Green Guide
There are many ways to be green these days. This category includes cars that get at least 40 mpg. But beyond fuel efficiency, this category includes alternative-fuel or electric vehicles and PLEV, ULEV, andZLEV category cars.
Browse all Green Cars
Audi A3
Year: 2013 Starting at $28,750 MPG 21-28 A compact wagon was a novel idea when the Audi A3 came on the market, but since then the A3 has found a home with buyers. The hatchback means there is plenty of room in the trunk, but you won’t feel cramped sitting in the back. The A3 has an available all-wheel-drive system that is unique to its class, and the choice of a turbo-diesel engine means that it can make up to 42 mpg on the highway. The diesel engine is only available in a six-speed automatic, but a six-speed manual is available when you give up the efficiency of the diesel for a standard engine. The interior is awash in typical Audi luxury, with leather trim and seating surfaces, as well as Audi’s navigation and Bose sound system. Though the A3 has a history as the best choice for a small wagon, there are more options these days and it may be worth checking out some of the competition. The A3’s design could use an update to keep up with the pack, but Audi’s name and engineering are usually a good recommendation, and this car is not likely to disappoint. …
Nissan Leaf
Year: 2012 Starting at $35,200 MPG 92-106 The 2013 Nissan Leaf is in the vanguard of electric cars coming on the market in the U.S. It’s kind to the environment and it has become increasingly attractive, especially in an era of $4-a-gallon gasoline. But the EPA rates the Leaf’s driving range at 73 miles per charge – which makes the little EV impractical for anyone with a long commute. The federal government says there are only 4,466 public charging stations in the U.S., a statistic that may increase “range anxiety” for anyone who owns or is thinking about buying an electric car. Still, the Leaf has a lot going for it. The price is good for an electric car and the Leaf is eligible for federal and state incentives that can help to defray the cost. It drives like a “real” car with sprightly acceleration, zero tailpipe emissions, and a 90-mph top speed. The EPA rates the Leaf at the miles-per-gallon equivalent of 106 in the city and 92 on the highway – the second most fuel-efficient car in America after the Mitsubishi i. The downside is that Leaf home charging can take up to twenty hours without an optional quick charging station. The range can also vary depending on the weather and how much cargo you are carrying. The Leaf suffers from tight rear seats, small cargo space for a hatchback, and confusing cabin technology. But if you have short commutes, have no fear of running out of juice, and want to boost your green credentials, the Leaf may be the way to go. …
Fisker Karma
Year: 2012 Starting at $102,000 If the Fisker name doesn’t sound familiar, that’s because this American carmaker is only five years old. The plug-in hybrid Karma is the only Fisker model currently on sale, and with a price hovering around $100,000 it is no impulse buy. The Karma aims to illustrate that environmentally friendly doesn’t mean boring, and in that right they have certainly succeeded. The Karma’s batteries have a range of about fifty miles, after which a gas engine takes over until batteries are recharged. At times, for instance during fast acceleration, the Karma operates using both battery and gas engine power. For even more eco-friendliness, the Karma has a solar panel roof that increases the electric range by about four to five miles per week. Those extra miles won’t get you far, but it still adds a certain car-of-the-future feel to Fisker’s first offering. When it’s running on electric, the Karma gets an impressive 54 miles to the gallon equivalent. On the gas motor, however, it earns an entirely unimpressive 20-mpg combined. This relatively low number belies the Karma’s true spirit – that of a luxury sports car. With an attractive interior, unforgettable design, and innovative technology, the Karma can’t fail to make a statement. …
Ford C-Max
Year: 2013 Starting at $25,200 Hybrids are settling into the mainstream. The proof comes from Ford’s all-new C-Max Hybrid and Energi. The compact car is cute in the current Ford style, with wedgy shaping and a toothy grille, but its main selling point is fuel economy. It is rated at 47 mpg both in town and on the highway—which Ford hastens to point out is 7 mpg better than the Toyota Prius v’s highway numbers. The C-Max has a lithium-ion battery that recharges when the gasoline engine is in use; plus, there’s regenerative braking—recycling at its least onerous—which recaptures up to 95 percent of the energy used in braking and uses it to recharge the battery. The C-Max is not only efficient; it also responds to the eco-conscious aesthetic by using a greenery theme in its Smartgauge display, which displays more leaves and vines as a “visual reward” when a driver is more efficient in his or her driving habits. The C-Max’s popular price, starting just over $25,000—lower than its closest rival, the Toyota Prius, and some $10,000 cheaper than the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf—will help it win fans, as will its uncontroversial styling. The fact that you can drive the plug-in Energi at speeds up to 85 mph on electrical power alone should electrify the highway commuter crowd. But the number-one drawing card will be its efficiency in a time of insecure gasoline prices. …
Ford Focus
Year: 2013 Starting at $16,200 MPG 26-36 The Focus was newly redesigned last year in the same cute image as the smaller Fiesta, and 2013 brings only minor changes to a setup that has been a success. What a change from the frumpmobile that was the previous Focus. You can get a sedan or a hatchback, both with four doors and both undeniably easy on the eyes. Inside, you’ll find a surprisingly comfortable interior both for seating and for cabin amenities. These days, you might be even more impressed to know that a Super Fuel Economy version gets 40 mpg on the highway (and 28 mpg around town). That SFE model comes with the six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission. With a five-speed manual transmission, the standard Focus’s fuel economy is actually lower, although still impressive, at 26 mpg in town and 36 mpg on the highway. Available options include active park assist, Ford’s Sync telematics system with MyFord Touch touchscreen and voice-activated navigation, and an anti-theft engine immobilizer. As attractive as the compact Focus is, there are even more choices in the lineup. There’s the Focus Electric, Ford’s first all-electric vehicle, with a miles per gallon equivalent rating of 110 MPGe city and 99 MPGe highway—and the ability to recharge in as little as four hours. On the other extreme, the Focus ST is coming later in the year and will offer a turbo four-cylinder engine and sporty performance, optional two-tone Recaro racing seats, and a performance instrument cluster. Ford says more than 10 million Focus cars have been sold since the first one came out in 1998, and the company is definitely going in the right direction to make that number keep moving upward. …
Porsche Cayenne
Year: 2013 Starting at $51,850 MPG 15-22 There are six Cayenne models spanning a roughly $60,000 range from lowest sticker price to highest, within which there is astonishing diversity. For example, the top-of-the-line Cayenne Turbo is able to hit a terminal speed of 172 mph. Even the V-6 base model and the new Diesel can tow 7,716 pounds. Every Cayenne has the most amazing brakes you’ll find on an SUV. If Facebook stock’s performance ever matched that of the Cayenne, Mark Zuckerberg could buy Canada. On top of this, the interior is luxurious and the instrument display and center controls would be the envy of many spaceship commanders. The 420 horsepower GTS, with its 4.8-liter V-8, had been the line-up’s newbie, producing 20 horsepower more than the S, but the Diesel came along this fall. It has a 3.0-liter V-6, and although the 240 horsepower doesn’t seem that impressive, there’s plenty of whomp with 406 lb-ft. of torque. Rather than part-time all-wheel drive, the Diesel’s system is permanent. And of course, the S Hybrid achieves the highest efficiency numbers. Adaptive cruise control, lane-change assist, and a backup camera make the Cayenne driver’s life easier. Any complaints? The palette of available colors isn’t as crazy as you find in the sports cars--no lime or orange. …