A panel of nine judges, including members of the automotive press and prominent leaders of environmental organizations, has together selected the greenest, most planet-friendly, pollution-fighting car available in the United States today -- and if you were blasted in the face daily with acrid school-bus diesel-exhaust as a kid, you're going to be confused by their choice.
It's an oil burner.
But the diesels of today aren't like the ones we grew up with - the ones that earned diesel its bad reputation. The Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show is the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI - and according to the experts, it's greener than a Prius.
The Detroit Free Press explains, "The conventional wisdom that ultra-environmental vehicles must be tiny and impractical or festooned with expensive hybrid technology got a kick in the teeth as the diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI won the Green Car of the Year award at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Thursday." Ron Cogan of Green Car Journal, which organized the award, told reporters the Jetta achieves "the kind of fuel efficiency offered by gasoline-electric hybrids but in a more affordable way."
The AP adds, "The Jetta TDI, which Volkswagen debuted in Los Angeles a year ago, gets 41 miles per gallon on the highway, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates." Diesel-powered cars "have long been popular in European markets, they have been slow to catch on in the U.S. That's partially because of tough emission requirements in states such as California, along with American memories of the smelly, noisy diesel vehicles of decades past." The Jetta TDI meets emissions requirements in all 50 states.
It's beaten the venerable Prius in several mileage challenges.
It's also affordable, coming in at $21,990 in sedan form and $23,590 as a wagon.
According to the Los Angeles Times, "The award was bestowed by a panel of nine judges, including Frances Beinecke, head of the Natural Resources Defense Council; "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno; car guy Carroll Shelby; and Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club."
The group's decision serves notice that clean diesel has arrived in the U.S. This year, everything from the legendary BMW 3-Series to Mercedes' largest SUVs to Audi's R8 supercar are available with diesel engines.
Research the best small cars with U.S. News' car rankings and reviews.
