Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com Names Top 10 Green Cars Of 2011

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The editors of KBB.com, the online presence of Kelley's Blue Book, named the Top 10 Green Cars of 2011 on April 12. In this annual list, the KBB.com editors presented a variety of fuel-efficient vehicles. The coverage included detailed EPA-estimated fuel economy numbers and editorial commentary on why each model made this year's top Green Car list.

Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence found the latest March 2011 survey data, in deference to the state of future oil and gas prices, confirmed that the rising cost of petroleum-based products remains a key concern for potential purchasers. Their data found the favorability of cleaner-technology vehicles rising from 30 percent in February 2011 to 35 percent in March 2011. Those who considered better fuel economy as the primary reason for why they would look to purchase a new vehicle has risen over the past three months as well, jumping from 6 percent in January 2011 to 15 percent in March 2011.

Pessimism in any downward fuel pricing trend also held sway as 85 percent of car shoppers in March 2011 indicated they feel gas prices will be higher in the next 30 days, up 11 percentage points from February 2011.

Alongside hybrid and clean-diesel technology, the electric car is starting to make headway in the competitive marketplace. Nissan's all-electric Leaf garnered much attention as did GM's Volt via Chevrolet, an electric car that also carries a gasoline engine, which powers the vehicle on a sporadic basis. Its electric motor-generator does the majority of the work, giving the Volt the feel of a pure electric vehicle. Because the Leaf runs on electricity solely, it is emission-free, while the Volt's emission performance depends upon the frequency of usage.

The Top Ten:

• 2011 Honda Insight averaging  41 mpg (40 city/43 highway)
• 2012 Ford Focus with 31 mpg (28 city/38 highway)
• 2012 Fiat 500 with 33 mpg (30 city/38 highway)
• 2011 Toyota Prius at 50 mpg (51 city, 48 highway)
• 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDI at 34 mpg (30 city/42 highway)
• 2011 Lexus CT 200h with 42 mpg (43 city, 40 highway)
• 2011 Chevy Volt with 93 mpg equivalent
• 2011 Hyundai Elantra ranging 33 mpg (29 city, 40 highway)
• 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid with 39 mpg (41 city/36 highway)