’s suggested retail price + destination fee for different trim levels
EPA City/Hwy MPG: official mpg estimates for city and highway driving; your mileage may vary
Annual Fuel Cost: assumes $2.85/gallon regular gasoline, $3.00/gallon diesel, with 15,000 miles driven annually at 55% city, 45% highway
Air Pollution Score: from the EPA; zero = most tailpipe emissions, 10 = least
Greenhouse Gas Score: from the EPA; zero = most greenhouse gas emissions, 10 = least
UCS Hybrid Value: from the Union of Concerned Scientists; a measure of the bang for your buck of the hybrid system; best rating is Very High; learn more at Hybrid Center.
ACEEE Green Score: from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy; the higher the score, the more eco-friendly the car; highest 2010 score is 57; learn more at ACEEE’s Green Book online.
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Type: Gasoline-electric hybrid, sedan
Price Range: $28,675 – $32,620
EPA City/Hwy MPG: 41/36
Annual Fuel Cost: $1,096
Air Pollution Score: 8
Greenhouse Gas Score: 10
UCS Hybrid Value: High
ACEEE Green Score: 47
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Type: Gasoline-electric hybrid, sedan
Price Range: $24,510 – $27,710
EPA City/Hwy MPG: 40/45
Annual Fuel Cost: $1,018
Air Pollution Score: 9
Greenhouse Gas Score: 10
UCS Hybrid Value: High
ACEEE Green Score: 51
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Type: Gasoline-electric hybrid, hatchback
Price Range: $20,510 – $23,810
EPA City/Hwy MPG: 40/43
Annual Fuel Cost: $1,043
Air Pollution Score: 8
Greenhouse Gas Score: 10
UCS Hybrid Value: Medium
ACEEE Green Score: 50
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Type: Gasoline-electric hybrid, sedan/hatchback
Price Range: $23,550 – $28,820
EPA City/Hwy MPG: 51/48
Annual Fuel Cost: $855
Air Pollution Score: 8
Greenhouse Gas Score: 10
UCS Hybrid Value: Very High
ACEEE Green Score: 52
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Type: Diesel, hatchback
Price Range: $23,104 – $24,809
EPA City/Hwy MPG: 30/42
Annual Fuel Cost: $1,324
Air Pollution Score: 6
Greenhouse Gas Score: 8
ACEEE Green Score: 43
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Type: Diesel, sedan
Price Range: $23,580 – $24,680
EPA City/Hwy MPG: 30/42
Annual Fuel Cost: $1,324
Air Pollution Score: 6
Greenhouse Gas Score: 8
ACEEE Green Score: 43
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Honda Civic GX (natural gas); 24/36 mpg; ACEEE Green Score: 57
Smart ForTwo; 33/41 mpg; ACEEE Green Score: 50
Chevy Aveo: $12,685; 27/35 mpg (manual trans.)
Honda Fit: $15,610; 27/33 mpg (manual trans.)
Nissan Versa: $10,710; 26/34 mpg (manual trans.)
Suzuki SX4: $14,224; 23/33 mpg (manual trans.)
Toyota Yaris: $13,355; 29/36 mpg (manual trans.)
Fisker Karma: plug-in hybrid; $87,900
Lexus LS 600h L: hybrid; $109,675
Tango T600: electric urban car; $108,000
Tesla Roadster: electric two-seater; $109,000
Ford Fusion Hybrid: 41 city mpg
Honda Civic Hybrid: 40 city mpg
Honda Insight: 40 city mpg
Smart ForTwo: 33 city mpg
Toyota Prius: 51 city mpg
ZAP Xebra: electric three-wheel sedan;
25 miles per charge; about 56 cents of
electricity to recharge
Audi A3: 42 hwy mpg (diesel)
Chevrolet Cobalt XFE: 37 hwy mpg
Honda Civic Hybrid: 45 hwy mpg
Honda Insight: 43 hwy mpg
MINI Cooper: 37 hwy mpg (manual trans.)
Toyota Prius: 48 hwy mpg
Volkswagen Golf: 42 hwy mpg (diesel)
Volkswagen Jetta: 42 hwy mpg (diesel)
cu. ft. p.v. = cubic feet passenger volume
Ford Fusion Hybrid: seats 5; 100.3 cu. ft. p.v.
Nissan Altima Hybrid: 35/33 mpg; seats 5; 100.7 cu. ft. p.v. (only available in CA, OR, NY, NJ, MA, CT, VT, RI, ME)
Toyota Camry Hybrid: 33/34 mpg; seats 5; 101.4 cu. ft. p.v.
Toyota Prius: seats 5; 93.7 cu. ft. p.v.
cu. ft. p.v. = cubic feet passenger volume
Audi A3: 30/42 mpg (diesel); seats 5; 89 cu. ft. p.v.
Dodge Caliber: 23/31 mpg (manual trans.); seats 5; 95.2 cu. ft. p.v.
Honda Odyssey: 16/23 mpg; seats 7; 171.4 cu. ft. p.v.
Kia Soul: 24/30 mpg; seats 5; 102.3 cu. ft. p.v.
Mazda 5: 21/27 mpg; seats 6; 142.1 cu. ft. p.v.
Toyota Matrix: 26/32 mpg (manual trans.); seats 5; 94 cu. ft. p.v.
Toyota Sienna: 16/21 mpg; seats 7; 177.4 cu. ft. p.v.
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen: 30/42 mpg (diesel) seats 5; 91.7 cu. ft. p.v.
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Honda Civic
Honda Fit
Honda Insight
Hyundai Elantra
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Subaru Outback
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota Prius
Toyota Yaris
Volkswagen Golf
(Based on reliability ratings from Consumer Reports and JD Power and Associates.)
Audi A3
Honda Civic and Civic Hybrid
Subaru Outback
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Jetta
(Top safety picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.)
Chevrolet Aveo: 27/35 mpg (manual trans.)
Honda Fit: 28/35 mpg
Hyundai Accent: 27/36 mpg
Kia Rio: 28/34 mpg (manual trans.)
MINI Cooper: 28/37 mpg;
(manual trans.; requires premium gas)
Nissan Versa: 28/34 mpg
Smart ForTwo: 33/41 mpg (requires premium gas)
Toyota Yaris: 29/36 mpg (manual trans.)
Audi A3: 30/42 mpg
Volkswagen Golf: 30/42 mpg
Volkswagen Jetta: 30/42 mpg
Ford Escape Hybrid 2WD: 34/31 mpg
Honda CR-V 2WD: 21/28 mpg
Nissan Rogue 2WD: 22/27 mpg
Saturn Vue Hybrid 2WD: 25/32 mpg
Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD: 27/25 mpg
Toyota RAV4 2WD: 22/28 mpg
Chevrolet Colorado 2WD: 18/25 mpg
Chevrolet Silverado 15 Hybrid 2WD: 21/22 mpg
Ford Ranger 2WD: 22/27 mpg (manual trans.)
Toyota Tacoma 2WD: 20/26 mpg (manual trans.)
The new CAFE standards: automakers’ fleets must average about 35 mpg by 2016
Chevy Cruze (up to 40 hwy mpg; 2011)
Chevy Volt (electric car with range extender; 2011)
Ford Fiesta (30/40 mpg; 2011)
Nissan Leaf (electric sedan; 2012 mass production)
Tesla Model S (electric sedan; 2012)
Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid (2012)
John Rockhold is a green car enthusiast and Contributing Editor for MOTHER EARTH NEWS. Find him on Google+.
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