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JOE PHILLIPS
Friday, April 18, 2008
Green is the new black.
Back in 1999, Honda introduced the Insight, an early hybrid with quirky, pod-like styling and a barebones interior.
Fast forward to 2008, where eco-couture is all the rage, and automakers are tripping over themselves to present hybrids and other green vehicles that are slick enough for car fans and environmentalists.
Glam styling. Spiffy cabins. Loads of safety features. It’s all good with today’s green cars. Some — like the retro Mini Cooper Clubman — ride and handle like high-test tuners.
The top-rated Honda Civic GX runs on compressed natural gas, the cleanest fuel available. Alas, it’s sold only in certain states (as is Nissan’s Altima Hybrid).
But there are plenty of hybrids to go around, including — gasp — two large SUVs.
There’s also diesel, as Mercedes touts cleaner, quieter, smoother V6 engines that deliver V8 power with four-cylinder fuel savings.
Even traditional gas engines have improved, with many outshining their alternate-fuel competitors. Below is a partial list of the SUVs and luxury vehicles that are most environmentally friendly.
$23,000
Mpg: 24 city/32 highway
$15,000
Mpg: 24 city/35 highway
$23,000
Mpg: 26 city/34 highway
$25,000
Mpg: 24 city/36 highway
$16,000
Mpg: 40 city/45 highway
$14,000
Mpg: 28 city/34 highway
$20,000
Mpg: 28 city/37 highway
$26,000
Mpg: 35 city/33 highway
$24,000
Mpg: 24 city/32 highway
$12,000
Mpg: 33 city/41 highway
$26,000
Mpg: 33 city/34 highway
$16,000
Mpg: 28 city/37 highway
$22,000
Mpg: 48 city/45 highway
$12,000
Mpg: 29 city/36 highway
GM’s new full-sized Tahoe and Yukon hybrids get impressive (about 75 percent better) mileage over the gas-only models. But such 21- to 22-mpg stats are still low compared with 27- to 34-mpg crossover hybrids.
$50,000
Mpg: 21 city/22 highway
$27,000
Mpg: 34 city/30 highway
$50,000
Mpg: 21 city/22 highway
$26,000
Mpg: 34 city/30 highway
$28,000
Mpg: 34 city/30 highway
$26,000
Mpg: 25 city/32 highway
$34,000
Mpg: 27 city/25 highway
Lexus has taken hits for high-end hybrids (up to— yikes! —$40,000 more than the regular models) that eke out limited gas savings. And diesels still get knocked in this country, even though Mercedes got rid of the knocks in its engines. Still, sales of most high-end green cars are smokin’.
$55,000
Mpg: 22 city/25 highway
$104,000
Mpg: 20 city/22 highway
$53,000
Mpg: 23 city/32 highway
$54,000
Mpg: 21 city/28 highway
$45,000
Mpg: 21 city/28 highway
$46,000
Mpg: 21 city/28 highway
You don’t have to own a hybrid or other alternate-fueled vehicle to drive green. Here are 10 ways every driver can cut pollution and vehicle-maintenance costs.
- Check tire pressure monthly. Under-inflated tires cause drag, so you use more fuel to propel the car forward.
- Change oil and filters regularly. Dirty oil and filters sap fuel economy (up to 50 percent for clogged filters).
- Stop using your trunk as a second attic. Excess cargo causes the vehicle to use more fuel.
- Manage the temperature. Before turning on the A/C, open windows to cool the inside of your car. It’s OK to keep windows open when driving at lower speeds, but not at higher ones. That’s when running the AC is better, because it means less vehicle drag.
- Don’t top it off. Don’t overfill the gas tank once the automatic nozzle clicks off. Spilled gas leaks into groundwater and evaporates as air pollution. Look for gas stations with those black, accordion-like vapor-recovery nozzles.
- Drive smoothly. Fast starts/stops use a lot of fuel. One second of pedal-to-the-metal driving emits about as much pollution as a half hour of normal driving.
- Find the right spot. Park in a garage or under a tree to keep your car cool. Windshield shades do the same thing, and also keep frost off in winter.
- Ditch the roof rack. It also causes drag, so use only when necessary.
- Shift up. Higher gears use less fuel than lower ones. And automatic transmissions with “sport” modes use more fuel than when using the normal mode.
- Stop lurking. Excess idling simply wastes fuel — and time — that could go toward cruising to your next great adventure.
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