“Greenest” Cars of 2009 – and “Meanest”

February 4, 2009 in Consumer News, Hybrids, MPG, small cars by kristen | 2 comments

The American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy, a Washington D.C. non-profit, has released its environmental ratings for 2009 vehicles, including the top 12 “Greenest” and bottom 12 “Meanest” cars you can buy.

The list is in its twelfth year, and the results aren’t terribly surprising. The greenest 12 are small, alternative-fuel cars with great mileage; the meanest 12 are large trucks and high-performance sports cars that drink gasoline by the bucket. What is a little shocking is that the meanest car on the road is a flex-fuel vehicle, the Hummer H2.

Scores are based on tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and emissions of gases that cause global warming. Without further ado, here are the big winners and losers:

Greenest:

  1. Honda Civic GX (liquid natural gas)
  2. Toyota Prius (gas-electric hybrid)
  3. Honda Civic Hybrid
  4. Smart ForTwo convertible/coupe
  5. Toyota Yaris
  6. Nissan Altima Hybrid
  7. Mini Cooper/Clubman
  8. Chevrolet Cobalt XFE/Pontiac G5 XFE
  9. Honda Fit
  10. Chevy Aveo/Aveo 5
  11. Toyota Camry Hybrid
  12. Kia Rio

Meanest:

  1. Hummer H2 FFV (flex-fuel vehicle)
  2. Lamborghini Murcielago coupe and roadster
  3. GMC Yukon 2500
  4. Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG
  5. Maybach 57S/62S
  6. Lincoln Navigator FFV (flex-fuel vehicle)
  7. GMC Sierra K2500
  8. Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG
  9. Jeep Grand Cherokee
  10. Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab
  11. Chevrolet Suburban K1500
  12. Ford F-250

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  1. Marcia Mathews’s avatar

    Marcia Mathews on February 6, 2009 at 6:28 pm

    How do we not include Fisker or Tesla in the “meanest” category. I’d take the Karma over any of the hybrids listed here. You can find more on Fisker at AutoWeek, if you want good information. I usually check their “green cars” page once or twice a day. It’s at http://www.autoweek.com/section/green if you are interested. Green Cars

  2. kristen’s avatar

    kristen on February 9, 2009 at 10:55 am

    I’d say the Fisker Karma and Tesla Roadster are “greenest,” not “meanest.” The Karma won’t be built until later this summer, though, so it’s not on the list for that reason, and there may be minimum production numbers or other criteria that the small-batch Tesla Roadster didn’t meet; I’m not sure.

    If you’d like more information on either of these green supercars, check out ExoticCars.About.com and click on “Guided Tours.” (Yeah, I wrote those, too. A wee bit of self-promotion doesn’t hurt.)

    Kristen Hall-Geisler
    GoodGreenCars.com