Hybrid Car Review

Of the top 12 greenest cars of 2006, as listed by Washington-based American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, only three hybrids made the cut. The Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and Honda Civic hybrid.

Although both the honda insight and the honda civic gx (a limited natural-gas powered) tied with the highest (57) green score, the Honda Insight has a better mpg, giving it the top spot.

Toyota and Honda took all five top spots, while GM had three cars at 10, 11 and 12 with the Pontiac Vibe, Checy Cobalt, and the Saturn Ion.

The 'Meanest' vehicle was the DODGE RAM SRT10, with Dodge vehicles rounding out three of the worst five.

According to the FAQ at greener.com, the green score is calculated as follows:

We analyze automakers' test results for fuel economy and emissions as reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, along with other specifications reported by automakers. We estimate pollution from vehicle manufacturing, from the production and distribution of fuel and from vehicle tailpipes. We count air pollution, such as fine particles, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other pollutants according to the health problems caused by each pollutant. We then factor in greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) and combine the emissions estimates into a Green Score that runs on a scale from 0 to 100. The top vehicles this year score a 57, the average is 30 and the worst gas-guzzlers score around 12. Further information can be found on the GreenerCars.com Methodology page.