What is the Greenest Car Company of 2010?

Which dealership should 2010 car shoppers be visiting if they are interested in an eco-friendly vehicle? As with many things in this world, the answer depends on who you ask. A number of different experts and organizations have weighed in to offer up their two cents on who they consider to be the greenest car company of 2010.

Of course, as a car shopper the entire vehicle lineup offered by an automaker doesn't matter as much as that one vehicle model that you are most interested in. However, understanding which car brands carry with it a distinction of eco-friendliness can certainly help point you in the right direction when it comes to beginning your quest to buy a new car. The arguments for greenest car company of 2010 are detailed below:

Honda's Green Car Lineup

In 2007, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) endorsed Honda as the "greenest automaker" in America. The title was handed down after all major automaker fleets were scored based on average per-mile emissions of smog and global warming pollution. As UCS puts it, "Honda has the best smog performance in four out of the five classes of vehicle it produces, and better-than-average global warming scores in every class."

Though the UCS has not compiled environmental scores for 2010, fleet lineups suggest that Honda would remain on top if judged on the same criteria. New additions to Honda's lineup, such as the 2010 Honda Insight only serve to bolster the Japanese automaker's image as an eco-friendly car company.

In addition to the endorsement from the UCS, Honda has one inarguable fact going for it – the automaker boasts the highest average fleet mileage of any major auto manufacturer in the United States for 2010.

Toyota's Green Car Lineup

When it comes to greenest car company of 2010, Toyota begs to differ with the UCS. As rebuttal, Toyota bigwigs can point to two different UK studies. The first, conducted by Business Car magazine factored in numerous environmentally friendly attributes and achievements to name Toyota the greenest car company. The fact that the study incorporated sales volume of green vehicles into the equation almost certainly worked in Toyota's favor – the Toyota Prius is by far the best-selling hybrid of all time (and also has the best fuel mileage of any vehicle for 2010 – 50 mpg combined).

UK Auto Trader agrees with Business Car magazine. In a survey of 2,000 UK motorists, Toyota came out at the top of the heap in terms of environmental friendliness.

Green Cars: Honda vs. Toyota

Ask auto experts for their opinions on greenest automaker and they will likely concur with one of the two above assessments (Toyota or Honda).* Either way, eco-conscious drivers can shop with confidence at one of these two Japanese automakers. The truth is they are both about equally matched when it comes to current and future green vehicle technologies.

Of course, shoppers shouldn't rule out other automakers simply because their entire fleet isn't viewed as the greenest. Ford, GM, Hyundai, Volkswagen and other automakers all offer environmentally friendly vehicles. Remember, while brand image may be important, you're not buying the entire fleet; you're buying one particular model. As such, individual eco-friendliness of a particular vehicle is a more important shopping criteria.

*BMW touts itself as the Greenest Automaker based on something called the Dow Jones Industrial Sustainability Index. While this Index is a sign of corporate responsibility, it can be misleading as an endorsement towards "greenest automaker." As a case in point, BMW is one of only a handful of automakers that fail to meet U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) regulations for average fleet mpg.