
6
Images
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists

Green Car Journal, a magazine and website whose publisher, Ron Cogan, made waves at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show by awarding the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, left, its influential Green Car of the Year award, has announced this year’s finalists. The vehicles fall into at least one of three categories: compact, clean diesel or hybrid. Each has soaring MPG estimates.
To choose the contenders, Green Car Journal sought vehicles that “exhibit characteristics that substantially raise the bar in environmental performance and were in production by Jan. 1 of the award year.” Nine jurors -- including “The Tonight Show’s”Jay Leno , automobile icon Carroll Shelby and Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club -- will choose a winner and announce it at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Here we take a look at the finalists and see what Times automotive critic Dan Neil and others in the auto press have to say about each.
--Times Staff Reports
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(General Motors)
To choose the contenders, Green Car Journal sought vehicles that “exhibit characteristics that substantially raise the bar in environmental performance and were in production by Jan. 1 of the award year.” Nine jurors -- including “The Tonight Show’s”
--Times Staff Reports
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(General Motors)

BMW 335d
EPA fuel economy:
23 city/ 36 hwy
Available engine:
3.0-liter DOHC inline six-cylinder diesel engine
Available transmission:
6-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode
Dan Neil says:
“Where once the furious, bees-on-fire sound of a high-revving gas engine poured into the cabin, now the turbo-diesel sets the deck plates atwitter with a dark, seismic churn.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(BMW)
EPA fuel economy:
23 city/ 36 hwy
Available engine:
3.0-liter DOHC inline six-cylinder diesel engine
Available transmission:
6-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode
Dan Neil says:
“Where once the furious, bees-on-fire sound of a high-revving gas engine poured into the cabin, now the turbo-diesel sets the deck plates atwitter with a dark, seismic churn.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(BMW)

Ford Fusion Hybrid
EPA fuel economy:
Not available
Available engines:
175-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine
240-hp 3.0-liter V-6
263-hp 3.5-liter V-6
Available transmission:
6-speed transmission
Brian Moody, Edmunds.com’s road test editor, says:
“What’s cool about a Ford hybrid sedan is that it gives people who need a sedan a domestic hybrid choice.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(Ford Motor Co.)
Not available
Available engines:
175-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine
240-hp 3.0-liter V-6
263-hp 3.5-liter V-6
Available transmission:
6-speed transmission
Brian Moody, Edmunds.com’s road test editor, says:
“What’s cool about a Ford hybrid sedan is that it gives people who need a sedan a domestic hybrid choice.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(Ford Motor Co.)

Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid
EPA fuel economy:
25 city/ 32 hwy
Available engine:
172-hp, 2.4-liter I-4 (gasoline hybrid)
Available transmission:
4-speed automatic w/OD
Alex Nunez of Autoblog says:
“If you’ve driven a conventionally-powered 3.6L Vue, you’re not really in for anything earth-shatteringly different.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(General Motors)
25 city/ 32 hwy
Available engine:
172-hp, 2.4-liter I-4 (gasoline hybrid)
Available transmission:
4-speed automatic w/OD
Alex Nunez of Autoblog says:
“If you’ve driven a conventionally-powered 3.6L Vue, you’re not really in for anything earth-shatteringly different.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(General Motors)

Smart Fortwo
EPA fuel economy:
33 city/ 41 hwy
Available engine:
70-hp, 1.0-liter I-3
Available transmission:
5-speed auto-shift manual w/OD and auto-manual
Dan Neil says:
“Cute? Oh my God, yes. It couldn’t be any cuter if it were buried up to its neck in kittens. Attention-grabbing? Ice cream trucks playing ‘La Bamba’ at 100 decibels don’t get more notice. Likable? It’s irresistible. The Smart is a rolling sight gag, like a fat man wearing a tiny bowler hat, or a Speedo. Safe? Can we go back to ‘likable’? At roughly a third the weight of a large luxury sedan -- like Mercedes’ S-class -- the Fortwo would be at a profound Newtonian disadvantage in most any vehicle-to-vehicle collision.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(Daimler)
33 city/ 41 hwy
Available engine:
70-hp, 1.0-liter I-3
Available transmission:
5-speed auto-shift manual w/OD and auto-manual
Dan Neil says:
“Cute? Oh my God, yes. It couldn’t be any cuter if it were buried up to its neck in kittens. Attention-grabbing? Ice cream trucks playing ‘La Bamba’ at 100 decibels don’t get more notice. Likable? It’s irresistible. The Smart is a rolling sight gag, like a fat man wearing a tiny bowler hat, or a Speedo. Safe? Can we go back to ‘likable’? At roughly a third the weight of a large luxury sedan -- like Mercedes’ S-class -- the Fortwo would be at a profound Newtonian disadvantage in most any vehicle-to-vehicle collision.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(Daimler)

Volkswagen Jetta TDI
EPA fuel economy:
29 city/ 40-41 hwy
Available engine:
2.0-liter, 16-valve inline four-cylinder diesel
Available transmissions:
6-speed manual
Dual-clutch automatic transmission
Dan Neil says:
“I find the 2009 VW Jetta TDI’s lack of exceptionalism exceptional. This car is ordinary, routine, a mean of averages, a flat line on life’s electroencephalogram .... And that’s amazing.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(Volkswagen)
29 city/ 40-41 hwy
Available engine:
2.0-liter, 16-valve inline four-cylinder diesel
Available transmissions:
6-speed manual
Dual-clutch automatic transmission
Dan Neil says:
“I find the 2009 VW Jetta TDI’s lack of exceptionalism exceptional. This car is ordinary, routine, a mean of averages, a flat line on life’s electroencephalogram .... And that’s amazing.”
More in Autos:
Up to Speed: L.A. Auto Show news
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Production cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Concept cars
2008 L.A. Auto Show: Green cars
2009 Green Car of the Year finalists
Preview: L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge
(Volkswagen)
1/6