The Top Ten Green Cars of 2010

Toyota's 2010 Prius: Still the top green pick, says Esurance. (Toyota photo)

Considering how paper-intensive it is, the insurance business is one sector that could really benefit from the paperless office. Esurance doesn't claim to have gotten there yet, but it does do most of its business online, and even stores its documents electronically.

The company has planted 80,000 trees, and it estimates that another 3,250 have been saved by its practices since 2000. It also uses only hybrids in its claims fleet (cutting carbon emissions in half), and offsets 100 percent of its electricity use with wind power purchased from NativeEnergy. The carbon emissions from the hybrid fleet are offset in Lousiana-based reforestation projects.

Esurance offers weekly green tips, and its most recent list was of the 10 greenest cars on the market in 2010. My own list would be slightly different--the Smart fortwo would be replaced by the Honda Fit, for instance--but it's still pretty savvy. Here's the list, with some of my own comments:

1. Third-generation Toyota Prius. The recalls, affecting half a million cars, have dented the Prius' appeal, but the company is still at number three in brand loyalty, and the Prius is tops in its segment, according to Kelley Blue Book's most recent survey. The Prius still aces the reliability survey at Consumer Reports, and it still gets 50 mpg.
2. Honda Insight. This new model bears some resemblance to the Prius, but it's not quite as fuel efficient--you'll see more than 40 mpg, though. The Insight offers a $4,000 savings over the same company's excellent but frequently overlooked Civic Hybrid (see below).
3. Honda Civic Hybrid. Nobody's recalling this 42-mpg Civic, which is a top five-star safety pick at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A main reason the Civic Hybrid doesn't sell better is that it looks just like the standard Civic, which means it lacks the instant green credibility of the Prius.
4. Ford Fusion Hybrid. At 41 mpg, the Fusion is competitive on mileage with the Civic Hybrid, in a somewhat bigger package. Dubbed "the best gas-electric hybrid yet" by USA Today, the Fusion is the top domestic green choice.
5. Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Americans are still reluctant to try diesels, but they offer the best available non-hybrid fuel economy. The Jetta is state-of-the-art, with 50-state emissions compliance and performance that gives little away to the gasoline variant of the car. Expect 34 mpg.
6. Audi A3. Here's another TDI variant, earning "Green Car of the Year" plaudits this year from the Green Car Journal. It's 34 mpg is a third better than the standard A3, and it exactly matches the Jetta TDI.
7. Toyota Camry Hybrid. The big brother of the Prius (but not necessarily all that much roomier) the Camry has largely escaped Toyota's recall crisis (just 22 of them made the trip back to dealerships). 34 mpg combined, like the A3 and Jetta.
8. Lexus HS 250h. Think of a luxury variant of the Camry and Prius. The $33,000 Lexus is also somewhat performance-oriented, with an 8.4-second zero to 60 time. The Atkinson Cycle engine is a fuel-efficient curiosity. The 35-mpg is on a par with the Smart fourtwo.
9. Smart fourtwo. The 36 mpg and recyclable body panels are impressive, but the performance and ride are not. It's a chore on the highway. But the Smart fourtwo, hugely popular in Europe, is admirably compact--there is no more parkable car on the planet.
10. Ford Escape Hybrid. America's first credible hybrid, the $30,000 Escape is now becoming ubiquitous as a popular green taxicab. It's 32 mpg makes it the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market. It you "need" an SUV, this is a really good choice.

In six months, a raft of plug-in hybrids and battery cars will be on the market, blowing this list out of the water.

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