ACEEE's top green pick for 2008 is the Honda Civic GX, which runs on natural gas. "It does really, really well on the criteria pollutant side of things," says Shruti Vaidyanathan, vehicle analyst for the council. "It also gets pretty good fuel economy." The Civic GX gets the equivalent of 24 miles per gallon city and 36 mpg highway, according to Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, estimates. What are some factors that make a car hard on Mother Earth? Diesel fuel, large powerful engines and big vehicles, says Vaidyanathan. Because many offer lower mileage, they also tend to be harder on the wallet, too. First on the meanest list is the Volkswagen Touareg. The main reason comes down to one word: diesel, says Vaidyanathan. "Diesels have gotten cleaner and cleaner over the years," she says. "But there are still more criteria pollutants being emitted from a diesel than from a gas-powered vehicle." Of the group's 12 meanest picks for 2008, five run on diesel, five use premium gas and two use regular gas.
 | | Greenest and meanest cars in 2008 | | | | | | 1. Honda Civic GX |  |
|  Specs:1.8-liter, 4-cylinder, automatic transmission, runs on natural gas |
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