Shopping for the right car can be really difficult and time consuming. But shopping for a car that also treads just a little lighter on the earth and addresses environmental impact concerns, can be down right frustrating! So what’s a green girl to do? Luckily Greenopia.com (http://www.greenopia.com/USA/) has heard your cry and has done some of the heavy lifting for you by creating the newly-released 2009 Automobile Guide.
Of the 100 cars that made the list, the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and Jetta Clean Diesel got top billing for burning cleanly and for their incredibly high gas mileage.
Surprisingly Audi and Mazda also performed well, with a descent showing on Greenopia’s Automaker Guide (which rates the overall performance of auto manufacturers), and a statistically large number of cars that met at least the minimum criteria for the Automobile Guide as well.
Of course driving less, or not at all is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint, but if you simply must drive to get to where you’re going, using the guide could help you choose wisely. The guide uses Greenopia’s EPA-recognized 4-Leaf rating system, and evaluates fuel-efficiency, manufacturing materials, EPA SmartWay vehicle emissions and proxy data representing manufacturing processes to come up with the ratings.
And not only will driving a fuel-efficient car be better for the planet, it has fringe benefits too! Veteran hybrid owners and those considering buying one should check out the US Department of Energy to see if your car qualifies for an energy tax credit ranging anywhere from $1, 950 to $3,400. Also, driving a hybrid is a good way to meet like-minded people. There are Meetup groups for hybrid owners all over the country and discussion forums such as Priusonline.com. Or, you could start or join your local neighborhood idle reduction campaign, and show up wearing your “hybrid driver” T-shirt from the We Add Up Campaign which will donate part of the proceeds to environmental organizations around the world. In the long-run, driving a greener car, might just do your social life, the planet, and your bank account a world of good!
