Hybrids & Clean Diesels Named Green Car of the Year Finalists

Each year, Green Car Journal takes on the daunting task of evaluating the most environmentally positive vehicles in the industry and narrowing down the list to five. Those five, deemed to exemplify environmental progress and represent the best-of-the-best in ‘green’ cars, become finalists for the magazine’s Green Car of the Year® award. By virtue of their nomination for this year's GCOY program, they also become Green Car Journal’s Top 5 for 2010™.

The Top 5 finalists for Green Car Journal's 2010 Green Car of the Year® award are the Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius, and VW Golf TDI. The 2010 Green Car of the Year® will be revealed at a December 3 press conference during the Los Angeles Auto Show’s second media day.

These ‘green’ cars offer something for everyone. Buyers seeking sportiness, upscale appointments, low emissions, and of course high fuel economy can find what they’re looking for among these nominees. They show the diversity of an evolving automotive market and how more automakers are paying attention to greater environmental performance.

Honda, Mercury, Toyota, and VW mark a return to the Top 5 list this year. This is the first time that an Audi model has received the nod as a finalist, acknowledging the sporty A3 TDI’s ability to offer buyers both efficiency and luxury at an approachable price. The new Golf TDI shows the expansion of fuel efficient, clean diesel technology in a popular VW model. Honda’s new Insight is the lowest-priced hybrid on the market. The completely redesigned Toyota Prius is the next step in this popular hybrid model’s evolution. Mercury’s Milan Hybrid, divisional cousin to last year’s Ford Fusion Hybrid nominee, illustrates how efficient gasoline-electric power can be applied to an upscale mid-size sedan offering reasonable cost.

Regardless of the approach taken, each of these vehicles achieves high fuel efficiency levels and substantially reduced CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. The Audi and VW finalists, each rated by EPA at 30 city/42 mpg, do this with turbo direct-injection (TDI) clean diesel engines. The Honda, Mercury, and Toyota nominees use gasoline-electric hybrid technology to net estimated city/highway fuel economy of 40/43, 41/36, and 51/48 mpg, respectively.

It has been a long and interesting road for environmentally positive vehicles with many advanced and alternative fuel examples that have come and gone over the years. While it has clearly taken a long time to get to this point, these five vehicles – and the scores of others considered in Green Car Journal’s evaluations to determine finalists – show that the auto industry ‘gets it.’ It’s a new era for personal transportation and there’s no turning back.

GREEN CAR JOURNAL’S TOP 5 FOR 2010
(Alphabetical Order)

2010 AUDI A3 TDI
Audi combines its efficient turbo direct-injection (TDI) diesel technology with the stylish A3 model, bringing a new choice to American drivers who seek sportiness and luxury appointments along with low emissions and high fuel economy. MSRP: $29,950.

HONDA INSIGHT
Honda resurrected the name of its first hybrid for the all-new 2010 Insight, a gasoline-electric model that’s worlds better than the original. It’s stylish, offers five passenger seating, and has the smallest price tag of any hybrid on the market. MSRP: $19,800-$23,100.

MERCURY MILAN HYBRID
The Mercury Milan Hybrid brings upscale appointments and high-tech electronics to the hybrid field in a mid-size, popular model. Its second-generation hybrid system makes this car quite responsive while achieving high fuel efficiency. MSRP: $27,885.

TOYOTA PRIUS
Toyota has set the fuel efficiency bar for years with its Prius hatchback and, as expected, its completely redesigned 2010 model is no exception. The Prius offers an updated yet recognizable look and loads of technical sophistication. MSRP: $22,000-$27,270.

VW GOLF TDI
Volkswagen’s Golf, formerly known here as the ‘Rabbit,’ returns with a clean diesel option that combines powerful torque, a sporty nature, and impressive fuel economy. The Golf TDI is available as either a two- or four-door hatch. MSRP: $21,990-$22,590.