2010 Honda Civic Hybrid
This Automotive top-rated small car again sits beside the Prius among all widely available 2010 vehicles with
42 mpg fuel economy. Compared to the conventional Civic, the hybrid costs about $8,000 more, but costs about $430 less to fuel annually. It was named one of Greenopia's greenest cars of 2010.
Stats
40 mpg city
45 mpg highway
$1.59 to drive 25 miles
$953 annual fuel cost
4.4 tons of CO
2 annually
The automotive second-best small car, also a Honda, is the newly redesigned Insight, a hybrid with a fuel economy of 41 mpg. And it costs a few thousand dollars less than the leaders in this category. It ranks on both Greenopia and Kelly Blue Book's greenest lists.
Stats
40 mpg City
43 mpg Highway
41 mpg Combined
$1.63 to drive 25 miles
$977 annual fuel cost
4.5 tons of CO2 annually
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
The automotive most fuel-efficient family sedan behind the Prius, at
39 mpg, the Fusion costs more, but does qualify for up to an $850 federal tax credit (if you buy before April 1, 2010) that the Prius no longer qualifies for. If you're stuck between buying The Fusion and its hybrid version, the hybrid costs $8,000 more, but will cost nearly $600 less to fuel each year. It was rated one of
Kelly Blue Book's greenest cars of 2010, and it was named North American Car of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show.
Stats
41 mpg city
36 mpg highway
39 combined
$1.71 to drive 25 miles
$1,025 annual fuel cost
4.7 tons of CO
2 annually
2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid
The automotive car hybrid Milan, a family sedan, gets 39 mpg and costs about $6,300 more than the base-level Milan. But it costs nearly $600 less to fuel annually. It qualifies for up to an $850 federal tax credit if purchased before March 31, 2010.
Stats
41 mpg city
36 mpg highway
$1.71 to drive 25 miles
$1,025 annual fuel cost
4.7 tons of CO2 annually
2010 Smart ForTwo
Whether you pick up the classic coupe or the convertible (no, it's not a golf cart), the Smart ForTwo's 36 mpg make it the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid car on the market. And at $11,990 it's also the most affordable. It was rated one of Greenopia's greenest cars of the year.
Stats
33 mpg city
41 mpg highway
$1.85 to drive 25 miles
$1,113 annual fuel cost
5.1 tons of CO2 annually
2010 Lexus HS 250h
The automotive car Lexus HS 250h is the most expensive fuel-efficient car on the market, but it makes a statement as the only luxury hybrid sedan available. It gets 35 mpg, so the big spender can save a few pennies at the pump. Note: the 2010 Lexus HS 250h was recalled Feb. 8 to fix a braking problem.
Stats
35 mpg city
34 mpg highway
$1.91 to drive 25 miles
$1,145 annual fuel cost
5.3 tons of CO2 annually
2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid
It costs almost $7,000 more than the standard stripped down Altima, but the hybrid family sedan gets 34 mpg and will save about $750 in fuel costs.
Stats
35 mpg city
33 mpg highway
$1.96 to drive 25 miles
$1,177 annual fuel cost
5.4 tons of CO2 annually
2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid
The automotive car little Jetta gets
34 mpg, making it one of the most fuel-efficient non-hybrids on the market. But it runs on diesel, which means its carbon footprint is greater than comparable vehicles. The stripped-down gasoline-powered Jetta costs about $5,000 less, but will cost about $350 more to fuel each year.
Stats
30 mpg city
42 mpg highway (41 for manual)
$2.06 to drive 25 miles
$1,235 annual fuel cost
6.2 tons of CO
2 annually
2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
The automotive car most fuel-efficient hatchback on the market, the Golf TDI gets
34 mpg. The TDI costs about $3,600 more than the gasoline, but saves about $300 annually in fuel costs. Because it burns diesel, its carbon emissions are greater than comparable cars.
Stats
30 mpg city
42 mpg highway (41 for manual)
$2.06 to drive 25 miles
$1,235 annual fuel cost
6.2 tons of CO
2 annually
2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI
This automotive car diesel hatchback runs about $5,000 more than its gasoline-powered cousin, but with 34 mpg, it will save about $360 in annual fuel costs. Because it runs on diesel, its carbon footprint is higher than comparable vehicles. It was rated one of Kelly Blue Book's greenest cars of 2010.
Stats
30 mpg city
42 mpg highway (41 for manual)
$2.06 to drive 25 miles
$1.235 annual fuel cost
6.2 tons of CO2 annually
Whether the little Yaris you get is the 3-door hatch, the 5-door hatch (add $300) or the 5-door sedan (add $750), the little Yaris gets 32 mpg.
Stats
29 mpg city
36 mpg highway (35 for manual)
$2.09 to drive 25 miles
$1,254 annual fuel cost
5.7 tons of CO2 annually
The classic Mini Cooper gets
32 mpg and is rated one of 2010's greenest cars by
Kelly Blue Book.
Stats
28 mpg city
37 mpg highway (36 for the convertible)
$2.27 to drive 25 miles
$1,366 annual fuel cost
5.7 tons of CO
2 annually
The automotive car Ford family again has the only members in the over-30 mpg SUV club. The hybrid Ford Escape gets
32 mpg -- as good as the tiny Mini Cooper. While it costs $11,000 more than the gasoline-powered Escape, it costs between $440 and $570 less to fuel every year (depending on whether you go with 4WD or not). The Escape hybrid qualifies for a federal tax credit of up to $750 if purchased by March 31, 2010.
Stats
34 mpg city
31 mpg highway
$2.09 to drive 25 miles
$1,254 annual fuel cost
5.7 tons of CO
2 annually
2010 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
It costs about $7,000 more than its gasoline-powered cousin, but with
32 mpg, the Mariner hybrid will save about $490 annually in fuel costs. It also qualifies for a federal tax credit of up to $650 if purchased before March 31, 2010.
Stats
34 mpg city
31 mpg highway
32 combined $2.09 to drive 25 miles
$1,254 annual fuel cost
5.7 tons of CO
2 annually
The Mini Clubman gets
31 mpg.
Stats
28 mpg city
36 mpg highway
$2.35 to drive 25 miles
$1,410 annual fuel cost
5.9 tons of CO
2 annually
If you're buying a new Fit, the automatic 5-speed gets the best mileage, with
31 mpg. It is rated one of the greenest cars of 2010 by
Kelly Blue Book.
Stats
28 mpg city
35 mpg highway
$2.15 to drive 25 miles
$1,294 annual fuel cost
5.9 tons of CO
2 annually
The automotive car manual Kia Rio gets
31 mpg without the benefit of a hybrid engine, keeping its cost low. (The automatic drive comes in at a combined 30 mpg, but does better on the highway.)
Stats
28 mpg city (27 automatic)
34 mpg highway (36 automatic)
$2.15 to drive 25 miles
$1,294 annual fuel cost
5.9 tons of CO
2 annually
At
31 mpg, this new baseline version of the Accent (which otherwise gets 30 mpg) is among the more affordable fuel efficient 2010 cars.
Stats
27 mpg city
36 mpg highway
$2.15 to drive 25 miles
$1,294 annual fuel cost
