The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is back with its latest list of the dozen greenest cars available in the United States. This list was developed by the organization based on basic criteria like gas mileage, weight and tailpipe emissions to help consumers make better vehicle choices. A look at the list shows that gas mileage played a greater role in getting on the list than the other factors stated by ACEEE.
Consumers who have been deluged with news about the Toyota Prius in the last few years may be surprised that the Honda Civic GX tops the ACEEE’s list. The Civic GX is a hybrid sedan similar to the Prius that employs a 1.8 liter, four-cylinder engine and hybrid drive train. The mileage figures for the Civic GX are less impressive than the Prius at 36 miles per gallon highway. It seems that ACEEE took the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Partial Zero Emissions rating to heart when selecting between the Civic GX and the Prius.
The Toyota Prius was sandwiched between Honda offerings at the runner up spot. Toyota’s flagship zero-emissions vehicle gets 45 miles per gallon highway and achieved the same rating by CARB as the Honda Civic GX. The standard Civic hybrid weighs in at the third spot on the list though it is puzzling why it did not take the top spot from the GX. The Honda Civic hybrid gets 45 miles per gallon highway, offers diminished emissions from a smaller engine and utilizes an improved electrical system.
These vehicles may not be affordable for college students, young couples and others in the market for an eco-friendly vehicle. ACEEE recommends the Smart ForTwo coupe (number 4), the Toyota Yaris (number 5) and the Honda Fit (number 12) as small vehicles with good gas mileage. The Smart coupe gets 41 miles per gallon highway, has an Ultra Low Emissions rating from CARB and costs less than $20,000. The Yaris and Fit are diminutive vehicles that qualify for the list based on fuel mileage and lightweight bodies rather than emissions standards.
The list claims to highlight vehicles that stand at the vanguard of green vehicle technology. The main problem with ACEEE’s approach is that it takes too much stock in EPA gas mileage numbers and ratings by CARB instead of other factors. The ACEEE and other groups that want to point out the best green vehicles should figure out methodologies that take actual mileage, reliability and maintenance needs into account. Most car owners would agree that a green car that requires repeated trips to the mechanic and falls far short of EPA mileage ratings has questionable value.
