Top Picks For Green Car Of The Year

Green Car Journal has named its six finalists for Green Car Of the Year. The company ruffled a few feathers when it announced last year's winner, the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe. The Tahoe didn't make this year's cut, but the BMW 335d, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid, the Smart Fortwo and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI all did.

With EPA fuel economy estimates that range between 23-33 in the city and as high as 41 on the highway, The Green Car Journal says its 2009 picks, timed to coincide with the Los Angeles Auto Show, cover a wide range of hybrid choices. The Smart ForTwo offers a 1.0 liter, 3-cylinder 70-hp engine and is by the smallest of the five contenders. The BMW 335d, with its 3.0 liter V6 engine is the largest. The Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Smart ForTwo compete for the crown on the best city mileage, with each vehicle offering a city rating of 33 mpg.

The focus this year is on fuel economy and that's reflected in the publication's choices for car of the year. Although the number of hybrids has increased, including the number of full-size hybrid vehicles, small is the new "big" when it comes to the models that will compete for the Green Car of the Year title. The publication will announce its choice at the 2008 LA Auto Show.

Photo: Courtesy of Ford Motor Company