Auto Club's Top 'Green' Cars to Drive

The Auto Club of Southern California named its top 10 green vehicles that are low on air pollution and fuels in its 2011 Green Car Guide (see accompanying report under photo).

The top-ranking green vehicle, according to the Auto Club, is the 2011 Toyota Highlander LTD Hybrid 4WD. The SUV received strong safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and, at 28 miles per gallon, gets better fuel economy than some sedans.

Here are the top five scoring vehicles in the Auto Club’s car guide:

1. Toyota Highlander LTD Hybrid 4WD
2. Volkswagen Touraeg Supercharged Hybrid
3. Lexus LS 600h L Sedan
4. Lexus CT 200h Hybrid
5. Lexus RX450h

The Auto Club's report "is especially important in light of this year’s high gas prices that exceeded $4 per gallon," said the Auto Club’s Automotive Research Center Manager and Chief Engineer Steve Mazor in a statement Monday.

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gas in Los Angeles County rose Wednesday for the 11th time in 12 days, reaching $3.82. 

In the Auto Club’s guide, an array of vehicles (from hybrids to electric to clean diesels) were ranked based on emissions, fuel economy, crash testing, braking, acceleration, handling, ride quality, interior noise and space, ease of entering and exiting, and maneuverability.

Scores in those categories were totaled to determine the top cars.  Then, each vehicle’s total score was divided by its price to determine its cost per point, according to the Auto Club.

When price is factored into the equation, here are the top five best-value scoring vehicles that the Auto Club measured:

1. Scion Xd
2. Mazda 2 Touring
3. Honda Fit Sport
4. Chevrolet Cruze Eco
5. Smart passion coupe

City News Service contributed to this report.