The Best Vehicles by Class:
How to Use the Best of
2008 List
If you have a class in mind, the easiest way
to choose a clean and efficient vehicle is to check out the "Best of 2008",
a listing of the greenest models broken down by class. For instance,
if you are in the market for a midsize sport utility vehicle, look
under Midsize SUVs to find the top-rated models. You might also find
a greener score among models with similar capabilities. Some SUV
shoppers might want to check out Minivans or Midsize Wagons, for
example.
The best scoring cars and trucks are those that have
high fuel economy and meet one of the stricter low-bin Tier 2 standards
(bin 2 through bin 4) or Phase II low-emission vehicle standards
(ULEV II, SULEV II, PZEV). (For more information on emission standards
and how to identify them, read our emission standard primer.)
If you live in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New
York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont or Washington —or in some sales regions near these states—then
LEV II- and ULEV II-certified models will be widely available. These"clean car states" have implemented California's more
stringent motor vehicle pollution control rules. Outside
of the clean car states, vehicles must be certified to one of the
Federal Tier 2 standards, or "bins".
Typically, automakers will certify a single vehicle
to both a California standard and a Tier 2 standard, and sell that
vehicle nationwide. Some vehicles, however, are sold only in certain
areas. The cleanest gasoline vehicles—those achieving the Phase
II Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle (SULEV II) and Partial Zero Emission
Vehicle (PZEV) levels—are often limited to sale in California
and New England, since they typically require additional sensors
and more expensive catalysts. (The Mazda 3, for example, has been
certified for sale as a PZEV in California and New England. Elsewhere
in the country, a version of the vehicle with different hardware
is available at the more modest certification of Tier 2 bin 5.) In
a few cases, the very clean models are available nationwide. The
Honda Civic Hybrid is an example of a vehicle that is dual-certified
to PZEV and Tier 2 bin 2, and sold coast to coast in a single hardware
configuration.
So how do you identify clean models on the showroom
floor? Some automakers have begun labeling their lower-emission vehicles
with a special sticker or decal, but in other cases you may have
to examine the "fine print" on the emissions label under
the hood. In any case, the best bet is to ask your dealer for the
cleanest available versions of the models you are considering. Asking
for greener cars and trucks sends an important message to dealers
and automakers, encouraging them to offer a wider selection of environmentally
friendly models.
In the "Best of 2008", we list models with
automatic transmissions separately from those with manual transmissions.
For some vehicle classes, no manuals are listed because they are
unavailable or rare. Lastly, keep in mind that this table lists only
the greener versions of a given make and model, not all of its configurations.
The full set of vehicle listings is available at ACEEE's
Green Book® Online.
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Introduction
Best Vehicles by Class
Two Seaters
Subcompacts
Compact Cars
Midsize Cars
Large Cars
Small Wagons
Midsize Wagons
Minivans
Large Vans
Compact Pickups
Standard Pickups
Compact SUVs
Midsize SUVs
Large SUVs
Greenest Vehicles of 2008
Meanest Vehicles for the Environment
in 2008
The Year's Market Trends |
