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Greenest Vehicles of 2006 with Green Score

1. Honda Insight

57
2. Honda Civic GX

57
3. Toyota Prius

55
4. Honda Civic Hybrid

53
5. Toyota Corolla

46
6. Hyundai Accent

45
7. Kia Rio

45
8. Honda Civic

44
9. Mazda Mazda3

44
10. Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix

11. 44 Chevrolet Cobalt

12. 43 Saturn Ion
43



If you want to help the environment by driving the most environmentally positive or "greenest" vehicle, think small and think hybrid.

Three of the top five vehicles that rank as the greenest of the 2006 model year, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), are powered by hybrid drivetrains that combine a gasoline internal combustion engine with an electric motor for improved fuel economy. And every vehicle on the list of the top 12 mainstream vehicles that get good green grades is a small car.

A nonprofit organization, the ACEEE is dedicated to advancing energy efficiency. Each year the ACEEE publishes the Green Book, listing the Green Scores and environmental information about vehicles of the new model year. The ACEEE also releases lists of the 12 greenest and 12 meanest vehicles of the new model year, according to Green Book data.

The hybrid-powered Honda Insight moved up from last year's second-place finish to top the ACEEE Greenest Vehicles list. The two-seater—with a small gasoline engine as well as an electric motor under the hood—has a rated fuel economy of 57 mpg in the city and 56 mpg on the highway, when equipped with a continuously variable transmission. With the Insight's extremely clean emissions factored in, this small car earns a Green Score of 57.

The Green Score is a numeric value of a vehicle's environmental friendliness, as assigned by the ACEEE. The score is not based solely on fuel economy, but also incorporates tailpipe emissions and emissions of gases that cause global warming. The higher the Green Score, the more environmentally friendly the vehicle is overall, based on the ACEEE evaluation.

Also scoring 57 points for 2006 was last year's top vehicle, the natural gas-powered Honda Civic GX. The GX is not a hybrid, but operates on compressed natural gas (CNG). While it may not go as far on each gallon of fuel, its combination of high efficiency and near-zero emissions makes it the second-highest ranked vehicle for the environment.

Another gasoline-electric hybrid, the Toyota Prius comes in third with a total score of 55. Redesigned a few years ago, the Prius boasts extremely low emissions as well as impressive fuel economy—60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway.

"In the world of green vehicles, hybrids are still the team to beat, as they generally have better fuel economy and cleaner emissions than other models in their respective classes," stated principal vehicle analyst James Kliesch of the ACEEE. "Nonetheless, consumers should be aware that having 'hybrid' in the name doesn't necessarily mean the vehicle will be green."

The vehicles from domestic automakers that rank among the top 12 all come from General Motors. The Pontiac Vibe (twin of the Toyota Matrix), Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion all made the Greenest Vehicles list for 2006.

Vir:
http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.asp ... id=4018862