kbb.com Highlights Variety of Fuel-Sippers With Top 10 Green Cars of 2010
While it would have been simple for the kbb.com editors to rank the Top 10 vehicles in fuel efficiency, they instead sought out a variety of vehicle types for this list, since not everyone who wants to go greener will have their transportation needs met by a small sedan. To be considered for the Top 10 Green Cars of 2010 list, each vehicle was required to offer fuel economy and CO2 emissions superior to the bulk of vehicles in its class, and at the same time provide all the safety, creature comforts and driving enjoyment that would make it pleasant to own.
Buying a green, environmentally friendly vehicle is one way for car shoppers to deal with the ever-rising costs of fuel in the midst of a slowly recovering economy. Saving gasoline doesn't just save the planet; it also saves money. Perhaps the biggest news this year is the fact that while hybrids still lead the pack in the fuel economy race and in overall 'greenness,' conventional vehicles are catching up on both fronts. At the same time, the diversity of hybrids continues to increase, so there are more choices and more competition for car shoppers' precious dollars.
While this year's Top 10 Green Cars list includes several from last year's collection, it also includes promising newcomers like the Volkswagen Golf TDI, one of the newest 'clean diesels' offering hybrid-like fuel efficiency without the complication, weight and expense of a big battery pack; and the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, which demonstrates that SUV-like features such as towing and cargo-carrying can co-exist with a hybrid powertrain.
"Whether car shoppers' top motivations are to save the planet or just save some greenbacks, there are many enjoyable green vehicle options available in the marketplace now, with more exciting models coming down automakers' product pipelines in the near future," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. "From conventional gasoline-powered fuel sippers to hybrids to diesels, we think car shoppers will be impressed with the variety in vehicle types and sizes, as well as the vast array of various technologies, available on the market for the green-minded consumer today, as showcased in our Top 10 Green Cars of 2010 list."
Select Choices from kbb.com's Top 10 Green Cars for 2010 List
2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI | 34 mpg (30 city, 42 highway)
2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid | 22 mpg (21 city, 22 highway)
2010 Honda Fit | 31 mpg (28 city, 35 highway)
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid | 39 mpg (41 city, 36 highway)
2010 BMW 335d | 27 mpg (23 city, 36 highway)
For the remaining five vehicles on the Top 10 list, including full editorial commentary and reasoning behind each of the editors' picks, visit the Top 10 Green Cars for 2010 story in kbb.com's KBB Green section at Source link below.
Source: kbb.com Highlights Variety of Fuel-Sippers With Top 10 Green Cars of 2010
