When the auto experts at Kelley Blue Book (KBB) were getting ready to pick their Top 10 Green Cars for 2010, they started right with the reigning champ: The Toyota Prius.
For the third consecutive year, the Prius beat all comers to take the No. 1 spot on the list, which makes perfect sense. After all, as KKB editors note, the 2010 Prius “is the biggest, most powerful iteration yet” and “it’s also the most fuel-efficient.” In fact, with EPA ratings of 51 mpg city/48 mpg highway/50 mpg combined, the Prius is the most fuel-efficient mainstream vehicle on the market today.
But that’s just the beginning of the Prius story. For example, the car can also be fitted with a unique solar moonroof, which derives enough power from solar energy to operate a cooling fan inside the vehicle. On hot days, this can help keep drivers comfortable without having to draw energy—and thus use more fuel—from the car’s engine or hybrid system.
Another cool interior feature is the Prius’ Touch Tracer Display, which allows drivers to adjust the climate and audio systems by using touch-pads mounted on the steering wheel. The same pads can also be used to view key information about the Prius’ fuel-efficiency performance, helping to show drivers how to improve it. One Toyota Dealer in Boston, MA, stated the Prius has continues to be one of the more advanced hybrids on the road.
And while it’s no surprise to find the Prius up among the green-car leaders, seeing the Toyota Highlander hybrid on the list might shock some people—but not the KBB judges. Their comments on the fuel-sipping SUV: “We said it last year and we just might say it next year: The 2010 Toyota Highlander hybrid is the most fuel-efficient three-row vehicle on the road.”
Specifically, the Highlander hybrid achieves EPA ratings of 27 mpg city/25 mpg highway/26 mpg highway, while still boasting full-time four-wheel drive and the ability to tow up to 3,000 lbs.
In other words, if ever there were a truck for tree-huggers, it would be Toyota Highlander hybrid.
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