On Friday, we reported that Forbes had named the greenest luxury cars. Today the publisher has reversed the theme and named the least environmentally-friendly upscale autos. Forbes Autos reports, “The entire list, with the exception of a lone American sedan — the Cadillac STS-V -- is composed of cars from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, with the last two brands dominating the ranking.” The Germans control the list “because Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz produce some of the fastest, most powerful cars in the world,” but often these “specially equipped, limited-editions that incorporate racing technology…are made for drivers who crave velocity above all else.” Two BMWs and five Mercedes-Benzes tied for the dubious honor of least efficient luxury ride. Most made the list because of performance upgrades. For instance, BMW M5 “returns 13 mpg in combined city/highway driving, while the 528i,” on which it is based, “Puts out less than half the power of the M5, [but] gets 21 mpg.”
Autoblog Green notes, “This bottom ten list actually numbers twenty-one cars including most of the Audi S models, BMW's M-fleet and Mercedes AMG bombers.” Forbes “came up with so many cars by including rides that were tied with the same mileage as one position on the list.” AG also points out that the Forbes editors left exotic sports cars and super-luxury makes like Maybach and Bentley off of their list.
Read about both green and high-performance options in the small, midsize and large luxury car classes with U.S. News’ car rankings and reviews.
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