Go Go Green Cars

Since the automakers are all on the quest to produce vehicles that have high fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions there are an abundant of diverse vehicles to choose from. Greener vehicles are becoming more mainstream from entry level to luxury cars. There has even been an increase in clean diesels, which offer the driver more power along with better fuel mileage.

The Green Car Journal has chosen the 2010 Audi A3 TDI for the prestigious title of the Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year. For the second year in a row a clean diesel has taken top honors in the annual award program. Last year the award went to the VW Jetta TDI.

The competition for top honors was tough and among a lineup of stellar vehicles including three hybrids and a clean diesel. The other green cars that were contenders included the Honda Insight Hybrid, the Mercury Milan Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. The other clean diesel in the running for the award was the VW Golf TDI.

The judges of this year’s award liked the rakish styling and 42 mpg highway fuel efficiency of the Audi A3 TDI. This vehicle has a 50% improvement over the A3 gasoline model and has relatively low CO2 emissions. This model is also approved by Audi for operation on up to B5 biodiesel fuel.

The Audi A3 is an entry level luxury car that has a variety of distinctive features, including 17 inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and a sporty appearance. The Audi A3 looks like a hatchback; however, the EPA officially classified it as a small station wagon. Audi on the other hand describes it as Sportback. No matter what it is called, the Audi A3 TDI is a fuel efficient and low emissions winner of the 2010 Green Car on the Year award.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDi was announced as the 2009 green car of the year at the LA Auto Show by the Green Car Journal after a jury deliberated on the choice which included Jay Leno amongst others.

The VW Jetta TDi returns a massive 50 mpg and is based on burning diesel without any hybrid innovation – this is a clean burning diesel.

The competition was the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, BMW 335d, Saturn Vue-2 Mode Hybrid and the Smart Fortwo; in other words the cream of the hybrids just got their credentials kicked!

The VW Jetta TDi burns diesel very cleanly; this just reinforces the countervailing view to hybrid models that excellent engine design and fuel management can and will deliver excellent mpg figures while causing low emission levels.  Perhaps the main reason it won the award is that while the competition is also delivering comparable mpg and emission levels the VW Jetta TDi is doing it in a more affordable way.

With a 2-liter turbo charged direct injection engine, the VW Jetta TDi meets all the emission standards in every one of the 50 states.  Priced at an affordable MRP of $21,990 the VW provides a five door, five passenger carrying sedan with some performance thrown in for good measure due to the Volkswagen new-generation diesel power plant which demonstrates just how far down the development road diesel engines have come.

Hybrids have a great deal to offer but with sinking gas prices, the selection of the VW Jetta TDI is a stark reminder that achieving environmentally friendly standards must go hand in hand with putting dollars into the pockets of the consumer if they are really going to make a mark in the mass market. The basic proposition is an economic one; delivering low emissions with high mpg and at a price that motorists can afford to drive off the car lot and keep on the road.  Look for your Kansas Volkswagen, or wherever you buy your VW, today.