What does it mean for a car to be eco-friendly? In a recent episode of “South Park” all of the residents of this fictitious and animated small Colorado mountain town bought Prius (Prii?) hatchbacks and there was a surge in personal well being. So much so that a cloud of smug (not smog) threatened to eat the town. How the creators of this show can change one letter in a word and create such comic gold is truly a gift. Want to know what else is a gift? That the Toyota Prius somehow manages never to break down given the lengths of cables, complex batteries and plutonium flux capacitors that it is forced to carry. Actually, I have studied hybrids and I still have no idea how they work. Really, Toyota? Is it black magic? And don’t even get me started on the Honda FCX Clarity that runs on hydrogen. What we really need here is a car that runs on Lima Beans. Because nobody likes Lima Beans. Toyota Prius When the first Toyota Prius hit the market it looked like nothing else on the road. The Mk1 was a sedan but in name only. If a Pokémon character were ever to have had a car this one would have been it. It wasn’t really until the MK2 version that was built up until 2010 that the concept of the hybrid really took off. With mileage in the high 40’s and sometimes 50’s if you were careful with optimizing braking and accelerating, the Prius was the first car that made people feel that much closer to their very own “Jetson’s” style flying car. The biggest miracle, however, is the fact that this car is more reliable than any other family car on the market today and that includes Camry, Accord and Altima. Very impressive. Honda Insight Okay, it may look like a giant radioactive space turd in the styling department but this four door Prius rip-off is a revolution starter. Why is this vehicle so important? Because it has attempted, however failingly, to bring hybrid power to the masses. VW Jetta/Golf TDI This is perhaps the very first “people’s car” from VW in a very long time. Because it brought the frugality and fun of diesel motoring into the hands of people who could previously not afford it. I am all for Mercedes, BMW and Audi diesels but they are priced out of reach for many buyers. That is why so many people but the Prius. Because the price is right. At about $23,000 well equipped you got fuel economy of 31 city/30 highway and the razor sharp precision of this German sports sedan. This is a great alternative if you can’t stand the thought of your engine turning off at stop lights. Honda FCX Clarity Although you apparently have to be Jamie Lee Curtis or similar to lease one, this technological tour de force shows there is life after hybrids. All the Clarity really lacks is an infrastructure to manufacture sufficient hydrogen for this use and gas stations to carry it. (The Clarity is only available in Los Angeles for lease because this is the only city with Hydrogen gas stations). Subaru Legacy Just because your company doesn’t sell any cars that are hybrids or run on reformulated corn feed doesn’t mean you can’t be green. The new for 2010 Subaru Legacy is built at a factory in the United States that produces 0% landfill waste, an industry first. Everything in the plant is recycled and a number of things in each new car such as seat foam and some of the plastics are also recycled. Just leave it to Subaru to figure out something as simple as that to help improve all of our lives on this planet. Category:Home › Home • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 2 • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 1 • Should the crew of the Sea Shepherd board whaling ships? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 13 • Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 12 • Are teachers unions the cause of public school problems today? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 11